Season 1, EP 4:
Victor Lax’s Secrets to Creative Wedding Photography

Justin Benson

Welcome to After the Shoot, a podcast where we take a peek behind the lens to get inspired by the stories, challenges and ideas of some of the most successful photographers in the business. I’m Justin Benson from Aftershoot, an AI culling and editing software that helps give photographers like you your time back so you can focus on what you do best, while our magical unicorns take care of the most boring and time consuming parts of your job. I’ll be your host for this podcast, and I’m so excited to have you here as we talk with some of my favorite creators.

Episode Teasers

I always say to all my couples, this is a moment to enjoy. This is a moment to take risks. This is I would like to capture, like a piece of art. If you start to be inspired about within photographers. At the end, we are going to make the same photos.

Justin Benson

On today’s episode of After the Shoot, we’re going to be speaking with an amazing photographer, the one and only Victor Lax. And we’re going to be covering how to conceptualize and create amazing shots in existing spaces. If you’ve not seen Victor Lax’s work, I cannot recommend checking out anymore. I think it will help you along in this podcast. If you just take a quick 30 seconds and pop over to his instagram and check it out, you will be floored by the creativity and the amazing use of light and shadow. And in this episode, I wanted to dig down and figure out how does he do it, because I want to do it, too.

So you’re going to learn plenty here, and we can’t wait to hear what you think. Enjoy the show.

Justin Benson

Without further ado, we welcome Victor Lax.

Victor Lax

Thank you, Justin. Thank you.

Justin Benson

Thank you for joining us.

Victor Lax

It’s a super big pleasure for me to be here. Not only about all the retreat. That is really amazing and also because I am here and I’m very curious about all your questions.

Justin Benson

Perfect. So my first question is the most important one. How did you get started in photography?

Victor Lax

I started in photography in 2002. I was lucky to start as a beginner in a newspaper. Yes. My foundation is all about photojournalism. I was working as a photojournalist for ten years. Twenty four, seven. And that, you know, when I was a photojournalist, I learned very important things. Like, for example, how to control the camera is obvious, but also there were more important things. And one of the most important things is to understand people, to know where is the moment to go inside to the house, take the photos, for example. Go out. Okay. And another thing is to understand all the meaning about photography, at the end, it’s very important to know who you are as a photographer, to find your own voice, okay? Your soul, for example, which kind of portraits you want to capture, which kind of moments you want to capture. So at the end, photojournalist is a good foundation to know who you are. Okay.

Justin Benson

That’s amazing. So you were a photojournalist first?

Victor Lax

Yeah.

Justin Benson

And now you’re not a photojournalist.

Victor Lax

No.

Justin Benson

How did that happen? How did you go from photojournalism to weddings?

Victor Lax

Good question. In 2008, in my country, there was a big crisis. I’m from Spain, south Europe, and in 2008 it was a big crisis. And I remember at the end of the year, I was fired out. Yes. I was fired out because in my newspaper there was no money for me and I started to be second photographer of a big twin. I started to learn all about the rhythm of a wedding, okay. 2011, I decided no, from 2008 to 2011, I was working as a photojournalist during the week and Saturdays was for weddings, okay. And I remember perfectly that in 2000, 910, I remember that I thought that wedding photography was boring. Yeah, it’s true. Because I thought wedding photography was only about to capture, for example, the typical portrait of mom, dad and for example, the bride and the ruined moments and the confetti moments, the first dance, the cutting cake, so the traditional moments, okay. When I found out that wedding photography is more than capturing the great moments and I could be focused on of moments or I can be, or I could be more creative. No, sorry. I noticed that I could be more creative than a photojournalist, okay. Because at the end, when I was working for a newspaper, I have a lot of bosses, okay? For example, the director, my editor, so I have three, four bosses and depends on if you are working for the right. I’m talking about politics, okay? So your photos have to be in a different way if you are working for the left. So you can, you need to work in a different level. Okay. Wedding photography was like a refresh for me and clients start to respect me and they start to understand how I was as a wedding photographer and things start to change. And I felt super comfortable being a wedding photographer and also something super important. When I was a photojournalist, I usually had no time for me, for my photography, for my ideas. And so I usually work 24/7 no time for anything, okay. And being a wedding photographer, obviously you have to work, but so I can control my schedule, my calendar, okay. I know that I have to work the next Saturday. But, for example, I can try new things. It’s easier for me to be a creative photographer, being a wedding photographer.

