With a background in fashion, Valeria D'Angelo soon realised that she preferred capturing authentic emotions and as a result discovered her passion for wedding photography. Based in Venice, Valeria D'Angelo works in Northern Italy, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast as well as abroad.
Tell us about your business!
I didn't start as a wedding photographer. I started at Benetton Studios, where I was an assistant photographer and worked with models, still life of clothes and things like that. So my background is not romantic, but in fashion. I was 'born' in the studio using flash and backdrops. When I got the chance to stay there for an internship, I realised that it was not my path: that I wanted to get out, see the world, meet people, and above all be my own creative director - plus I was not interested in photographic perfection, but wanted to photograph reality, emotions. That's how I started doing weddings.
Over the years I realised that I could not do it alone, but that I would need help. This is how my studio, The Moon Studio, was born. It consists of four people: myself along with Silvia, Nicole and Valentina, who help me with huge weddings or multi-days events.
Where are you based?
I'm based in Venice and I work mainly in northern Italy and Tuscany, and occasionally on the Amalfi coast and abroad. But I believe that Venice, with its gothic and baroque beauty and its romantic and somewhat sombre air, helped shape my style to what it is now.
Do you travel for weddings?
Traveling is my most favorite thing in life, so yes, I love to travel for weddings, everywhere! One of my dreams is to shoot a wedding in Paris or in NYC, my favorite cities (very different cities I know!)
You know what? I don't like to always do the same thing or always take the same pictures... I am a person who gets bored easily, and I am always looking for new stimuli, but I must say Italy has many enchanting spots to discover. So, even staying within the borders, I will hardly be bored.
How would you describe your style?
I usually describe my style as intimate, delicate, and cinematic. I'm always trying to play with the light because I think that it's the most interesting part of photography. It's quite easy to take good pictures in a gorgeous venue, with a beautiful bride wearing a very expensive dress, but all the pictures will be very similar to those of other people.
So, what I try to do is put something more personal in my photography, something unique and hardly replicable. So if you see a picture of mine, you can say, "Oh, it's a picture taken by Valeria!" and that's priceless. An Italian photographer, Giovanni Gastel, said that he would like to take a photograph of nothing and make it clear that he took it.
What inspires you?
I love traveling so much, and this is a very strong part of my inspiring process: visiting new cities, discovering new cultures, and meeting people from other parts of the world! Also, I have a huge collection of Vogue and some other magazines and interesting books about fashion photography. I love, love, love the style of Paolo Roversi, and I find Peter Lindbergh's shootings so interesting and elegant. They inspire me so much! But inspiration can be all around you; you just have to be ready to see it.
Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?
I shoot digitally.
Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?
I have three Collections: for elopements, for weddings, and for multiple-days events, but all of them are customizable, with the ability to add additional hours, photographers, include albums etc.
Who is your dream client?
It's a couple that wants unconventional, timeless, but also intimate and elegant photos. They must definitely have an affinity in terms of style; they must love to travel, and if they are fans of Harry Potter, even better! Plus, if they love tattoos, vintage style, and rock music, they are definitely my couple!
What is your advice to couples getting married?
My advice to couples is to view complete galleries of the photographers they like, because it is easy to have a nice Instagram feed, but it is more difficult to deliver an entire gallery while keeping a high standard. This way, they will have a clear idea of how many photos are delivered and what the whole galleries look like, not just a small selection.
