PROFILE

Pablo Laguia & Ana Gómez

A woman in a white bridal dress, with her back to the camera, stands on the edge of a river surrounded by towering trees.

Wedding photography duo Pablo Laguia and his wife Ana Gómez have travelled all over the world in the name of love and romance – including their own. This picture was taken in Yosemite National Park in California, while Pablo and Ana were on their honeymoon. They spent a few days in the park as part of a wider American road trip. Taken on a Canon EOS 6D (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 6D Mark II) with a Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens at 1/400 sec, f/2.2 and ISO640. © Pablo Laguia

The secret of Canon Ambassador Pablo Laguia's success when photographing a wedding is to treat it as a documentary project – one that captures the complete story of a couple's special day, as well as the distinctive beauty of the location they have chosen.

Working in partnership with his wife Ana Gómez, Pablo uses his wide experience in news, fashion and portraiture to celebrate every aspect of a wedding – from quiet, behind-the-scenes moments to the day's big set-piece events.

"We don't see wedding photography as different from other genres," says Pablo. "We approach weddings as we would a documentary, with the difference that [with] weddings, we aim to get 70% documentary shots where we let things happen naturally, 20% fashion and portraits and 10% details or still-life shots."

Both Pablo and Ana were born in Orihuela in the province of Alicante, Spain, where they later returned to live and are now based. "Because we travel so much around the world, we like to be in a quiet place away from the noise, but one that has an airport nearby," says Pablo.

Pablo originally studied photography at art school, followed by a master's degree in fashion photography at university in Madrid. Afterwards, he worked as a freelance travel and press photographer before opening a studio in 2003 and specialising in weddings, portraits and fashion. Meanwhile, Ana had her own career working as a marketing manager in the fashion industry, including a period at Stella McCartney's studio in New York.

Pablo Laguia and his wife Ana Gómez – international wedding photographers and new Canon Ambassadors.
Location: Alicante, Spain

Specialist areas: Wedding, fashion

Favourite kit:

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM
Two birds cling determinedly to the cap of a man turned away from the camera.

"This solitary man was feeding pigeons on Santa Monica Pier in California," says Pablo. "I sat next to him for a while and then this happened. It is my favourite picture because it transmits so many emotions to me." Taken on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens at 1/800 sec, f/2 and ISO200. © Pablo Laguia

After they got together in 2009, Pablo and Ana decided to combine both their personal and professional lives. Pablo closed his photographic studio, Ana quit her job, and they began working as a destination wedding photography team. On their shoots, Pablo is always the main photographer, covering the key events, while Ana is the second shooter capturing all-important details and spontaneous emotions.

Ana also has a range of other roles within the business: she scouts for perfect locations before a wedding and deals with clients, marketing, communications and social media. When asked to describe Ana's role, Pablo simply says: "She's the boss!"

A bride and groom stand hand-in-hand in Jordan's Wadi Rum desert surrounded by wild camels.

Following their wedding in Spain, one of Pablo and Ana's couples wanted to go to Jordan in search of wild camels – and their photographers were happy to oblige. This picture was shot in the middle of the Wadi Rum desert. Taken on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens at 1/800 sec, f/2 and ISO200. © Pablo Laguia

Before a wedding, they spend time thoroughly getting to know the couples as well as researching the wedding location, looking for the ideal backdrop. "We look for the perfect frame and put the couple, their emotions and feelings, in that frame," says Ana. "The aim is to make the photos original and romantic at the same time. That, for us, is our mark – what makes our pictures recognisable and distinctive."

It's been a successful approach: the weddings they've photographed include those of celebrities and Hollywood actors and their work has been published in magazines including Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar. They were also named one of the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography by American magazine Rangefinder in 2017.

One of the main reasons Pablo and Ana most enjoy shooting weddings is the relationships they form with the people they photograph. "We love our couples," says Ana. "Most of the couples we have photographed are now our friends. We have been a part of the most important day of their lives and it feels like we have a very special connection with them – and that's forever. Everyone who gets married remembers their wedding photographer."

Against a dark blue sky, a bride in sunglasses smiles at the camera, her left hand on her new husband's shoulder. Behind them is a beat-up white camper van.
A bride in a flowing white dress walks towards her waiting groom who is taking in the snow-capped mountain view.
A black and white photo of a bride and three men standing shoeless on a bench. The image is captured from the shoulders down. Facing away from the camera, a newly married couple raise their arms aloft on a mountaintop. The groom is wearing a kilt, the bride a white dress and denim jacket. A groom reaches out his hand to his bride, who is doing the same, in this recreation of Michelangelo's iconic painting The Creation of Adam. A bride and groom in traditional Punjabi dress kiss on a New Zealand mountainside. A bride-to-be clad in a white sheet stands on the bottom rung of a stepladder gazing wistfully out of the window.

