Capturing weddings from the lavender fields in Valensole to the French Riviera, as well as Tuscany, Maélys Izzo captures unposed moments with an editorial eye. Inspired by her love of the cinema and film photography, Maélys Izzo brings a nostalgic feel to her images, inspired by the lights and colourful flowers of Provence.
Tell us about your business!
Hi I’m Maélys, I’m a French photographer based out in the South of France. I love shooting candid movement , unposed moments with editorial details. I only capture real life people and meaningful events, I’m not a fashion photographer and will never ask you to pretend you’re models. I like to think that I can provide a very professional work but with an informal, friendly mood. We’re here to have fun and I can’t wait to team up with you!
What would you like couples to know about you?
I started photography when I was 12 and I had an embarrassing teenage fashion blog at the time, I used to borrow my dad’s vintage camera and the photos were blurry all the time since I had no clue about how the settings and light worked. I shot my first wedding when I was 18 in 2015, and now I love shooting film again and I’m a fan of taking artistic blurry pictures on purpose! The circle is full.
I’m an Aquarius (which is exactly the star sign you would want for a creative, commited, passionate photographer, my favorite colours are green and pink and I’m a fan of modern and contemporary art: my favorite place on earth is the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (close to Nice), in the south of France.
Where are you based?
I was born in Vietnam where I was adopted by French parents and I was raised in the South of France where I still live. I’m based in Aix-en-Provence, a beautiful Provence town next to Marseille.
Do you travel for weddings?
I live in Aix-en-Provence (France), a location that allows me to drive to and shoot weddings in the whole South of France ( from the lavender fields in Valensole, to the French Riviera and even the north of Italy /Tuscany). I live just 20 minutes away from the airport and the train station and I would love to travel anywhere to meet you! I also did a whole wedding season in New Zealand and I’m travelling to Canada for some lovely clients next year.
How would you describe your style?
My goal is to capture timeless emotions but in a modern, stylish way. I edit my pictures with my love of cinema and film photography in mind: I love grain, having that nostalgic, cinematic feel to my images. I adore the warm lights of Provence and colorful flowers and my editing is also inspired by these elements.
What is your most memorable career moment?
I recently shot one my dear friends’ wedding. She is a blogger and I have been taking pictures of her (and her now husband) for the past 7 years. The wedding was intimate, beautiful with all the aesthetics we were dreaming of as two creative freelance girlfriends. Their ceremony was full of colorful floral compositions and the dinner was in the middle of lavender fields like the 2020 Jacquemus fashion show. I was her photographer as well as her bridesmaid and it was truly meaningful to be part of that special day with these two roles.
What inspires you?
Even though I wasn’t born here, I consider myself as a true Mediterranean girl. I’m so inspired by the South of France,Italy, Corsica and Spain: I love the light here, the olive trees, the stone houses with cypress tree alleys, the lavender and sunflower fields, the Jacquemus fashion, the small villages’ markets and the big Italian style tables in the garden to host the whole family.
What motivates you to do what you do?
People! I have my dream job and I never want to get bored of it ! I’m very involved in all my couples’ weddings: We spend a year reacting to each other’s IG stories, sharing inspirations from Pinterest and exchanging about the weekend (especially if it’s a destination wedding in the South of France where I can recommend my favourite vendors here) The connection that we spend time creating motivates me even more to give to my clients the best wedding reportage ever!
How would you describe your working style?
It’s not rare that guests ask me how long I have been friends with the bride and groom for: When this happens, I considered that my mission of blending in and making my clients feel comfortable is fully accomplished ! When it's possible, I meet all my couple in person at least once before the wedding and we keep in touch for several months, planning everything ( not just the photography part) together and sharing tips via messages. This special relationship built with my clients also help to get these authentic, laughing shots! Nothing staged, I try to make you have the best time!
Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?
I mostly shoot digitally because my love of movement makes me take a looooot of pictures: I usually deliver 1400 edited pictures for a full day wedding. I also shoot a bit of film with a Canon AE-1 and polaroids.
Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?
I like to deliver the full documentary experience and capture everything that tells the story of the wedding so my full day package includes a reportage from the getting ready to the dancefloor/cake. I’m however super flexible if you need me to travel to find the most convenient solution for you.
What is a favourite product or service that you offer and why?
I’m a bit more than your wedding photographer and I like to say that you can contact me anytime before the wedding to talk about the planning or even about something completely different. I’m really passionate about the wedding world and I would be thrilled to give you pieces of advice if you need !
Next season, I’ll be offering a «Nostalgia package» as an option where I’ll shoot a whole roll of film and 40 polaroids for my vintage image lovers !
Where would you love to travel to for work?
I would love to travel around south Europe even more: Italy, Spain, Portugal!
Who is your dream client?
My dream clients are planning an intimate destination wedding around the Mediterranean Sea: They come from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US and they are having a ceremony with under 50 guests in a venue that is not traditionally meant for weddings ( a beach, a very cute small airbnb, a vacation home, a museum..). They love photography but they don’t love posing, they love flowers and beautiful dinners but most of all want to have fun and party with their closest ones.
What is your advice to couples getting married?
Plan a wedding that looks like you, a wedding where you’ll love every detail as a couple and not to please anyone else. But also, don’t feel guilty to follow the trends if you like them: It’s okay if your wedding is not completely timeless. The timelessness resides in the true memories you will be making, the authentic emotions that you will be feeling and the moments that you’ll be sharing. The decor, the outfits will reflect your couple and your tastes at a certain time of your life and that will be part of the story of your celebration : make choices that bring your happiness and make you enthusiastic :)
Of course, my main advice is : let’s get inspired by the Anti-Bride, I’m not kidding: everything here is a good idea and if you like the aesthetics of The Anti-Bride, chances are that we’ll make a great team together!
