Tom takes cinematic, emotional documentary and portrait photographs to tell the story of the most ambitious weddings in London and across the UK.
"I fell in love with photography, a few years ago, loving the creative outlet and possibilities of it, but thought nothing of it beyond that" Tom relates to Andrei Weddings. He was always that friend with a camera around their neck at gatherings, and so he brought a camera to his cousin’s wedding, and a 50mm lens. He was just doing what came naturally to him - taking pictures of his family interacting and enjoying the day naturally, and in a documentary style. "I got lucky with the light being good" sais Tom, but his cousin took him aside after her wedding and said she wished she’d booked Tom Aizenberg as her wedding photographer, which changed everything for him.
Tom has been photographing weddings for about 4 years, and loving every minute of it!
"Wedding photography is so exciting because documenting human emotions is such a wonderful thing to do, and taking pictures on the most important day of someone’s life means that they will be looked at for decades to come - not many professional photographers are able to say that" declares Tom.
Tom believes the key in this industry is building rapport and a human relationship with couples. He love getting to know you before the wedding, and being there for you on the day. Other than that, Tom tries to give you general directions when posing, allowing you to interpret poses in your own way. He only makes specific changes if something doesn’t look quite right, but other than that, he lets you be yourself.
"I always love bride and groom portraits, because it gives me the chance to find good light, and have some more creative control, but I have to say that I love the dancing at weddings, because that’s usually the point in the day where everyone relaxes and loses their inhibitions" says Tom. Although the lighting is often challenging to work with, it’s a great chance to capture pure, funny and characterful moments.
"I genuinely have no idea what was said in the lead up to this moment, but I really love the fun in this not-at-all serious gesture, and the facial expressions are just brilliant" says Tom. He loves having the full range of (positive) emotions in his photography, and that includes humour and laughter!
The most memorable wedding Tom shot would probably be Lauren and Jack’s wedding.
"As a couple, they had a brilliant sense of humour, and we connected from the get-go". They are a really creative couple, with an inclusive and loving approach to life. They got married at Asia House, followed by the reception at St Bart’s Brewery, which was a great combo, and although the lighting was challenging at times, the wonderful emotions and organic moments were just so fun to capture relates Tom.
Tom likes venues that allow him to focus on the couple and their guests, without other distractions, which usually means somewhere outside London.
"I think technical aspects can be learnt by almost anyone who is willing to learnt, but they are absolutely crucial. What is really important is having a vision - that creative ability to give life a tangible style. This is what couples pay for and is the biggest difference between the photographers at the top of the market, and those who charge less" says Tom.
He also considers that being a people person is crucial, and this means being able to connect with people, but also caring about them - that is how you notice the small moments of emotion that really tell the story of a day.
In his free time, Tom loves watching films - that is his other passion. "It’s a great way to get inspired without even realising it, and stories are so important to me" says Tom. He usually does this with his wife, and spending time with her, family and friends is, in Tom's opinion, the most important thing in life.
Here is the trailer film of the wedding of Jessica and Tom, where we had the pleasure to collaborate with Tom Aizenberg. We felt as a team and both of us found it so easy to relate and work together.
Find more about this amazing wedding here: https://www.andreiweddings.com/london-wedding-videographer
If you want to read more about Tom Aizenberg we kindly invite you to visit his amazing website by following the link below:
https://www.tomaizenberg.com