Vintage Indie would like to welcome our sponsor Dahlphotog's owner and photographer Kristofor Dahl along with Lauren Agresti Principal Photographer.
Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started as a photographer?
Lauren and I (Kris) both have art degrees. I have a Studio Art degree in ceramics/sculpture and I learned photography so I could take film slides of my work for gallery shows. Lauren has a B.F.A. in photography and comes from a long line of photographers in her family. Lauren tells a great story of her dad giving her a Pentax K1000 when she was 10 yrs old then teaching her how to make darkroom color prints from film around the same age. From film to digital, we have come a long way in the photography world. Now we are finding that many customers love the vintage style film packages we offer, so are are happy to have that solid background in film photography.
Where are you located? Do you travel for shoots?
We are located in Orange County California but we travel all over the country for weddings and other events. For example, we are going to both San Francisco and Detroit to shoot weddings this year.
What makes you different than other photographers?
I think that we are both real artists. We choose to occupy our lives with art in all of its forms. We have our own artistic endeavors and projects we constantly work on outside the wedding and event industry. We shoot commercial and lifestyle/magazine work in addition to the fine art and wedding business. As a couple we share the experiences and joy of being photographers in a very real sense. We have an aesthetic, we work at it all day. As an artist you know when you have a good aesthetic and you go through the growing pains of developing your work into something beautiful. I think that really comes through in the weddings we shoot.How do you make wedding and engagement sessions different?
We try to stay away from the boring overly traditional posing and allow the client's personalities to shine through in the photos. In every shot we attempt to use dynamic ideas and lighting to achieve something that is in and of itself beautiful. We use a mix of film and digital and whatever else we can to make each image tell a story. We try very hard to not over edit and over work an image in the computer, allowing the image to come alive with minimal post-processing.
Is supporting independent businesses like yours important to you, and if so, why?
Yes, that is where the best artists are! In every aspect of life, the people making things for self-expression their own way everyday -- these people have always been the innovators of the world.
Our services include wedding photography, children/family/maternity portraits, commercial work, and photos for print or web. You name it, we shoot it -- as long as it is based in art!
A special thanks to Kristofor Dahl for supporting Vintage Indie and for sharing your passion for your independent business. Please visit Dahlphotog for pricing and more of their gorgeous photography!
