14 years of wedding photography with The Shalom Imaginative
A behind the scenes look, with one of the coolest LA based photography/videography duos
If you loved the candid, documentary photo style of this Y2k inspired Palm Springs wedding or this retro 1960s themed wedding in LA, you’ll be delighted to see our latest interview, exclusive to our Substack. The team behind the lens of those weddings and more beautiful days featured on 100LC are Nate and Amanda of LA based wedding photography and videography collective The Shalom Imaginative. They’re one of the coolest LA wedding duos around, and are also one of our MatchBook Event Pros!
Learn more about their journey to wedding photography, favorite venues, and some wedding day surprises, while scrolling through their emotive, authentic photos on both analog and digital…
Was your profession always photography? If not, what job did you have before becoming one? Did you ever want to be in any other industry? I was working as a community nonprofit Amanda was a Registered Nurse. Both of us felt uninspired in our jobs and dreamed of doing something more creative together. We had no background in photography, but got a camera and taught ourselves 14 years ago.
What is your process for prepping for a wedding? Working out a really good schedule with your couple and wedding planners ahead of time, charge batteries and organize gear.
What’s your favorite event venue to shoot at? Prim in Mexico City, anything in a new city to explore, spaces that aren't typically wedding venues (dive bar, backyard, bakery), The Paramour Estate in LA and any of the Marvimon spaces. Also, sometimes the best venue is the one closest to our beds :)
Have you ever had to deal with an unhappy client or pushy parent of the couple? How did you handle it, if so? Yes, of course! Listen to what they have to say - sometimes when couples have feedback on how something was edited or handled, we agree with them and it ends up helping us improve. Also, have a good contract you can refer to, be kind and professional, have a back bone but give what you are able to help remedy the situation.
(speaking of eclectic cakes: have you seen our funky cake trends post?)
What’s the most catastrophic thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding? Once on a dance floor we watched someone get their front tooth kicked out from a wild dance move and we have also seen someone taken away in an ambulance from heat exhaustion during a ceremony. More seriously, the saddest thing we sometimes see is when families don't accept or support the couple in one way or another.
What’s your favorite place to travel to? Anywhere in Mexico or up the California Coast.
What camera and lens are your favorite for photographing events? We love documenting with our film cameras (Canon EOS 3, Canon EOS 1V, Contax T2) and have never been without a 24-70mm lens. We have never been gear nerds and don't switch around our equipment often.
What would you say is the top piece of advice for an event photographer to make a name for themself in this industry? Diversify your inquiry sources, don't be afraid to pay for advertising, learn SEO, work hard, and create a good experience for your clients.
Thank you to Amanda and Nate for going Behind the Veil with us! Now we want to know, who should we interview next?