Hey There!
Welcome to my blog. If you don’t know me already, my name is Hunter and I’m a lifestyle portrait photographer currently based in Raleigh, NC. This year, I decided to leave the 9 to 5 life (kinda sorta- I still work part time at my day job) and focus solely on my photography business. I’ve been mulling over what to write my first blog post about and I figured why not make it about my first elopement session? A first about firsts, right?
About two years ago now, I shot my first elopement session in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina Museum of Arts (NCMA). I first met Anna when I photographed her graduation portraits at UNC Chapel Hill. She fell in love with her gallery and promised me I would be the one to capture her special day. And I was! One of the most fulfilling parts about being a lifestyle photographer is being there for all of my clients’ most significant moments. When I send back their gallery with a note that says “It was an honor to capture this moment for you,” I truly mean it.
When we first started planning her session, Anna requested an “anti-bride” aesthetic. I had no idea what that meant but she was so darling to work with in the past I couldn’t possibly say no. She and her fiance were getting married at the court house and wanted a more creative portrait style at the art museum and in Downtown Raleigh. She made a mood board which I combined with my own visual research and we met up at the art museum to create her personalized and unique elopement gallery.
This session was the most intimate experience as it was only her, her husband, and of course, me. I guided them through poses with prompts and instructions that created movement and natural reactions from the both of them. This is my secret to capturing a couple’s love on camera. When you get them to loosen up and just really be themselves, they’re no longer posing; they’re loving and you get the privilege of capturing that.
This “anti-bride” elopement gallery is full of candid, cinematic, and authentic moments. Being the only person to witness their love that afternoon was truly an honor.
Thank you so much for reading! I can’t wait to share more with you all in the future.
~Hunter Pham | HJPHAM STUDIOS
Location(s): NC Museum of Art; Downtown Raleigh, NC
Photos by: Hunter Pham
