5 minutes with… San Francisco Wedding Photographer Animus Art Photography

Inspired by movement, and stunning landscapes; Boston and San Francisco based Wedding Photographer ANIMUS ART chase beautiful light and authentic emotion. Burcu & Pedro tell us, “We love creating imagery that gives you all the feels and stirs your heart and soul. The kind of imagery that is beautiful and expressive and leaves you feeling the narrative of the story it is a part of. Both Pedro and I, individually have a strong aesthetic and there is a natural harmony between our individual styles. When we photographed together for the first time it was just magic. Since then as a duo, we have created a style that is fine-art in its approach, has elements of editorials and is curated with romantic eye.” Read on to find out more about them.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? Burcu: I remember this one clearly! It happened during my very first wedding! I was emotionally and personally invested in our couple and their journey and I realised this because on their wedding day, I remember so many times I was genuinely moved. I remember on the drive back, I knew I had something special here. Anytime my professionalism (and I’m big on that) is met with an emotional connection I’m 100% there.

Pedro: First wedding I shot, had no idea I was going to be committing to it the way we do now. What made me want to continue photographing weddings, was to witness the bond of trust, kindness, friendship, love that the couple shows, and has for one another. It is just magical to be surrounded by love.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR PATH TO GET THERE: Burcu: Art has always been in my life in one form or another: Photography, dance… I studied Electrical Engineering at MIT and I was doing research on the brain there when I met Pedro. As an entrepreneur, I loved the opportunity to have photography be my artistic expression. Engineering involves a lot of creativity and problem-solving skills, and in many ways, the dynamic nature of the wedding day compliments my background. I enjoy creating during a live event. Thinking and creating under pressure is definitely in my comfort zone.

Pedro: It definitely was not planned; my background is in graphic & design. Doing work for venues in Boston, led me to do post-processing for other photographers. This peaked my interest in photography as more than just a hobby. Before I knew it, I was photographing portraits and saying yes to my first wedding!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Our photography is emotional and romantic; it pursues elegance and a connection to our couples through beautiful light and stunning imagery. I’m forever inspired by movement and you can see that in our style. Our imagery focuses on telling a visual story, therefore our style has a strong editorial element with a harmony of raw emotion, authentic evanescent moments, and curated artistry.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WEDDINGS? Burcu: I love seeing so many different textures to love all in one place. The bride and the groom’s love for one another, the parents’ love for their children, the love from their friends. It’s amazing to capture and experience. Every wedding has these details that are unique to the couple. I love that. It’s in the décor, it’s in the family heirloom ring, in the party favours.

Pedro: I love witnessing two people commit to one another in the same way I have seen our couples do. I tell ya, it is good that I have a camera; I can hide behind it so you can’t see me getting emotional. Safe to say, there hasn’t been a single wedding where I haven’t gotten a knot on my throat! (flexes and drinks a beer, manly stuff…aaargh)

SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGE WITH US AND TELL US WHY: Burcu: Oh that’s tough! I have so many that I love! Instead of a favourite, I will tell you about one of those moments when I knew I was at the right place, doing the right thing with the right people. They are a former Animus-Art Bride and Groom; we have been photographing their journey since their engagement. They asked us to photograph the birth of their 1st born. It was just us and them. We had a shoot right before and another the next day and we had been in labor 13 hours waiting. When the moment finally came, there was a minor hick-up. Right after this look you see in the image, the fear was gone and she had all she needed to be a rock-star for her baby. I remember capturing this image and tears immediately started falling, because it was in this moment that I recognised I was witnessing what that newly love I captured once, had matured and grown into. A deeper, stronger version. I wouldn’t have been able to catch that nuance if I hadn’t known them since the beginning. To this day, neither us nor our clients have managed to look at their birth images without shedding a few tears!

Pedro: This is a though one, my favourite image! There are so many, I can’t say I have just one. But one of my favourite images is of our couple standing on the beach and its as they are seeing their whole future ahead of them and you can just feel their happiness. I can’t really put the feeling into words – the feeling that picture gives me, but hopefully the image can do that for me.

CAN YOU RECALL YOUR FAVOURITE WEDDING EXPERIENCE? This is another tough one so many to choose from! The reaction of the groom when he sees his bride for the first time, how the father tries to hold it together when he gives his daughter away and the toasts are definitely some of the favourites… To name a few specific ones: sprinting back from a thunderstorm with our couple, laughing hysterically; the Argentine Tango our couple danced, the candle that wouldn’t light up during the ceremony and how our couples had the entire place cracking up, a grandma breaking it down on the dance floor with oversized party eyeglasses, another couple arriving in a boat and watching Pedro photograph in the moving boat… so many amazing memories.

ASIDE FROM FAMILY & FRIENDS, THREE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Burcu: Pour-over (coffee is life), music ( there will definitely be dancing where there is music), camera

Pedro: My car (it takes me to all the magical places), my camera (the magical
places travelled I can keep them forever in my pictures), music (it inspires me, it enhances my feelings).

WHERE WOULD WE FIND YOU ON A SUNDAY MORNING? Burcu: If we are not photographing a wedding, you would find me watching the sunrise from a beach or mountain-top with my coffee or literally rolling from my bed to get to coffee.

Pedro: Oh man, on a Sunday morning you can either find me still sleeping or preparing for a wedding!

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR IDEAL DAY OFF? Burcu: Travelling. I’m a big fan of road trips. I love waking up early, drinking my coffee watching the sunrise and then heading to a new place with my camera.

Pedro: Hanging out with my best friends, eating, drinking, laughing or out and about with my camera taking landscape photos.

We’re delighted to have San Francisco Wedding Photographer ANIMUS ART in the Magnolia Rouge Vendor Guide. Be sure to check-out more of Animus Art’s wedding photography work here.