New Series - Feature Friday with Diana Rush

I am debuting another new blog series this week, entitled Feature Friday. In this series I will feature various Southern California Wedding Industry professionals. I will be sharing a brief interview as well as examples of their work and inspirations. My goal is to introduce you to a different talented vendor every Friday, so if you or someone you know would like to be featured please don't hesitate to contact me for more details. I would like to feature all aspects of the wedding industry, everything from bridal dress designers to caterers.

Diana with her lovely family. Photo by Studio 28.

For the first Feature Friday post I'd like to introduce you to Diana Rush of Diana Rush Photography. She officially started her company in 2009 after having a life long love for photography.  Diana is based in Orange County where she has lived her entire life. I actually met Diana at the Lover.ly Meet Up I shared about recently so it was great reconnecting with her for this post. I hope that through this brief interview you can get a sense for her passion and talent for photography as I have displayed some of her work throughout the post.

 What inspires your work? Although I'm not a nature photographer, I am very inspired by nature, and the elements (wind, water, earth, fire) and love finding ways to capture the natural movement of my clients rather than force them in to a pose.  I draw a lot of inspiration from my clients as I'm photographing them, as I spend time learning their natural laugh & how they interact with their soon to be spouse.

 

What advice would you give to a bride looking for a wedding photographer?  Your photographer will be the person you spend the most time with on your wedding day, so first and foremost, choose someone you gel with & think you'll enjoy spending 8 hours with. The second thing is, to look at a wedding album (not an online portfolio/high light reel).  A wedding album should give you a perfect example of what a wedding will look like from start to finish & tell you the story of the day.  If you look at the album & think "I want to be that girl" then you know the photographer is right for you!  I can't tell you how many people I meet that say their number 1 regret was they picked the wrong photographer....your photos are the thing that you walk away with at the end of your wedding day, so maybe cut back on a couple other areas so you can go with the photographer you really want & not just the one you can afford.  And for couples on a budget, I usually suggest that they go with the lowest package to start (do their payments monthly, so it's not 1 or 2 big chunks) & then after their wedding add-on the album that they really want (or ask a family member for it as a gift)!

Share the details behind one of the most unforgettable wedding moments you have captured. Each wedding has it's own unique moments & unforgettable details, so I will share just one from a recent wedding....so often we glance over ceremony shots & go straight to the shots of the bride & groom, but the ceremony is just so important.  And when the officiant really knows the couple & shares stories with the guests, you get great reaction shots... add in perfect planning by a bride to have her ceremony at just the perfect time of day to allow for beautiful natural light & you get this!

What do you love most about working with brides? I love creating a great relationship where they trust me, if there is any doubt in their mind (or awkwardness) that will show in the photographs.  But when that connection has been created you get those magic moments.  And... if I hadn't started my photography business, I probably would have gone into business planning/designing weddings, so walking through that process again and again is SO much fun for me!

What is your favorite aspect of shooting weddings? There is something so special about a couple exchanging their vows & starting their married life together.  I tear up at almost every wedding I photograph & it's so amazing to be a part of it all.  I am literally by the brides side almost the entire day, and it takes me back to my wedding day every time. I am blessed by every wedding I photograph & by every couple who I get to call my clients.  And the best part, is when I get to go back & edit the photos I get to relive the experience... and when I look through the photos & start tearing up again, I know that what I get to do as a photographer is truly unique & important to the lives of all my clients & their family.  

Thank you for checking out the post and I hope you enjoyed viewing Diana's excellent work!

All images were taken by Diana Rush for Diana Rush Photography except where mentioned.

Disclaimer: Fashionably Wed did not contribute to any makeup/styling featured in the photographs shown here, please contact the featured vendor for more info. The featured vendor did not provide an intensive for this post to be published on the Fashionably Wed Blog.