Interview With Nikon Wedding Photographer Chloe Lapeyssonnie

French bride, Marie, offers a bowl of eggs to St. Claire to ensure good weather on the day of the wedding. Image taken by professional wedding photographer, Chloé Lapeyssonnie, using the D850 and AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G lens.

As part of the European Wedding Collective, Nikon has been interviewing Nikon wedding photographers all over Europe to gain more insight into how they got into their role and what inspires them.

Chloe Lapeyssonnie is a French photographer that has shot more than 100 weddings in France and Europe. Her approach to wedding photography is modern and non-invasive. She prefers to capture spontaneous moments as opposed to staged ones. Here, she speaks to Nikon about her work: 

How did you get into wedding photography?

I started my career as a photographer in the music industry, shooting bands on and off the stage. It was only when I offered to shoot one of my very good friends’ wedding that I discovered my love for wedding photography. It introduced me to a whole new universe of laughter, tears, kisses, dancing and hugging, and I was immediately drawn to the diversity and challenges that a wedding day offers to a photographer.

As a wedding photographer, you have to be extremely attentive throughout the whole day in order to capture every moment. You need to be creative to get the best possible portraits, develop an eye for set design to incorporate all the details the couple has imagined, understand natural light and master night photography. There’s never a dull moment as a wedding photographer.

What is your favourite wedding tradition to capture on camera?

My favourite moment is when the spouses walk down the aisle one after the other at the beginning of the ceremony. This is the highlight of the day for me, as so many different emotions are converging at this moment. I love capturing the expressions of excitement, stress, pride, and overwhelming love on the faces of the couple as well as on the faces of family and friends. For the couple, it’s the first time they see each other in full wedding attire, and it’s the moment when they truly realize they are getting married. They’ve both been waiting for this moment for so long. Some of them shed a tear, others cry a lot, some of them laugh nervously, some of them are extremely solemn and composed, and some of them are beaming with pride and joy. Capturing this raw emotion is why I love what I do.

What’s the biggest challenge of shooting a wedding?

For me, it’s staying focused throughout the day, which can be challenging as I’m often working for over 12 hours. I don’t allow myself any downtime at a wedding as there is always something happening somewhere. If you want to capture a true representation of the whole day, you need to be aware of everything around you. I often choose to shoot with two eyes open so I can check what is going on beyond the frame of the picture. For example, I could be shooting a bride hugging a friend at the end of the ceremony but, by staying alert I can ensure I don’t miss the groom falling apart in his dad’s arms close by. Constantly looking for the perfect moment, lighting and angle, while making sure the shot is technically accurate, is always a challenge but it’s one I relish.