J Lucas Reyes – Fine Art Weddings + Lifestyle Photography » Based in Manila, Philippines

My good friend Nelwin Uy (you can see him on the 4th layout, at extreme left) asked me to try out shooting with him for the first time last June (Thanks Nel), making Charleen and Richard the first Chinese couple that I’ve shot. Glamourous couple. It felt as if I was shooting a Hong Kong actor-actress wedding.

Despite the long wedding day, which is typical for a Chinese setup, it was a pleasure covering the wedding. Everything was pretty relaxed from start to finish, which I guess reflects in all the images I captured.

The special thing about this wedding is that I managed to bring along my old Nikon 35mm film slr with my trusty a 50mm AI manual lens and used it as backup. After getting the rolls processed, I can’t help but ogle at the luster of pure grain, after getting used to pixels and digital noise. Check out the shots again and have fun figuring out which is shot in film and which isn’t.

Exclusively shot for Nelwin Uy Photography.
Preps/Reception: Crowne Plaza Ortigas
Church: Jubilee Evangelical Church
Video: Threelogy
Makeup: Toto Bagamasbad
Coordination: Kutchie Zaldarriaga

Had the privilege to shoot this lovely June wedding of Steph and Ryan. The couple are good friends of my wife, Catherine back in the college days, and fast forward to today, they’re now a funky bunch of nurses here and abroad. Guys, you two look great together, congratulations and all the best on your married life. Thanks for the opportunity, Cat and I had fun shooting your most memorable day back home.

Church: Sanctuario De San Jose
Preps/Reception: Edsa Shangri-la
Gown: Edward Teng
Flowers: 2171 Floral Creations
Coordination: Loi Villarama Events Management

After getting married January this year, I never thought I’d be shooting someone else’s wedding only 3 months after. My wife’s cousin, Dimple, got married last May 2. The wedding was simple, quaint and heartfelt. Then I just thought I’d bring along my camera and take some shots.

This was my first wedding shoot, and what a unique experience it was. One camera (a Nikon D40), one lens (a manual 50mm lens), no metering, no autofocus, a battery charged for a little less than 300 shots. But thankfully the Christian wedding was held in just one place.

More than a couple of hundred of shots later I realized what wedding photography is all about, having shot the whole thing with the barest essentials. For me, it’s not about the gown, flowers, the food, the music, or even the equipment – it’s all about heart. How two people become one in Christ, and how two families come together – just as the same, the desire to capture, the inspiration to see all these come together in every picture – must come from the heart.

Then it dawned upon me, photographing weddings is something I’d really want to do.