READING TIME: 2 min 21 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/06/2023
UPDATED: 08/29/2024
Ah, the enchanting world of weddings! Dive in with us as we unravel the tale of Savanna Sturkie, the artist with a lens who has danced from the world of photojournalism to the charming realm of wedding photography.
"My background is in photojournalism," Savanna began, a touch of nostalgia in her voice. "I went to school for it, and ultimately, when I began pursuing it, realized it wasn't for me. I adore visual journalism, and deeply respect those in the field."
But life, being the unpredictable journey it is, nudged Savanna towards a different path. She laughed, adding, "I essentially tripped into weddings by accident, and fell into love."
Think about your most cherished memory. Now imagine it captured, frozen in time, in a photograph. That's Savanna's magic. "Because my background is in visual journalism, my style is first and foremost documentary and narrative-focused," she explained. A storyteller at heart, Savanna cherishes those candid, heartfelt moments, saying, "I believe in embracing all the imperfections and the full range of emotions that are present on a wedding day." The best part? She lets the moments shine on their own, with limited posing. "It's my job to bring those moments back to life in an authentic way through photography."
Curious about the tools of her trade? "I use a large mix of both digital and film cameras to create. I think at this point, I am working with three different digital cameras and about six different film cameras." she shared.
And once the shoot is done? Savanna patiently waits for the film to come back, revealing, "I don't begin editing anything until I have them." And when she does, every image gets the royal treatment in Lightroom. "I like my editing to be true-to-life," she emphasized, "representing the life and love that was present on the day. So, I don't change too much of how the image already was."
Beyond the tools and the technique, there lies a heart, one that beats for the love stories she captures. "I really can't believe I am invited into the most intimate and emotion-filled days of my client's lives: the fact that I get a front-row seat to people's love is wild to me," she mused, a sense of wonder evident in her tone. "It's something I do not take for granted."
Communication with clients is her cornerstone. She elaborated, "I like to have a fully open line of communication with all of my clients -- any time they have a question, I'm only an email or phone call away. The better I understand my client, the truer I can tell their story on their wedding day."
And for those dreamy destination weddings? Savanna's enthusiasm was palpable, "Of course! I am lucky that I get to travel quite often for work -- in 2022, about 50% of my weddings involved travel. My two favorite destinations I've been able to shoot were Tuscany, Italy, and the Cotswolds in the UK."
As we wrapped up our journey into the world of Savanna Sturkie, we were left with her heartfelt advice for couples: "Hire someone you trust 100%. The more trust you have in your vendor or vendors, the better art you will receive: leave room for them to play, to discover, and to enjoy creating. Leave time in your schedule on the actual wedding to let these things happen organically."
