People travel across the globe to have a wedding or honeymoon in Bora Bora because it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our fans on Facebook and readers like you visiting our website ask us all the time if we know any Bora Bora wedding photographers. So to add to our collection of talented wedding photographers we asked Damien Gobron about his services and to share a little bit of his background. Damien was kind enough to respond, below is our email exchange with him.
How did you end up in Bora Bora? Do you live there all-year round?
I came to the French Polynesia in 2010, only with a backpack and the intention of staying for one month. However, something about the surrounding crystal-blue ocean, seemingly endless sunshine and the carefree vibe have made it hard to leave.
I live in Bora Bora all-year round with my wife Sara, my daughter Maeva and a second baby is on the way!
Describe your wedding photography style
With kids and family, I like the photojournalistic approach (kids being kids, it is really hard to “force” them into doing something anyway). For couples, I aim to capture meaningful moments and authentic emotions. I may pose the couples but then I call for an emotion, an action or I use the sense of humour to get candid, natural pictures.
Do you shoot film, digital or both?
Like most photographers nowadays, I shoot only digital and for a good reason. Technology allows us to get so many benefits without having to worry about running out of film 🙂
What do you enjoy about living and working in Bora Bora?
I enjoy the close contact with the nature and the sea. But also all the activities like scuba-diving, Stand Up Paddle, free-diving, taking my girls to the beach and getting salty kisses…
Working here is like a “dream come true”, the backdrop is so breathtaking.
You seem to capture some of the most amazing personal moments. Can you share your process with us?
If I am going to tell you my secrets, I have to shoot you first 🙂
We are not used to get professional pictures taken of ourself. So I spend a lot of energy into putting people at ease with my lens, so after a while they forget about it to just have a nice moment. It’s a subtle recipe to relax your subject and make them laugh. You can not fake that alchemy. I believe a good photographer is not just an artist with a good eye, you also need great communication skills and a nice personality. I love when I end-up friends with the people I work with 🙂
Your work is unique in many ways. Could you talk a bit about why you think that is.
Everybody has the potential to take good pictures. What makes a photographer different from another is his capacity to develop his own style, his signature.
My work is unique because each photo session is different. What I try is to capture the character of each couple, to soul of each kid, the cuteness of every baby, the beauty and emotion of each bride.
How many weddings and sessions do you typically shoot each year?
Bora Bora is becoming more and more a wedding and honeymoon destination. I shoot more than 200 sessions per year, half of them being a wedding.
What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing weddings?
Your wedding day is one of the most beautiful day of your life. Everything has to be perfect, especially the pictures!
A bride can have very high expectations and it’s my responsibility to make sure I’ll be up to the challenge.
On top of that, working with high-end luxury hotels brings the service to another level. The room for error is very small and you need to be very reactive and flexible.
That being said, such a magical day always provide with a nice experience and great emotions, making my life easier 🙂
How do you choose which images you ultimately provide to your clients?
The selection is a really important part of the process. I spend a lot of time combing through all the pictures, doing side-by-side comparisons until I land on the best “professional-quality” photos, the ones that perfectly fit the mood of the shoot, but also laughing between poses, casually relaxing, making a goofy face. Professional-quality doesn’t mean no character or no fun 😉
How quickly do your clients get to see their photos?
Because selection takes time, and because I edit every single picture, I normally need about a week to deliver (up to 2 weeks in high season).
Do you bring assistants or second shooters with you?
So far, I work on my own. Maybe one day 🙂 Quite often, I buddy-up with Sadry Ghacir for the video (he is also a very talented photographer).
For those that would like to consider working with you, what’s the best way to start?
Checking my website would be the first step : http://www.damiengobron.com or email [email protected]
Damien Gobron/ Photographer
Web: http://www.damiengobron.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/boraboraphotographer
IG: http://instagram.com/boraboraphotographer
PT: http://www.pinterest.com/dgobron
