Where to begin? We should all write memoirs addressed to our collective past selves. Living gets more complex as you get older but in such different ways than one would think, it begs me to wonder what the next 40 years will bring. This picture from a wedding in Aspen describes a little of where I am artistically. For me it’s laced with hope, wonder, and love. A hope that a place exist where we hold helium filled weather balloons on our wedding day while kissing our love; a life made light. I wonder how we get there. I love my clients for allowing me to show photographs of this place I dream of. – Adonye Jaja
Hello wonderful people. I’ve been holding on to this one for a while and I think it’s high time I post it. Where do I begin when I feel like there is an ocean of emotion behind this short photo essay. To be honest, I’ll probably leave out some of my truth because it’s too hard to share but here it goes.
For the last couple of years I’ve been on a journey to try to understand the worth of wedding photography. I’ve always known it to be beautiful and interesting but have wondered if it was worth a life’s pursuit. I’ve made plenty of imagery that I am super proud of but have always wondered how to move into making imagery that means more than “pretty”, more than magic tricks, more than going to really cool hard to get to places to make a photograph. Don’t get me wrong I still appreciate a photograph that has what Barthes describes as “stadium” or in my understanding a photograph that has universal appeal, like a puppy crying a sunset while staring at a woven silk lined basket filled with melting ice cream – every one and their Mom would smile at this photograph. This is plague wedding photography has been ailed with for so long. It’s written off by the other arts by being lesser than because at best it has been easily reproducible “stadium” images of a couple walking in a field. Okay, I’m ranting.. know that I still love pretty pictures and understand fully the skill it takes to make a photo like I just mentioned into fine art. But this was my journey, what else was there. I had to redefine what good wedding photography was for me. I wanted to use my medium (wedding photography) to tell more complex yet beautiful love stories. Good wedding photography is the coupling of a clients reality and a photographers skillful decisions expressed visually. I immediately knew I had to change everything I was doing and shift my paradigm. I started asking my clients (God bless them) more intimate questions, I wanted to know what made them connect, the good and the bad. Finding out how incredibly unique their stories were and not trying to fit it in to a prescribed photograph but instead creating visuals from their explanation. For Example, one of my clients said “she is so strong that it lifts me up and makes me stronger” It’s almost already a visual right? but this led to the photo with a very strong bride with a floral staff bracing a ladder with the groom atop. Hopefully you’ve seen it. Hopefully that photo means more to the couple than meets the eye, and hopefully it gives everyone else a glimpse of the wonderful world of their complex love story. Then the thought arose of a self-portrait. That’s what this shoot is… it’s my love story in a photograph. I had to take the pill and see if I could make a “wedding photograph” that expressed my singleness and longing for marriage and the frustration that goes into making something more than it is. …okay, I’m literally deciding what I will leave out of this.. The essay shows the pedestal in which I have raised weddings on while thinking I have something different to offer but at the same time making marriage out of my reach. It’s ultimately a sad series because I was raised to desire this thing in which I do not have… Okay that’s all I’ll say about it or I’ll start crying. I literally dreamt up the first image and then had to work out what it meant and this is where I landed. After the dream, I was set to purpose to make it. The number one question I get about this photo is..”is it real?” which is both very exciting and very disheartening. I want my work to transport people to a world of wonder, but I also want it to be Photography with a capital “P” and not a heavily manipulated multimedia image – but that’s for another rant and another blog post haha. I went to so many industrial salvage yards and diy stores in order to find the perfect pieces to make this image work.. In the end, I made it in my backyard. I threw boards of lumber on my car that were far longer than my subaru outback, strapped them down and ridiculously drove them home. I then got to work making the table and the chair then affixing them together to something that resembled sturdy. I took out the safety cross braces that I put in in photoshop, but that’s it. I actually used the ladder from the other image I mentioned to let Tiffany the model climb up and then I moved the ladder across the room and climbed up it myself to take the picture from the right vantage point. I wish I could go into how crazy the day was but that’s besides the point. You should ask me about it if we ever meet, it was a wild day that wouldn’t have ended with an image if it wasn’t for the people I mention below. They came through for me and I love them all for helping me dream, for wiping the sweat from my brow and ensuring me that this is a worthy pursuit. This is my desire for my clients, an image worth the toil. Not easily reproduced because it’s so personal and no two clients are so alike.
Aaron Anderson – lighting/atmosphere and general everything awesomeness
Tiffany – the model who I met the morning of the shoot – so daring
Marz – hair and makeup genius
Gabe – the model who was like “sure thing man”
Nolan – answering the call and cutting things up
Bekah – for awesome style help and bubble gum
Hannah – for making and unrivaled floral crown
Anna be – for lending me bloom this heavenly dress
The wedding industry doesn’t have the Oscars or the The Emmy’s, so anytime there is any recognition from any publication it is an incredible milestone.
I am honored and extremely grateful to be included on Harper’s Bazaar‘s list of “Top Wedding Photographers in the World“! Like WOOW!! I’m in some great company here and so thankful to be considered among them. This is a milestone that will outshine this rollercoaster of a year; moreover, it brings to light so many people who have believed in me for so many years prior to this one. As always I want to thank my clients who let me in and let me create photographically diverse imagery, it means the world to me.
I have to thank @carrielauren and @heatherhallgalle at Harpers, for doing the work to guide the eyes of our generations during a time that discernment is needed more than ever.
Big ups to the photo community who push, inspire, create, dance and dream with me!
I truly want to thank a few specific planners who always work behind the scenes but have believed in me and pushed me in front of the right clients for the past 8 years!!
Although this social distancing photoshoot was a few years ago, I was so excited to revisit it in light of the current times. Rodney and Kathryn were so amazing to come onboard and help me explore the visual qualities of distance and connection. I often have clients who have a long distance relationships and they share how this makes them stronger. I wanted to explore this with a shoot that took touch out of the equation, in hopes to visually represent the depth of journey my clients experience. It’s a deconstructed look at what I normally do to get down to the essence of what’s worth photographing. In this first photo I told Rodney and Kathryn to express what a hug feels like with out actually seeing each or talking to each other. While it was an experiment for me at the time, I love how Kathryn could fit into Rodney’s arms and it would be a classically photographed moment! Dare I say that in these times even though we aren’t physically close I hope we can feel the intimacy of the human spirit and continue to love each other no matter the distance.
-Adonye Jaja
Eventually, they did touch – because well, I’m not a savage.
This was such a fun and beautiful drive up Colorado’s Scenic byway. If you haven’t been to Guanella pass you have to go, The was the first place I went to see the fall colors so many years ago. It so accessible and is a great introduction to the rocky mountains. Not to mention that it was the perfect background for Josh and Paige’s stunning engagement shoot. These are a few of my favorites, can not wait for their wedding next year!
