Igor Demba

"I love wedding photography because I love working with people," says Igor Demba. "For most couples it's the best day of their lives, and I get the privilege of being part of it. At the same time, I love to travel and discover different locations and cultures, so being a destination wedding photographer is the perfect job for me."

Born in Portugal, Igor lived in several countries around Europe with his parents, who were missionaries, before eventually settling in the UK. He first began shooting images – mainly street pictures and portraits – while studying graphic design at university.

Since then, he has photographed hundreds of weddings in almost 30 countries and has won several accolades for his work. They include being chosen as one of Rangefinder Magazine's '20 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography' in 2016 and one of Harper's Bazaar's ‘Top Wedding Photographers in the World' in 2020.

Although he thrives under the pressure of having the responsibility of capturing a couple's big day, he says he's "quite a chilled guy" by nature and his friendly, relaxed approach helps put people at ease.

"I don't tend to pose my clients," he says, "I give them general directions rather than telling them exactly what to do. By starting with the basics and letting people behave naturally, I capture details and intimate moments. At the same time there's always an aesthetic element – I love the fashion on show at a wedding and I also love incorporating architecture and landscape settings. I see lines and textures all over the place in my compositions."

Igor's business changed during the pandemic when "the whole wedding photography world was turned upside down" and he began sharing his expertise online. He also offers mentoring and workshops for other photographers alongside his destination wedding photography work.

When shooting weddings, Igor's ultimate aim is to produce a set of beautiful, creative, memorable images with a strong narrative element. "Once the couple press 'play' on their slideshow and view their images, the way I tell the story creates a narrative," he explains. "It's one that will transport them straight back into the day, whether they're looking at the photos for the first time, or many years into the future."

When you're going to a new wedding location, how do you scout it?

"I tend to travel to a location one or two days beforehand so I can acclimatise to the venue and general environment. I'm always looking for light, and I start creating a plan based on what time the light will hit specific places. I also have a backup plan if the light's completely flat on the day. Then I go into the architecture of the place and figure out compositions, trying to create a journey or path I'll walk with my couple for the portraits."

In what ways do you incorporate the location into the pictures?

"After selecting the locations, it's all about textures, really. I like to introduce little details that very much give a flavour of the place – it might be something as simple as a specific plant you only get in that region, or certain elements of the architecture that are unique to that particular place."

Do you shoot video at weddings?

"I have recently started shooting video at weddings. Our industry is changing so fast. If you don't learn video and adapt it will be detrimental to your business, so I'm working towards it in the future."

What's your favourite time of day to shoot?

"Golden hour is beautiful and pleasing to the eye and its warm tones create amazing pictures. But I also love to shoot in blue hour when you get the last remnants of sunlight. It interacts with skin tones in a different way."

"As wedding photographers we are observers of the world around us, so having a strong sense of documentary and the ability to create beautiful images from any situation is crucial. When you're starting out, you have to develop that ability by shooting as much as possible with your family and friends, and learning from it. It's also important to train your eye by studying successful images by other photographers and understanding exactly what makes them so good."

Instagram: @igordemba

Twitter/X: @igordemba

Website: www.igordemba.com