Step into the world of In The Mood for Love Photography & Film, where nostalgia meets modernity, and every moment is cherished with heartfelt joy.
Meet the talented duo, Jaz and Alejandro, based in Adelaide and available to travel anywhere to capture your love story through their expert photography and videography skills.
Their approach to wedding photography can be best described as a beautiful blend of photojournalism, candid moments, modern aesthetics, and editorial storytelling. With an artful touch, they weave together a visual narrative that will evoke nostalgia in the years to come, bringing tears, smiles, and laughter as you relive the magic of your special day.
Jaz and Alejandro approach each couple’s story with utmost awareness and gratitude, ensuring that your photography and film experience is not just meaningful but also a whole lot of fun.
We had the privilege of catching up with this talented duo behind In The Mood for Love. In this exclusive Q&A session, we delve into their creative realm, exploring their inspirations, processes, and the heartfelt passion that infuses every moment they capture.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves, your brand and how In the Mood for Love started
Jaz: I started my photography journey back in 2000 when my Nanna gave me her Olympus OM1. At the same time, my Dad was working on the Big Day Out, and I used to join him backstage, teaching myself how to shoot in a fast-paced environment. I went on to study photography and film in Melbourne, Cairns and Scotland. However, during most of my twenties, my focus was on travelling as much as I could. Photography helped me a lot with that. I have been lucky enough to visit villages in Nepal for documentary projects, work in incredible studios in London and Perth, and then back home in Cairns. My last photography job before starting my own wedding photography business was underwater photography and this was around the time Alejandro and I met.
We ended up travelling around Australia, he had his motorbike and I had a van. Eventually, we decided to stop in Adelaide and settled down by starting our own wedding photography business. The idea came to me while we were living in Perth, I had been noticing the direction wedding photography was taking, it seemed to be everything I loved about photography and it turned out to be.
Alejandro: I started by helping Jaz and she taught me everything she knew about photography. Being the kind of people who have travelled a lot, we are very adaptable to change. So when Covid-19 came along we could see that our couples needed video coverage at the last minute. So, I started to do videos with Jaz and it evolved very quickly from there, I guess you could say I found my calling. We do sometimes shoot separate weddings but most of the time we do it together which helps to create a cohesive collection of photos and videos focused on the couple’s love and the beautiful candid moments between them and their loved ones.
Jaz: After Alejandro started videography I knew we needed a brand. In The Mood for Love is a classic film I have continued to love over the many years since I first saw it. We knew we wanted cinema to be integral in our branding since cinema is continually inspiring the direction of our work.
See More: Jess + Ben by In The Mood for Love
Jaz, what is one of your most memorable experiences as a photographer?
I’m going to say Ben and Charlie’s entrance into their ceremony! They got married inside a cinema. They entered their ceremony together with Madonna playing and all their guests were cheering and clapping, the whole energy in the cinema was amazing. When they reached the end of the aisle they stopped to give their Mums a hug before they joined their celebrant to be married. Definitely one of my most memorable experiences and it was amazing to rewatch it in Alejandro’s video made me so happy they had him as well.
Alejandro, what is one of your most memorable experiences as a videographer?
Probably one of the most memorable weddings was Ben and Charlie. As Jaz says, it was a wedding with such incredible energy. So much love and happiness that it was contagious! I remember while recording the speeches I was struggling to see what was going on because it was so emotional, even I was all teary! What a day, honestly! I had so much fun editing that video!
What influences your work?
Jaz: I am always looking for new inspiration and ways to tell my couple’s story with still images. I try to be honest with my work and have my couples inspire my style and approach to their day. Typically, I find inspiration in a whole range of cinematography, fashion editorials and classic black-and-white photojournalism.
Alejandro: From a technical point of view, I would say my biggest inspirations are movies and documentaries, that’s why our business is named after a film. From an emotional point of view, I like to see every wedding differently and connect with their own stories. Weddings are not only about a couple but everyone that is connected with them, which I like to reflect in the film.
See More: Dianne + Tim by In The Mood For Love
Biggest pieces of advice to couples to achieve photos they’ll love and cherish forever?
To completely enjoy your wedding day, try to delegate all responsibilities to someone else. Ideally, have a coordinator because you don’t want to have any “tasks/jobs” or have vendors calling you while you’re trying to get ready. If you have someone else coordinating everything for you then you’ll be able to totally focus on enjoying your day as well as your friends and family. And this will show in your photos and video. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, so remember to enjoy it. We believe if the couple are having an amazing time then the photos will be amazing. Have fun, and enjoy not only the wedding day but the lead-up to it as well.
What advice would you give to aspiring wedding photographers/videographers looking to start their own business?
Alejandro: Look for inspiration outside the wedding industry. That doesn’t mean to never look at other wedding photographers/videographers, but if you only focus on them, you’ll try to copy other people’s style and that might become frustrating. However, in saying that, try to connect with other professionals as much as you can. Shadow and second shoot for other people you admire, before shooting your own weddings, this will increase your confidence.
Jaz: Set yourself up properly from the start. Don’t wait until you’re all booked up to start figuring out the fundamentals of your business. It’s a wonderfully creative, feel-good profession that I count myself very lucky to be part of but it is still a business, so make sure to give the business side some attention as well. And, find yourself some friends in the industry you can talk to about this, otherwise, it can get a bit lonely. We’re always open to having a chat so feel welcome to get in touch.
What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve both had to overcome in your careers?
Alejandro: Jaz was a great teacher when it came to photography, but I started doing videos during covid, so I couldn’t connect to many other videographers in my area, so I had to learn everything by myself. There are a lot of helpful resources online nowadays. It was probably the most difficult time, but with my partner’s support, it was a bit easier.
Jaz: Most definitely my biggest challenge is finding time. We are so grateful to be so busy but it has been a challenge finding time for everything. So, we had to become more aware of our booking schedule and become comfortable with having to turn some things down.
Plans for the future you would like to share?
Alejandro: The beauty of videos and other creative jobs is that they can be so varied. There is so much to do with them. At the moment we are focused on becoming better at what we do and creating even better videos. I am also exploring roles in the wider film/documentary industry. We have always done a bit of non-wedding stuff as well.
Jaz: Europe! I used to live in Barcelona and have been hanging out to take Alejandro there. We both speak Spanish and would love to spend a summer (winter in Adelaide) there and be part of some beautiful weddings. We haven’t officially launched the news yet so unofficially we plan to be available in Europe from June until August 2024. Follow us on Instagram if you are interested in what we’re doing, that’s pretty much where we share our news.
To learn more visit inthemoodforlove.com.au or @inthemoodforlove.jaz and @inthemoodforlove.ale
