Fineshade Studios

About Fineshade Studios

A husband and wife team who began filming weddings as a passion project, Fineshade Studios bring you luxury destination wedding photography and videography. Established in 2017, the duo capture weddings with a playful and elegant style. Danielle expresses the nuances of emotions and connections and weaves a narrative through imagery; meanwhile Martin brings a meticulous, detail driven quality to their work stemming from his impressive background in music technology.

Film

Behind The Brand

What draws you to wedding photography & videography?

“Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.”

From the beginning: our purpose. Stick with me here; I’ll lighten back up in a minute! There’s a quote that is grounded in existentialism and psychology: To be meaningful is to be immortal. To be human is to fear your own mortality. To combat the fear we all share of our too-short existences, we all have an innate desire to live a meaningful existence. To leave our mark on the world. To leave something of ourselves behind. To be remembered. This is why we adore what we do. This is why it is so important to us. Each of our stories matter. To be human is to share this same desire.

The most poignant moment of our careers to date was when a recent bride of ours lost her father, quite suddenly, following her wedding day. What is more meaningful than to love and to be loved in return? We know that when you choose us, we become intrinsically involved in your legacy. Your heirloom. The dog-eared, well-loved black-and-white-images-of-the-future are being molded by our very hands. We preserve your grandparent’s voices. Your mum’s tinkling laugh. A precious honor.  And with this process, we leave our legacy behind too.

How would you describe your photography & videography style?

Martin and I have grown and learned together and continue to do so. We both share a background in teaching college-age students photography and film, and our love of learning drives us both.

As the people behind the lens, we move between being the observers of the moment or being a part of it – being active within it. The skill is in knowing when to stay out of the moment, and when to step in. Overtime we have both become more and more skilled at knowing when to disappear and hold back, and let the day unfold, or knowing when to have clients direct their energy into the lens. But at the core of all of it, is a desire to understand our clients and discover what makes them unique. No story is the same. And this is not a piece of fiction. It is a document. It develops as we shoot. We learn a little more about you in each moment. We learn a little more about the relationships we see. I remember how those moments feel and I we just smile so often while we are editing and curating.

Martin is much more technically-minded and he strives for technical perfection. We are quite different in this sense but we balance each other out very well. Every product runs through both of our hands. And the rest of our team are our ex-students who went off to university to study film. A couple are still in education, a couple are freelancers and professionals in their own right. I think that says a lot about our purpose and style too. We continue to learn. We continue to pass what we have learned onto each other. To muse and reflect. Our style becomes more sophisticated and considered as time goes on, yet we allow it to develop. We are a team and we all have an impact.

What inspires you creatively?

Beauty – in the most soulful sense of the word. Other artists always. We all build off each other. The creative process is a beautiful thing. Human connection. Beauty is something that is felt rather than seen. And beauty hides in every corner, if only you look for it. Stay present, feel, connect with the people around you and there will always be beauty.

What is it that makes an image magical?

For a documentary film/photographer, it is the perfect combination of a million variables. The perfect composition, light, movement and emotion all come together. It is the feeling that it evokes in others. The same for a frame within a film. It is something that can be felt but is intangible.

What advice would you give couples when selecting their wedding photographer?

Listen to your feelings. Your gut response is the right one. If your heart sings when you see their work or you read their most recent blog posts, then trust that intangible connection (that I firmly believe translates digitally!). That could be your person. Then, arrange a call or a zoom meeting to make sure! Remember your photographer/videographer will be people you go through the rollercoaster of the day with. Make sure it’s someone who adds to your day in a positive way – only you know what that looks and feels like. Because that then of course, will translate in your images and frames. Your connection with your photographer or videographer needs to feel good to you. But start with their work. That is what speaks the loudest. Follow that and you will frequently find that you connect to the person behind it.

Your dream location to shoot a wedding?

Bali or The Maldives – somewhere remote and otherworldly that makes us feel small and connected to the earth.

Editor’s Notes

Why we love Fineshade Studios…

We love the passion husband-and-wife duo Danielle and Martin have for their work. They know the lasting impact of crafting poetic visuals that freeze human emotion in time, allowing couples to relive their wedding day over and over again.

For the couple…

The artful UK-based photography and videography team are available to work anywhere in the world being perfect for the couple planning a destination wedding.

Our Advice…

Fineshade Studios knows that connection is everything when it comes to finding a photographer and videographer for your wedding day. Get in touch with Danielle and Martin to see if you can see yourselves creating memories together.