LAS VEGAS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS, WHOM SHOULD YOU PICK?
BY ERIN SKINNER
LAS VEGAS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS, CHOOSING THE RIGHT ONE!
Considered one of the best Las Vegas wedding photographers, Daria Artsybasheva has worked as a professional Las Vegas photographer and photojournalist photographing weddings full-time since 2005. Her signature style is candid, natural, beautiful and photo journalistic. Her clients love her for her stunning work and warm personality. Daria also provides gorgeous portrait photography services for clients in and around Las Vegas, Nevada. Professional services include maternity photography, engagement photos, pregnancy pictures, family, infant, baby and children photography and more.
Daria Artsybasheva remembers the exact moment she decided wedding photography, it was her vacation. She photographed a friend’s wedding as a favor and discovered she lived the challenge. She also loved the interaction with the bridal party and their guests and being a part of the day’s proceedings. In a nutshell, the whole experience enthralled and excited her. By the day’s end she knew that photography was her calling.
And today, Daria has emerged as one of the primary Las Vegas wedding photographers, whose professional creed is based around a philosophy of creating whimsical images with minimum fuss. “I like to minimize the clutter when I photograph a wedding so I don’t get too caught up with lots of equipment. That way I can concentrate on working with the couple and not with the complex equipment. This way works the best for me. I get to know people, have time to interact with them, be personal, and catch THE moments. And this is what really counts at the end”.
While her friend’s wedding was the catalyst for her professional aspirations, there is an education connection in Daria’s photographic background – she was studding graphic design in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was taking photography classes in College of Southern Nevada. So she wasn’t exactly a “kid with a camera and a dream” when she photographed her friend’s wedding. Even though she was eager to get started in her new venture, she had no illusions about the tough side of the business and didn’t burn her bridges before venturing into becoming one of professional Las Vegas wedding photographers. Daria did her homework – she researched other Las Vegas wedding photographers and then initiated a part-time wedding photography business while continuing to work as a graphic designer. The part-time wedding business grew to such an extent that about two years ago Daria stepped out into a full-time wedding and portrait photography and hasn’t looked back since.
On the way she has made all the right moves bu furthering her education through workshops taught by leading wedding photographers like Cliff Mautner and David Ziser, two if her favorite workshop instructors and sources of inspiration. She also joined both PPA and WPPI to keep abreast of trends, hone her business skills and benefit from the valuable network provided by these professional associations.
Daria became one of the leading Las Vegas Wedding Photographers, but now she is looking to extend beyond this principal market. She already offers destination wedding services and looking to open a branch of Artsy Daria Photography in Moscow, Russia – a place she visits regularly.
One essential faced of Daria’s approach to wedding photography is something many photographers who really enjoy their work can identify with – having lots of fun! While ensuring that her images capture the essence of the wedding, Daria also makes sure the entire experience is fun for all people involved. “I focus a lot on making sure my clients and I communicate well. I want them to be extra comfortable with me, and I with them. I found out that if you establish a friendship with your clients they are much more relaxed, and so am I. I make a point of remembering the names of the whole wedding party and important members of the family, as well as learning as much about them as I can before the wedding day. I want to make sure we have something we can talk about to lighten the mood, and also that every one of them feels like they are part of the experience,”-she says.
A team approach is also an important aspect of Daria’s modus operandi, and she usually has a second shooter at wedding. Not only does this cover all her bases, it is also promotes creativity within her team. “We work as a team but separately, so that we have a large variety of pictures to choose from. I love being able to learn from and be inspired by my second shooters. Sometimes they think of angles or poses that I’ve overlooked, and constantly learning from each other is one of the things we do best,” Daria says.
Her style has evolved from fundamentally classic to one that incorporates varying approaches, depending on the situation. “When I started out, I was rather formal, but now I try and use a few different styles to capture the day. A lot of Las Vegas wedding photographers stick with photojournalism and fully ignore the formal poses. My favorite approach to the wedding photography today is a combination of photo journalistic, contemporary and classic styles. When the bridal party is getting ready during the ceremony and at the reception, I use a photo journalistic style. I want them to go about their business and forget I am even there. However, for the group and portrait sessions I use a more contemporary style. I want those pictures to be modern and fun. I will make sure I get some very classic shots – the ones that bride will want 20 years from now – but I also want to get funky angles and interesting lighting,” she says.
Daria also strives to incorporate detailed images of the location and setting, so the client will not only have memories of the event – whether it be a wedding or their baby’s portrait – but also of the location. “I think it is important to link location to the people. I look for the little details at the location and then try to incorporate them as much as possible in my pictures. These additions allow people to feel like they are really there when they view the images,” he says.