Maui Wedding Photography

Not all wedding venues are created equal. Maui has many to choose from but Haiku Mills is one of the nicest and most interesting venues we've had the pleasure of photographing at. The Mill was a working sugar mill until about 30 years ago and has been transformed into a romantic wedding location complete with a rustic but elegant cottage for the bride to get ready. The cottage is large enough for the biggest bridal party and the mill can hold all your friends and family quite comfortably.

Maui Family Portraits

While the family is here on Maui it's a great idea to hire a professional to get some fabulous beach shots with the entire family. After a vacation, we all have a ton of images to edit and with the exception of one or two shots that we get a fellow traveller to take, there's always somebody missing from our family pictures. When checking out a professional to take your Maui family portraits, be sure they are creative, fun and knowledgeable and no matter what they may say, an assistant is critical to a successful outcome. Joe D'Alessandro always brings a seasoned assistant. This person can create studio quality lighting under even the most harsh lighting circumstances and the light in Maui can be harsh, casting shadows that lesser photographers try to lighten with on camera flash. We also offer cd's of your Maui portrait session with full reproduction rights.

Maui Family Portrait Photography

For your once in a lifetime Maui family vacation you'll probably want to get some dynamic, fun images to remember that special time. We have been doing Maui family portraits for years. We will take your group to one of Maui's beautiful beaches just before sunset and capture the magic of the moment with posed, staged scene and candid photography. Our team will use light modifiers such as diffusers, reflectors and off camera flash to create a studio look on location. We suggest neutral toned clothing, no black or wild prints and above all, be comfortable. We offer high resolution images on a cd along with full reproduction rights so you will have those images for years to come, can e-mail and post them to your social network pages to make all your friends jealous.

Maui Photography

We always get asked about the right time of day to do a Maui wedding ceremony. Many of our clients want to do a luau as a reception, which usually start about an hour before sunset, pushing the wedding to the middle of the afternoon. While a luau seems like the Hawaiian way to end your wedding day, the timing makes photography  very difficult and limits your photographers ability to capture those portraits at the golden hour. We usually recommend that couples save the luau for the day before or after and schedule their Maui wedding for about an hour and a half before sunset. This gives us time to spend about 45 minutes exclusively with the couple to get those romantic, golden images and dramatic sunset backgrounds.

Hawaii Photographers

When searching "Hawaii Photographers", you'll find dozens of prospective shooters with varying degrees of expertise, artistic style and pricing. A good rule of thumb when pricing a photographer is the 15% rule: 15% of your overall wedding budget should be for the photography. As for artistic style, the photographers website should contain a robust gallery of images that are sharp, beautiful and current. Expertise can be determined not only by the images on the site but by searching sites like Yelp that contain real ratings from actual customers. Our wedding packages will always include an assistant for lighting and second camera work which adds a depth to the photography that can't be attained by the "lone shooter".

Maui Wedding Photographers

Are you using an assistant for your photo shoots? If not, you're missing out on a great opportunity to up your game and create some incredible images on location that will blow away the competition. Nikon's SB800 strobes can be used off camera to create highlights without wires. The system is easy to use and can create a studio look on location with minimal effort and time. A flex fill and diffuser panel are used to either reflect light onto the subject or to diffuse harsh sunlight to create a soft, luminous look for a blushing bride. All of these tools require a competent assistant who knows what you're looking for and understands the uses of each of these light modifiers. They also need to understand the limitations of each device. If you can price your jobs to include an assistant then do so. Now. If you can't raise your prices then bite the bullet and pay someone. You'll certainly be able able to up your rate later, as you up your game.

Maui Wedding Photographers

Why get married on Maui? I don't know, maybe it's because the weather is great and the beaches are unbelievable or that airfare is dirt cheap right now or that there are incredible photographers who make their home in Maui or perhaps it's just a combination of all these things that make a Maui destination wedding so appealing. It could also be photos like these.

Hawaii Wedding Photography

Your Maui Destination Wedding should be documented by professionals who know what to expect at any given location on Maui and are aware of how the light changes so that they are one step ahead of it. Maui wedding photographers, such as Joe D'Alessandro Photography, have spent the better part of three decades on Maui pursuing the light for that perfect shot. We know what's going to happen and how we are going to capture it long before the day begins. Our equipment bag is filled with the latest professional digital equipment and our photographer and assistants bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and humor to your wedding. Whether you want to trash the dress or put on an elegant display, we are there to work with you. Our Maui wedding photography packages include a cd of meticulously edited, high resolution digital files and unlimited reproduction rights. This gives you unlimited flexibility to print or electronically post your wedding images anywhere, anytime. Browse through our Maui Weddings gallery for a peek at our most recent outings. From Makena to Kapalua and all points in between, we are familiar with the conditions, the light and your expectations.

Maui Wedding Photographers

What's an edit? Seems to be a little confusion out there on the part of some people so I'd thought I would bring it up. A photographer not only captures the images of the day in an artistic fashion, but he also edits those images, by choosing the ones you will see. This bit of work puts the day and the photographer in the best light. After years of editing Maui weddings, we are very good at knowing what will work, what will not and what needs to get cut. Some brides seem to think there's more images somewhere that they are missing but the point is: If you are going to trust a professional to photograph your wedding, you should have no problem trusting him to edit the images properly. We all seem to think "more is better", often, it's not.

Camera Shy or Camera High?

The glossy magazines with the bridal names present the most beautiful imagery of the perfect fairytale wedding; Bright eyes, smooth sexy smiles, a happy entourage with flowers in the air, these images are, more often than not, the product of a professional commercial shoot and the subjects are well paid professional models. This does not mean that your wedding can't look like that. My Maui Wedding Gallery is filled with spectacular brides. These are women who have made friends with the camera for a few hours and exude self confidence and joy during the day. They are happy to have the camera there and the love they have for their fiance and family is evident in every shot. Some brides are not so comfortable with the camera. I keep mentioning "brides" because that is what the day is all about: Brides. You will be the center of attention for an entire day, even longer, so enjoying the spotlight is an essential part of a successful shoot. 

If you're not comfortable in front of the camera, put your dress on, before the wedding, as many times as need be and have a close friend or family member photograph you. You will be able to see how you look on camera and what you can do to make it look more natural. We know that you are a nurse or a teacher or bank CEO and don't spend your day strutting around looking pretty for the camera, so a few practice sessions is worth it. If you do it, I guarantee it will show in the results.