CT Wedding Photographer Val Nanovsky

AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH TWO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Suspects: 

WHERE DO THE NAMES “TRASH THE DRESS” AND “DROWN THE GOWN” COME FROM?

Peter’s take

Val: “Trash the Dress” was coined several years ago by Las Vegas wedding photographer John Michael Cooper. When I heard about it and saw the images, I immediately got hooked. It was the hot new thing on the market everybody was talking about.

Later on, having interacted with a number of brides I realized that as exciting and different as these sessions are, not everybody was really that open to destroying their dress. Sure, people comment on the Trash the Dress (TTD) images and love many of them, but having a TTD session themselves… may be not.

That was roughly the time I had started thinking about Valdorama GREEN as a brand, concept and main creative direction in my photography. Trashing the dress implied something destructive my photography didn’t really tie well with. So I decided to add my own twist to everything and give my outdoor green sessions a more appropriate name, one like “The Day After”, or simply “Valdorama GREEN”. In some cases I would call them “Drown the Gown” – as long as brides are comfortable getting wet and what we do does not pose any danger to them or the dress.

After all, it’s just a name. Whatever creative direction we take at these sessions is completely up to my couples and me. What ultimately counts is the fun factor, the environment, the photos and how happy my clients are.

WHY “TRASH THE DRESS” / “THE DAY AFTER”?

Val: There is absolutely nothing like this session. Really. If you don’t get one, you haven’t gotten the essence out of what I do.  As a wedding photographer, this is what I am known for.

The idea behind it is that during a wedding there is this crazy schedule everybody is following and people are so stressed out that they sometimes have a hard time relaxing in front of the camera. Don’t get me wrong; I still shoot wonderful pictures at weddings.

These sessions take everything to the next level. It is a post-wedding glam photo session at a special outdoor location untouched by human activity. There is no stress, and that enables my brides to truly give me the absolute best they can out of themselves.

Another reason to consider having a post-wedding session is the dress. Bridal gowns can be so expensive. They are purchased just for the wedding day and after that they are neatly stored and …forgotten. At these sessions my brides have the opportunity to put their dress on and enjoy it once again and this is huge. In addition, they have already been in front of my camera and are much more relaxed; mutual trust has long been established. We chat, joke with each other, and enjoy ourselves. The resulting images are like nothing you have seen so far:

But these sessions are much more than outdoor glam shoots. I want to show my couples how beautiful our environment can be, and raise more awareness about preserving it. I educate them and give them interesting facts about the location.

A wedding is a symbolic beginning with a special meaning. Two people start their lives together and give life to future generations along the way. It is particularly important to gain awareness about the place we live in at that very moment so that they see once again how beautiful and fragile it is and realize how much sense it makes to protect it so that one day their own children can enjoy the same gifts from Mother Nature as we do.

Ultimately it is the Valdorama GREEN images people hang on their walls after the wedding. Their friends and relatives see them, and in turn learn about the location and the environment. And this is my goal – reaching out to as many people as possible and sending them my message through what I do.

TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TRASHING THE “STRESS”

Peter’s take

Val: I absolutely LOVE this term and I think I am going to steal it from Pete ;-)

Valdorama GREEN is all about “trashing the wedding stress” and having fun in a totally relaxed atmosphere. There is no fixed time for these sessions to take place. We shoot at the couple’s convenience – whenever and wherever they are comfortable.

People absolutely love the final images. Many have been asking me whether they could have such a session several years after they have been married. And the answer to that is YES, most definitely.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU DO THIS TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?

Peter’s take

Val: I like to think of myself as of a photographer whose images give your wedding a unique creative edge and artistic interpretation, make it truly outstanding and memorable. I pour my heart and soul into every single photo. Each wedding is one of a kind event and experience, and I strive to capture its true spirit in my images – in my own artistic way.

In addition to that, the uniqueness comes from several factors – the carefully selected location, the time of day, the specific shooting techniques I use, my creative editing and post production, and the type of equipment I have. Combined together, these yield the results you see on my web site.

HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER IN WHAT YOU DO?

Peter’s take

Val: I absolutely agree with Pete. First and foremost, we are very good friends. We share many similar philosophies and views. At a wedding, we are photojournalists. We try to capture the action, the emotions, the atmosphere, the surroundings.

But like he said, his specialty is in working with studio light – and he is a heck of an expert in that area. I try to play with as much of the available natural/ambient light as possible. He lights more, I light less.

Pete also uses different editing techniques. His photography is more direct, “in your face” and has a well-defined vintage feel trough the use of various black and white and sepia techniques.

My photography is more modern, more about color, use of extreme angles, extreme light. There is nothing good or bad about these approaches – they are just different.