We wanted to share some very fairytale-esque, lovely photos from French photographer Amber of Zephyr & Luna, who travels all around the world to capture these romantic scenes. Look at this one from the depths of the enchanted forest:
Sigh. We asked Amber a few questions about her work below, and you can read more about her at https://www.zephyr-et-luna.com/ and see more of her work at https://www.instagram.com/zephyretluna/
Why weddings? What led you to specialize in this kind of photography?
To be honest, it’s pure luck. I started photography as a landscape and corporate photographer and when I was in fine art school, a friend showed me the work of some amazingly talented photographers and I realized that wedding photography could be different and artistic. Up until then, I thought, like the vast majority of people, that wedding photography was annoying, disruptive of the day, cheesy and unnatural. I even shot two weddings with a “classic” wedding photographer and it traumatized me. When I discovered the fine art weddings and all the amazing couples who were doing their own thing when it came to weddings, I was in awe! This is how I started giving it a go, and I LOVED it! I work with artsy and dreamy couples whom I always have a lot in common with, whether it’s a love for history, poetry, literature, painting, animals, nature…
How do you capture the enchantment of this day?
I was always drawn to Pre-Raphaelite, Renaissance, baroque and romanticism art. As a kid, I loved reading tales and legends (I still do!) and I loved Gustave Doré’s work. Rembrandt also is a huge inspiration, as are all the English painters from the golden age (from Reynolds to Turner). So, to me, capturing a wedding day is like capturing a still painting. In every frame, there has to be a main subject, an atmosphere, a landscape, and a whole story. I like to see wedding days as tales that develop before my eyes. So I try to capture it just as if I was telling the legend of the day, depicting places, people, emotions, atmospheres and details as vividly as I can.
Do you have any favorite moments/stories you’d like to share with us?
To be honest, there is something very special in each and every wedding I capture. I always cull and edit my pictures with a lot of emotions and I love reliving those moments again and again as I hand-polish every image.
Do you have any advice for those planning to get married?
Oh yes I do! I actually wrote a whole guide to help my couples in their wedding planning, as I know it can be overwhelming. But my main advice would be this: if you love something, infuse it everywhere in your wedding day. Once it’s over, the food will be digested, the alcohol will be drank, and the venue will be empty. All that will be left are the pictures, to remember again and again. So make sure everything is to your taste!
Have you always loved fairy tales?
Definitely! I’m a true romantic at heart, and this is also why I’m naturally drawn to forests and magical landscapes. I love my work as I visit venues all over the world with a magical past! I have a lot of nostalgia from a time before my own, all drawn from the legends and fairytales I was reading as a young girl. Castles, deep forests and romanticism were all present!
I know you have a deep affection for the forest as well. Can you talk about that?
Yes! I always thought my love for forests stemmed from the fact that my dad is a forest ranger. But I discovered it was actually drawn from the fairytales I was reading as a kid, where there always were a deep forest not far away. I also love the world of the creatures of the forest, and I have many beautiful illustrated books that explain how they interact with each other, where they live, and all the folklore around each of them. It’s fascinating. Forests are alive, and they hide a lot of life–whether it’s wildlife or plants, or anything else. Every forest has its own kind of magic!
How do you stay enchanted in your own life?
I recently moved to an old farm in Dordogne, and I’m planning on creating an English garden all around the house, with fairy lights and little hidden spots where I will be able to relax and read a book. I also teach the beauty of life, nature and all things alive to my daughter Rune, who is a lovely and amazing little forest fairy. I also try to find more time to paint and bake little treats! And of course, I always have my amazing library filled with fairytales, amazing painting books, artist books, and ancient books with beautiful ancient illustrations. They are a huge inspiration for me, especially for my heirloom wedding albums which are directly inspired by ancient fairytale books.
