Wedding Photographer Riga, Latvia. Mārcis Baltskars shares a wedding photography technique.

I originally have a background in economics. Ten years ago it did not even occur to me that one day I would be become a wedding photographer. Like everyone I knew after highschool I was just working in the economics field for about 7 years. I was waking up at 7am every morning and leaving the office at 7pm. I realized that I was feeling bored, so I just quit and started to build a vision about a career I would like to pursue, planning my own time, having the opportunity to use some innovative ideas, waking up what time I wanted to :) etc.

I accidentally came across some photography courses,so far I had only been taking pictures of some butterflies and flowers in my garden. I applied and had a chance to work with some models, do photo sessions, listen to the tips from professional photographers etc. I placed the pictures from these courses on the Internet and received started to receive comments about my work. People started asking me how much I charged and I began to think that I could actually start my own photography business. The rest is history.

Although I do not have a diploma in this field and everything I’ve learnt about photography has been self-taught. I can now call myself a professional photographer and I’ve been doing it for 9 years and I have not felt bored since I started this journey.

My photographs have won awards in national and international competitions and during the summer season I'm a full-time wedding photographer. The remaining months of the year I turn to a broader spectrum, shooting photo sessions, interiors, covers of magazines and so on.

Talking about the wedding, I try to create some unique pictures every time watching the newly married couple and thinking about what characterizes them and what they suit. However as a photographer I also have my own style. I always try to create pictures with feelings, emotions and a story.

This weddings was held in Midsummer Eve. In Latvia where I come from this ancient times is considered to be magical. Various rituals are practiced which are associated to the different abilities and most of them relate to love, cohabitation and relationships.

Nowadays rituals are largely lost, however, I felt that the couple in choosing a Midsummer did it intentionally, because sometimes when we really really want something, we are ready to make believe in natural and supernatural forces to make things happen. I have to admit it was a really great day, full of pleasure and love, different adventures and what is very important, strong desire of the young couple to get beautiful photos. They devoted time for it to happen and of course some effort. They were not afraid to stain their shoes or dress, climb a mountain or ride a boat. A couple that enjoys the flow of a photo session, trusting their wedding photographer is the best thing a professional can hope for.

This picture was taken when the evening party had started. I went out for a while and noticed that the sun had gone down behind the hill and the horizon was colored in beautiful yellow shades. I thought why not to use the situation and create a different group picture. It was kind of a challenge to quickly bring everyone together because I knew that the sky would not wait and the colours would disappear. Overall I was lucky and everyone climbed up the little hill to take part in this picture.

I used a Canon 5D mark III and Canon EF 17-40 mm F4 and tripod. I didn't do much in post. The main challenge was the that I created this picture from two shots. First is the one I took with the guests and the sunlight, after that I took another picture in exactly the same place using a longer exposure to gain the beautiful sky full of shining stars. What you see is the result of bringing these two images into one picture and in the end I just pulled bit of a contrast to make it pop.

The bride and groom were very happy about the picture and this, as always, is the best compliment for me or any wedding photographer. If they are satisfied with what I've achieved and pleasantly surprised I know I've done my job to the best of my ability. A couples expectations are already high and it's nice to go above and beyond that.