When Ralf Czogallik joined WBWP, our whole team was blown away by his ability to look at things from a million different angles. We are proud to show off his gallery filled with creative ideas, brilliant lighting concepts, and emotional moments. We know that artwork like his doesn’t just happen, it takes extraordinary skill and hard work. To let you in on how he gets it done, I asked him some questions about his life, philosophy, and photography techniques.

Q: Hey Ralf, can you tell us a little about your origin story? What first got you into photography?

A: It all started when I saw photographs from a friend of mine who loved to shoot the koi carp in Japanese ponds. The depth, sharpness, and fantastic image quality was so good it made me wonder what I could do to shoot like that. I shot my first wedding 12 years ago for a good friend and I am still completely in love with photography. In fact, it feels like I love it more every day!

Q: Roughly how many weddings have you photographed since then?

A: At least 400! It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve shot that many.

Q: Below are some of our favorite photos. Would you be willing to share with us how you captured them

A: Of course! The first photo was shot with my drone. It’s a simple DJI Mavic Air at standard settings. The only thing I did was pose the couple in the car and edited in Lightroom, of course, with DVLOP presets. I edit and develop all of my photos this way. 

This one was simple to make. I placed the couple on a hill and got very low. I shot with my Canon 1DX-II with a 35mm lens, F6.3 at 1/4000, and used my iPhone to reflect the sky. 

Another drone shot. I love the bird’s eye view it gives me. It makes the composition so interesting!

I  took this one while lying down on the ground and shooting straight up, using my Canon 1DX-II with 35mm at F4.5 at 1/1250. 

This ring shot was very simple. It’s a painting that was flat on a table. I put the rings on it and shot through a lightbulb thing that was there. I used my Canon 1DX-II with 35mm at F2.8 at 1/500. 

Capturing photos of fireworks and getting them sharp can be a challenge. I used my Canon 1DX-II with a 16mm at F4 at 1/25, and off-camera flash to light the couple in order to capture this one.

I loved shooting this last one. The yellow lights are from light fixtures on the ceiling of the reception venue. I used a blue gel with a flash to silhouette the couple. Very simple but so effective. Shot with my Canon 1DX-II with 35mm at F4 at 1/1000. 

Q: Most photographers would be thrilled to take photos as creative as yours. What do you think it takes to be an outstanding wedding photographer?

A: An outstanding photographer should know how to shoot in every situation, with no available light, harsh sunlight, intense shadows, you name it. They should know their camera so well that they can seamlessly get the job done without having to worry about settings, etc. They should be able to shoot documentary photos and glamorous portraits, use off-camera flash, and be able to capture dance-floor action. Those are mandatory, I think. Also, you have to be a social beast. Try to think and act like a wedding guest. That really helps to remove any boundaries for sure!

Q: Agreed, and just one more question. If you had a ticket to anywhere for your next vacation, where would you go?

I would love to go on a road trip through the USA with my wife and kids.

A: Yes, please do! And be sure to come to visit us in Seattle. It would be wonderful to see you again.

All the best,

Blair