Justin Benson

Yeah. And I’m sure with photojournalism, there’s some things, I mean, you can’t. You. Some things just can’t work. And your work right now, like, you couldn’t go do what you do right now with that creative element as much in photojournalism, because you also have to represent a true thing. If it’s going in a newspaper or if it’s going in a magazine, it needs to be a real thing. You can’t manipulate it the way that you want it to as much, which I think is very cool that you had that transition. So you went to second shooting, and then you realized you could be creative. What made you say, okay, I’m gonna be my own brand. How did you transition out? How did you open up your studio?

Victor Lax

So it was funny because the big brand that I started to work with, they started to have a lot of weddings. I’m talking about 200 weddings. And that business, they started to go down. They didn’t control all the schedule. And I started to notice that maybe I had to start by my own. Okay. And that’s it. In 2011, I started to release my first site. Okay. And I started to publish on Facebook because Instagram wasn’t there. Yeah. It was only Facebook. And I just started to publish not every day, but a few photos. Okay. And at that moment, it was easier to start to work in my community, in my area, in my region, and it was not easy, but not complicated at all. Okay.

Justin Benson

Okay. Easy. I love it. So the most important piece of this conversation or the thing that I want to talk about the most and that I want to focus on is your creative process. So your work is unique. You harness color, you utilize light. Very unique. You find alternate poses and positioning, and everything about your work, it just stands out. I’ve never seen a photo from Victor Lax that was just. Okay. That’s an average wedding photo.

Victor Lax

Thank you.

Justin Benson

I always see, this is incredible. How did you do it? So, first, we’ll talk about the process on a wedding day. So on a wedding day, what does it look like for you? Are you doing boring stuff that we don’t see? Like, when it comes to family photos and all of that, is there just kind of the normal wedding photographer, and then you’re taking them for creative photos, or what does it look like?

Victor Lax

I’m not a genius, man, so. And obviously, if, for example, if we are covering 12 hours no, it’s a twelve hour wedding, obviously. So in all this time, I am capturing sometimes crazy shots, something brilliant and sometimes something more traditional. Depends on the wedding, depends on the clients, depends on everything. Okay. But obviously, obviously, I always say that I am working for my clients. Imagine that my clients say, hey, Victor, I want something like, I want a family portrait. And, yeah, so I capture a typical family portrait. If I have time, I try to create something more creative. No, it’s a creative group. Okay. But usually I try to combine, okay, traditional shots and also super creative shops. And it depends on the wedding day. Okay.

Justin Benson

Okay, that’s fair. Okay, so your wedding, you do boring wedding photos too, so that’s good to know.

Victor Lax

Not at all, not at all, not at all. But no, boring. But you know, sometimes I capture details because I have two. Yeah. And sometimes I capture group photos. So in my country, Spain, usually when the ceremony finishes, okay, imagine that it’s a wedding, about 200 guests, okay. When the ceremony finishes. In my country, not always, but sometimes happen that the couple say, okay, I want a victor. Is it possible to capture photos with all the different groups? We are talking about 200 people and we are talking about 40 groups. And I only have 40 minutes or maybe less. So it’s like a machine. And in this case are boring photos. In this case. So I am only capturing memories for the couple. Okay. I am talking about the typical group. Okay, exactly. In this case, we can say it’s boring.

Justin Benson

Yeah, boring was the wrong word. But yeah, it’s traditional. Because again, I if when people see your work, it’s not traditional, you don’t see traditional? No, traditional, you’re very, very unique. So it comes then to the time you spend with your couples, right? That’s where your creativity really shines. That’s where we get these Unique images. So when it comes to photographing your couples, how does that work? Do you take them and say, okay, smile, look at the camera for a photo, and then, okay, now we’re gonna go do this. Now you’re gonna kiss over here. What is your process when you start with a couple?

