Valeria D'Angelo is an Italian wedding photographer with a profound passion and a strong, thoughtfully developed aesthetic. Valeria's work goes beyond capturing moments; it encapsulates the essence of love and her personality. In the interview with Bride Lifestyle, she shares her journey as a photographer, inspirations and contemplations that shape her distinctive perspective, as well as some future plans.

Valeria D'Angelo

Interesting facts about wedding photographer Valeria D’Angelo

Photography style

Intimate, cinematic and moody.

Her pictures are a reflection of…

Whether natural or artificial, light is the element she gives the most importance. Valeria believes her pictures reflect who she is and what she likes. “Can you feel the almost witchy atmosphere of my photos? That’s because I love candles, fantasy and Harry Potter.”

Inspirations

• Painting, in particular, Caravaggio’s light and the three-dimensionality he gave to objects.
• The fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. Valeria discovered him while writing her graduation thesis, browsing through her Vogue collection. From that moment, she realised what she liked – not sterile fashion photography, but something different, more interior, less “perfect”.
• Traveling, reading, painting, mountain climbing, and swimming.

Dream destinations for shooting a wedding

New York, Paris, London, Tokyo and Singapore.

Relationships with couples

She finds it very important that the style reflects her personality and taste. To have the necessary connection, the couple should be interested in her style and personality and vice versa. That’s why she needs to get to know the couple before the wedding – through e-mails, sharing a Pinterest board or calls on Skype.

Can you share a bit about your journey as a photographer? Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to be a wedding photographer? Any memorable moments that inspired you to choose your path?

My story didn’t start with weddings and portraits but with editorials and fashion. While studying Art and Theatre at university in Venice, I worked as an assistant at Fabrica (a residency close to Venice, founded by Oliviero Toscani), where I helped with the lights, backdrops, and clothes during shootings. It was a very formative period of my life – I learnt how to do studio photography and work with models, and above all, I realised that this was not the job for me. Staying enclosed in a huge room and doing what the art director decided, without the possibility of deciding anything myself, was not for me. I wanted to be creative.

So, I started taking pictures of models. My first models were just friends of mine. Then, I started working with real models or girls who wanted some pictures for their lookbooks. It was a lot of fun. However, I remember a sentence a photographer friend said to me after a photoshoot. He told me: “You are somewhere between fashion photography and emotional photography. Choose!” And so I chose (the second one). But I believe that my path in fashion continues to influence what I do – the lighting, the poses, the elegance I continue to seek.

Can you name some aspects that shaped your unique approach to your work?

As I said before, I didn't start my career in photography with weddings. I came from a world where the situation was studied ad hoc, the lights were created to achieve a certain effect, and everything about the photo shoot was decided. I started working in the fashion industry, paying attention to how clothes fell, the folds, the shadows. Then, at university, where I also studied photography, they taught me to pay attention to visual order and symmetry, not to cut feet and hands from the frame. All this, I think, has led me to be very attentive to details.

Are there any photographers or artists who inspire your work?

As an art lover, I have studied painting over the years and in particular, I have always loved Caravaggio’s light and the three-dimensionality he gave to objects – I find that light much more interesting than the flat, soft light that wedding photographers often use (spoiler: it’s much easier to use this light than the Caravaggio’s one).

But the truth is that I deeply love the fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. I discovered him while I was writing my graduation thesis, browsing through my Vogue collection. From that moment, I realised what I liked – not sterile fashion photography, but something different, more interior, less “perfect”. His photos were often blurred, out of focus, vaguely dark, mysterious. The beauty of the women he photographed wasn’t as important as the feeling it gave. General aesthetics took second place. I remember thinking: “I want to take pictures like that”.

Outside of photography, what are some of your other interests and hobbies that allow you to recharge and provide new inspiration?

I am always looking for beauty and new inspirations, and this leads me to travel a lot. In general, I always like to try new things. For example, when I travel, I always try local food and drinks, strive to immerse myself as much as possible in the everyday life of the country I visit (at the cost of catching stomach viruses, true story) and try as many local things as I can. I love reading, painting, mountain climbing, and swimming.

I also like street photography, although I don’t think I am very good at it. I’m always bringing my camera with me, trying to see things from a different point of view. But I would be a liar if I didn’t say that, in winter, I love simply staying at home with the cats, watching TV and drinking good wine.

How would you describe your photography style, and what elements do you prioritize when capturing the essence of a wedding day?

So, let’s talk about my photography style. I have always found it difficult to describe something that I still do not fully understand, and that is constantly changing.

At this moment, I think my style can be described as intimate, cinematic and moody. This is because of my use of light. My photos are often dark because I choose what I like to call dramatic light. Dark background, side light on the subject. In general, whether natural or artificial, light is the element I give the most importance to in my photography. But this is just an aesthetic choice, and speaking of emotions, I want my photos to reflect what is happening on the wedding day. The wedding must be what happens as seen through my eyes, nothing more. It is not a styled shoot.

Given your experience, what do you find most exciting about photographing destination weddings? Are there specific destinations that are close to your heart?

I find destination weddings very interesting because they allow me to get out of my comfort zone, visit new places, and always capture new moods. For some people, it’s difficult and certainly much more challenging than just shooting weddings close to home, but I find it inspiring. There are no right and wrong destinations – we are all very different, and for some people, a romantic ceremony in the woods could be the right choice, while for others, it could be an old factory with a strong black and purple colour palette.

So, if you want a rustic, spontaneous, and intimate wedding with good wine and no high heels, choose a small typical restaurant in Tuscany. On the other hand, if you prefer to have a huge, classy and elegant wedding, think about Lake Como.

I have to admit, my favourite destinations are cities – I would love to photograph a wedding in New York, Paris, London! Both refined and historic, modern and chic cities. What about Tokyo or Singapore? I would love them!

How do you connect with your couples and build trusting relationships with them?

Usually, if a couple chooses me as their wedding photographer, it’s because they have a certain feeling, not only about my photos but also about me as a person. However, I find it very important, that the style reflects the personality and taste. Only in this way, I think it is possible to find the right couples to work with – if they're interested in my style and personality.

Sometimes photographers don’t look for this interest because their pictures don’t show what they are but create a sort of dream, a fairytale for their couple. I think that my pictures reflect who I am and what I like. Can you feel the almost witchy atmosphere of my photos? That’s because I love candles, fantasy and Harry Potter.

In return, I have to feel the same to work well. That’s why I find it very important to know the couple before the wedding – we can write e-mails, share a Pinterest board, or call each other on Skype, but we must feel a connection.

Is wedding photography your main focus professionally? How do you balance doing wedding photography with other interests that you have?

Yes, wedding photography is my main business, but I would like to return to taking boudoir pictures as I tried some years ago. I think they can go well with my style, and I would love to take more posed pictures sometimes.

Fortunately, as a freelancer, I can decide the number of events I want to shoot. I think not just focusing on work but also having free time and being able to manage it, is very important for creativity. Although, I have to admit that as long as photography remains a passion and not only a job, my personal and professional life will continue to intermingle. I will continue to take photos in my travels and to travel for work!

Wedding photographer: Valeria D’Angelo

Interviewed by Renāte Berga