How do you make your subjects feel comfortable?

"The most important thing is that the couple trusts your work 100% and makes you a part of what they are experiencing so everything is very natural on the day," says Ana. "Before the wedding we talk to the couple a lot, so we get very close to them. That's why they feel super-comfortable with us, which allows us to maybe catch an emotion such as tear if we just wait for the perfect moment."


What makes the perfect set of wedding pictures?

"Pablo is obsessed with light and composition and I look for details and emotions," shares Ana. "When all of this comes together, we know the wedding's going to be perfect and we will have a good set of photos."


What makes you passionate about wedding work?

"Weddings deal with an important and emotional day in people's lives and each one is different," explains Pablo. "They allow us to do many styles of photography – documentary, fashion, portraits, street photography and still life. If you add to all this the ability to travel around the world to tell these beautiful stories, it's perfect."


What's been your most memorable wedding so far?

"We photographed a wedding in Wanaka, New Zealand, which took place on the lake shore with mountains in the background," says Ana. "The bride came to the aisle with a beautiful white horse. After the wedding, we took a helicopter to the top of the mountains with the couple and did a shoot there. It was an incredible experience."

One thing we know

Pablo Laguia & Ana Gómez


"To be a successful wedding photographer, you have to be yourself. That's something a lot of people say, but it's true. If you try to be another person or copy another photographer, you are not going to be comfortable. You will be lying to yourself and to your couple. Being yourself is going to bring you couples that connect to your personality. Also, when you are setting up your business you have to be brave, to take chances and to focus on what you really want to do."

Instagram: @pablo_laguia

Twitter: @Pablo_laguia

Website: www.pablolaguia.com

Pablo Laguia's kitbag

The key kit pros that the use to take their photographs

Pablo Laguia's kitbag containing Canon cameras, lenses and accessories.

Cameras

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Designed to perform in every situation, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is beautifully engineered and a thoroughly accomplished all-rounder. Pablo says: "We like the 5D Mark IV because it is a robust and strong camera for dealing with all situations. It has a very good dynamic range and the menu is easy to navigate. We have never had any technical problems with it."

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II

The latest version of the camera Pablo has used in shoots around the world. Whether you want to shoot more ambitious projects, or you’re turning professional with your photography, the EOS 6D Mark II gives you what you need to take those exciting next steps.

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Lenses

Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II

The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II has been refined to deliver superb image quality right to the edges of the frame. Independent rotation of the tilt-and-shift mechanisms permits maximum creative freedom. Pablo says: "We use this tilt-shift lens for special moments, for big locations, to give a touch of magic to the image. It's perfect for testing your creativity."

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM

With its incredible f/1.2 maximum aperture, the super fast EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is a consummate low-light performer and allows fine creative control over focusing and depth of field. "A lens that is perfect for everyday use, we use it for both weddings and travel. It is a very fast and very bright lens, ideal for working in low-light situations," says Pablo.

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Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM

A true modern classic: a standard wide-angle lens beloved by reportage photographers for its natural perspective, low-light capability and extraordinary optical performance. "This lens is our all-rounder; we could shoot the whole wedding with it," says Pablo. "Although it's a wide-angle lens, it gives a natural perspective."

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Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

A short telephoto focal length, combined with a large maximum aperture and fast autofocus speed, make the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM an ideal optic for any photographer shooting portraiture. "The 85mm f/1.8 is perfect for portrait photography – a very light lens that allows you to control the depth of field very well and work in low-light conditions," says Pablo.

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Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

This versatile lens gives great results in portrait work and handheld movie-making, thanks to its ability to achieve a shallow depth of field with beautiful bokeh, along with built-in Hybrid Image Stabilization and lightweight design. Pablo says: "We use this lens for all kinds of details, especially macro photography, portraying everyday objects that we have rarely observed so closely."

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Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM

The EF 135mm f/2L USM is a fast, lightweight, high-quality telephoto lens. It is the ideal tool for capturing indoor sports in low-light conditions and for shooting portrait photography. "The 135mm focal length is one of the most versatile among the telephoto lenses. It's lightweight and high quality, and thanks to its f/2 aperture can isolate the subject or the background to emphasise its importance," says Pablo. "This lens is Ana's favourite and is ideal for portrait photography."

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Accessories

Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT

The successor to the Speedlite 580EX II that Pablo and Ana use is engineered for fast frame rate shooting, and performs in the most demanding situations. Pablo says: "Normally we only work with natural light, but for exceptional situations we use several 580EX flashguns for extra illumination."

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