Victor Lax

Before the process, we have to say that for being a Unique wedding photographer, first of all, you should know who you are as a photographer at the eNd. Wedding photography is all about photography. When you are focusing in being a wedding photographer, at the end, you are the same wedding photographer like the rest of the world. Right? If you want to be unique, you need to you ask to yourself who you are as a photographer. So, photojournalist helps me to understand me who I am as a photographer, and I try to, I try to make all these things when I am, when I am a wedding photographer. It means, for example, imagine that I have to start to capture a few portraits after the ceremony, okay. I usually start to understand how the light works, okay. How the background is working, because for me, backgrounds and light is the first step, okay? So I try to find an interesting light, an interesting background. So especially I love to play with, with color, with color backgrounds. Imagine whites, red, yellows. And after that, I start to work with the body language. It means with a couple, okay. And for me, when I am capturing wedding portraits, it’s something else than capturing a traditional portrait, okay? I start to imagine how to play with a couple. And the couple for me is like two figures that I have to control them, okay? And obviously the first step is asking them, hey, guys, kissing each other, please join your foreheads. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And this is the first step. And maybe I am starting in that way, super traditional, okay? And this is the first step. And the second step is start to take risks every time. For example, imagine that, for example, bride, for example, give me your back. Don’t look at me. And for example, I start to play only with hands, only with a part of the veil, or maybe with the eyes, with lips, with colors, with the background, with light. And I start to mix everything, like in a cocktail bar. Okay? And that’s it.

Justin Benson

Okay, that’s amazing. So, so to put it, I mean, you’re, you’re just coming in and experimenting, I guess, obviously.

Victor Lax

Always.

Justin Benson

So do you find yourself in situations, especially early on, where you maybe were taking photos that weren’t great and how do you overcome that? So, like, let’s say I have a couple, I’m experimenting with them and I try something and it doesn’t work. How do you go, okay, I’m going to regroup and I’m going to do something that works. Do you go back to a simple pose or do you say, okay, this was, didn’t work and I’m bad?

Victor Lax

No, I just start to force myself every time. Every time. And I always say to all my couples, this is a moment to enjoy, this is a moment to take risk. I would like to capture, like, a piece of art. And if I, for example, imagine that I want to capture something at the end, I find, oh, I think that it’s wrong, it’s not working. And it’s like you are stubborn and you try, you try, you try and you think, ah, shit, it’s not the, no, it’s not the best. So maybe I think, okay, it’s time to. Oh, I need time. And I say, hey, guys, join your foreheads. Kissing each other. And in these 510 seconds, I have time to breath, to relax, and to think about what is the next victor. Okay. And when I have a big pressure is when I work or when I give my best. Okay. On the top. And you go down and take a breath and take it off. Okay?

Justin Benson

Yeah. So you don’t give up. If something doesn’t work, you pause, you say, okay, pause. You guys go, be good. And while they’re doing that, you’re saying, okay, I’m in a calm place. I can now reassess. I can look at it. So when you go to a location with your couple.

Victor Lax

Yeah.

Justin Benson

Cause I’ve seen photographs everywhere. I’ve seen friends of mine. You photograph them in random places that I’m like, how did you do that? So you walk into a location. Let’s say we’re here at this beautiful retreat, and you’re gonna photograph a couple. The first thing you’re going to do is look for color and light. That would be the process.

Victor Lax

But imagine that, for example, I have to make the session in the next five minutes. My work starts. For example, yesterday I’m going to make a scouting and imagine things. Okay. I am always looking for neutral backgrounds. In this case, we are surrounded about white. The chart is, for example, yellow, and I think it’s red. And I just start to think. Okay. I just start to find patterns. Like, for example, if the chart is yellow, the sky is blue, the bright maybe is white. It’s very probable white, yellow and blue. And they are. No. So they are working. Okay. And they are complementary colors. And I start to join patterns. Okay. When I find all about the backgrounds, I start to work with the light. Okay. In this case, it’s a hard light. And I start to see how the shadows are working. And I have the first step, light and backgrounds. And the next step is start to play with a couple.

Justin Benson

Oh, that’s cool. So first it’s establishing the safe light or the good light for you and the color.

Victor Lax

Yeah.

