OurWeddingDay.com Blog

We have a lot of talented vendors here at OurWeddingDay.com and we like to recognize them for their excellence. This week we’re proud to highlight Joy Smallwood of Joy Marie Studios. Joy is one of our favorite photographers and her pictures speak to the sophisticated hipster in all of us. [Interview and photos after the jump.]

OurWeddingDay: What began your interest in photography?
Joy Smallwood: I started out as a Fine Artist studying at UCLA, but after graduation, marriage & baby #1, I needed something a little less all-consuming than painting. Photography was a natural alternative.

OWD: How did you become involved in the wedding industry?
JS: When I first started shooting, someone referred my services for a wedding. I hadn’t even shot any weddings yet and this was all film and pre-Photoshop, so I was petrified. That wedding broke the ice, and started it all.

OWD: Describe the process of how you decide to shoot a client’s wedding.
JS: In the beginning, I didn’t have a choice. I decided to shoot simply because the phone rang and someone wanted my services. Now I’m very candid with couples about my style and approach. Not every client is a fit. If a couple decides to go with me, I always do a free engagement shoot, and if time permits, I take the couple to lunch or out for a drink. It’s so important to get to know each other before the wedding day. Usually by the time the big day comes around, we feel really comfortable with each other. Spending some time getting to know their personalities and chemistry together helps me sketch out a game plan for the wedding day.

OWD:What inspires your photographs?
JS: Travel & diverse cultures inspire my photography. I just returned from a two week trip to Seoul, Korea. The total immersion in a foreign country that’s so different from ours gets my creative juices flowing. I am so inspired by the fashion, design and traditions of other cultures.