ANDREAS EVZONAS Paphos, Cyprus

Cyprus is the mythical birthplace of the Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love – what better place to be a wedding photographer!

"Living in America for 10 years gave me the ‘push’ I needed"

When I decided to move back to Paphos, Cyprus I knew that I was going to open up my own studio, and I did!

Since 1991, I have shot more than 1,000 weddings, not forgetting engagements and christenings. Coming from a different background, but having lived overseas, made a difference and yes, I am different, at least here in Cyprus. Couples have fun during my sessions and that is what characterises my work and style – people remember me because of the fun that we have. I do everything to make them feel comfortable and relaxed because it really shows in the pictures.

I always try to find new ideas to use and to take advantage of everything around me – the light, background, emotions, the weather – just about everything, even though I use some of my standard poses and locations because I am booked because the couple have seen other images I have made.

A huge part of my approach is to convince couples to see each other before the church, so we can have controlled, studio sessions. Why? These are the photographs that the parents buy and can be used to make enlargements, good size canvas prints and, probably, given to relatives as ‘thank-you cards’ as well. If I cannot manage to convince them to do that then I would try to set up a studio at the venue. It takes practice to be fast and efficient in posing so as to manage a successful session, but it can be done!

My next achievement was to have start persuading couples to attend shooting sessions on a different day from the wedding. I love these sessions because I shoot mostly for myself and competitions. Couples love the variety and the creative ideas that I show them. It can be done during the very last week before the wedding, when the brides go for their final tryouts, make-up and hair, or after the wedding. You should see the faces of the guests when I put some photos of the couple on their tables in a little folder (with my name, of course, and my website as well), they love it! Another reason to be remembered.

Besides covering the event, I give emphasis to romantic, sensual posing which does not look posed. Brides want to look sexy and at their best on their wedding day. I get many weddings from UK, couples who want to get married on the island of love and they are impressed by the natural, relaxed unposed style that they see on my website. I can use my principles with those couples as well because ‘brides are brides‘. All of them go through the same magazines. When I meet them I start by saying, “pictures don’t just happen, we create them“ – they get the message.

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Photo Quote: Very often people looking at my pictures say, 'You must have had to wait a long time to get that cloud just right (or that shadow, or the light).' As a matter of fact, I almost never wait, that is, unless I can see that the thing will be right in a few minutes. But if I must wait an hour for the shadow to move, or the light to change, or the cow to graze in the other direction, then I put up my camera and go on, knowing that I am likely to find three subjects just as good in the same hour. - Edward Weston