Justin Benson

So you don’t go in blind. Sorry. You actually go and see the places before you. Before you even have a couple.

Victor Lax

Yeah. Always. Always. So. Always. So a wedding, it’s impossible to control or to be a director because. So everything is changing during all the time. Okay. But for portraits, it’s very important for me to have plan a, plan b, plan circumflex. Okay. If I have, for example, during the, for example, the wedding day, 15 minutes. So I have plan a, plan b, plan c, and the day before wedding, we make the scouting and I. We imagine. Okay, maybe here is the option a and over there is the option b. And option c. In Kate, for example, now it’s a sunny day. Imagine tomorrow is a cloudy day. So I have plan a, plan b. Plans.

Justin Benson

So you’re prepared?

Victor Lax

Yeah, so I am prepared for everything, more or less. Not for capturing moments, because capturing, they just happen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because for portraits. Yes. Okay. And it’s very important.

Justin Benson

That’s interesting. So you have. I’ve seen some amazing photos of yours in incredible locations. What happens if you go to, like, something that’s not so cool? What do you do? How do you compensate?

Victor Lax

Everything is cool. For example, imagine that we are here in a sacred valley. And for example, imagine the typical postcard. It’s very proud that I’m going to capture something like that. But the next photo is playing with your hands, playing with your body language. For example, the first step is now it’s capturing something wide, like a postcard. Okay. But the. The next photo is. No, it’s trying to. Is trying to notice how. How you are working with your wife. No. For example, if you are, for example, looking at each other and you smile and I start to focus on your faces, your hands, your way of connection. No, it’s so. It’s something else. We are photographing couples. We are photographing people. And I love to focus on. On hands, on body language, all these things. Okay. So obviously, we usually work in boring places, locations, but it’s something else. So for me, when, when I am in a boring location is when the couple is not working. For example, it’s not the best day for them. Sometimes, you know, for example, light is totally die and I have to. To start artificial light. I don’t feel super comfortable playing with flashes with less and other things. And also imagine that the location is like, for me, a boring location is something like no lines. No, it’s like no backgrounds. For example, a forest. For me, sometimes it’s boring, sometimes. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Justin Benson

And you overcome. So that’s interesting. You don’t really use off camera flash.

Justin Benson

Or anything, unless you.

Victor Lax

Yes, I know how to control the flash perfectly. I usually use flash, for example, during the party, in case. Imagine that you are in the getting ready, you are taking photos and you think, okay, so we are working with a few mirrors and maybe I can have extra flash and I’m going to create something crazy. Okay, but no, for no. So I don’t use flash for every, every time. Okay. I try to combine, but mainly during the party. Right?

Justin Benson

Yeah. So obviously that’s a, it’s a great tool to have in your pocket. Everyone, you know, uses flash when they need it. And then you, if you don’t need it, you embrace the light that you have that’s available to you, which is great. So you’ve, you’ve clearly found a rhythm to how you go and work with your couples, which I think is, is a unique rhythm. So you’re embracing their bodies, the light, the color, and you put all of that together to create new images. How do you take inspiration? How do you keep making new things?

Victor Lax

So obviously, I follow a lot of wedding photographers because following wedding photographers is very important to know how is the community, how is the business. So it’s quite important. But there is a big difference when you are following wedding photographers and, for Example, you check instagram and for Example, I found, for Example, your work and I make this. No, it’s like, uh huh. No, that is no inspiration. That is more about inspiration scoping or something like that. So if I want to find inspiration, obviously I try to find, for Example, editorial photographers, fashion photographers, also photojournalists, photographers. I love photojournalism. I love fashion photographer, and I try to be inspired by all this part of, for example, photography. Okay. Because at the end, if you follow, no, I follow wedding photographers. Okay. But if you start to be inspired about wedding photographers at the end, so we are going to make the same photos. Okay. If you want to be a different wedding photographer or a unique wedding photographer, you have to be inspired about other fields, okay, about other people, other things.

Victor Lax

So I love landscape photography, I love architecture photography, fashion photography, photojournalism. So all this noise, like all of those lead in.

Justin Benson

Oh, that’s great. So that’s your inspiration, Victor, you’re an inspiration for so many photographers. I know that everyone who goes and follows your work is going to say, I’m so inspired by Victor as well. But I wanted to ask you one more question, and that’s how you developed your style. So your editing style, because I’ve noticed it’s so bright and powerful and unique. And how did you go about getting into that? Was that from photojournalism that you kind of learned that or…?

Victor Lax

I love the high contrast photo. I love the brilliant, super powerful colors. So maybe. So, seriously, when I am editing, I don’t think what I have to do is like, it’s a natural process, it’s my way of understanding photography. I love, for example, Alex Webb. Okay. You know?

Justin Benson

Yep.

Victor Lax

So his work is brilliant. He’s a genius. I’m always inspired by, by him. Okay. But when I am editing, I don’t know why, but it’s my way of understanding photography. I love when I am working with colors, strong colors, deep shadows highlight. So the results very probably is because I start shooting in, in that way. Okay. If I am playing with hard light at the end, colors are brilliant. Okay. Or are super strong or shadows. Okay. Whatever. Okay. And maybe it’s because that, okay, just.

Justin Benson

How your shooting style, the way you use light, lends itself too.

Victor Lax

And maybe I don’t want to. So I don’t want to say that Nikon is better than canon or canon, but. So I am using Nikon. Okay. I love the colors, I love the contrast. I love how the atmosphere.

Justin Benson

Actually, that’s the reason I’m shooting Nikon as well, is because the shadow recovery, the contrast, the colors, the skin tones, it lends itself really well to a bright, powerful look that has the warmth and depth of a great image. And I can actually see your editing style developing because of using Nikon and your shooting style. So thank you so much for hanging out with us, Victor. It was a pleasure learning from you, learning your process. I hope that we can all take a little inspiration in how we look at light and posing. And again, it’s great to hear that we’re not expecting. You are a master and you still go, oh, that didn’t work. Let me slow down. Recover, stop, pause, and try again. Because I think a lot of us, when we look at an amazing photographer like you, we say, oh, he just picks up the camera and it’s perfect every time. But clearly it’s not always perfect. And there’s always ways that you can recover. So thank you for being candid and showing us how that all works, and we appreciate the time.

Victor Lax

No. So thank you. I want to say that you, I’m talking about aftershoot. You have created super big community. I’m super proud to be here. All these things is incredible. Okay. And I usually work with a few brands. Okay. And working with you, with, with aftershoot, in this case, with you, with Veronica. So you are brilliant. Oh, sorry. Hardsheet. So you are amazing. You are supporting the community. That is quite important. So it’s more about that, organizing a retreat. So you are a big part of the community. And if you are brilliant, it’s because you are a photographer and you know what the community needs. Okay. It’s something more than, for example, other brands that they are businessmen. Obviously, this is a business, obviously. But I. There is something extra. And I feel super comfortable being part of this. Stay with you. And it’s very easy for me to be in contact in this case, for example, with Veronica, because she’s speaking, for example, in Spanish. And it’s easier for me to say, hey, Veronica, I need help. And if I say I need help, it’s like right now.

Justin Benson

Yeah.

Victor Lax

Okay. And that’s amazing. Congratulations.

Justin Benson

Thank you. No, I appreciate that. Like you said, being a photographer, this industry matters to me. This retreat was really, really important because I wanted to just gather people and give them some inspiration. And when I saw, to be honest, when I saw this hotel, I saw the pictures of it when we were choosing the hotel, I said, that’s the one.

Victor Lax

Yeah.

Justin Benson

And I knew you were speaking here and that’s why. Because I saw the shadow, the light, the architecture. I saw the church with the red and the yellow. And I said, victor is going to create something here that nobody else in the world can create. So again, I’m so inspired by your work. I think you’re an incredible photographer. So thank you for being a part of our community.

Justin Benson

Thanks for tuning in to after the shoot. Got any burning questions for today’s guest? Or just want to keep the conversation going? Drop us a comment if you’re on YouTube or join the Aftershoot community to share your thoughts. You can find the link in the description. Make sure you subscribe to get notified as soon as we drop the next episode. And trust me, you don’t want to miss it. And if you liked this episode, I’d love it if you gave us a rating or a view on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re watching this podcast. See you next time.