I photographed my first wedding in New Jersey. One year later, I was holding my camera in the countryside of Spain. Weddings are beautiful. At their core, they are at once the simplest and most complex expression of relationships. A bond between two people. Their loved ones that surround them. The legacy and weight of culture. Honor and tradition passed down from generations before. I am completely in love with this craft because it is so humanizing. Tears of joy on young faces and old faces. Laughter and dance. Remembrance. Bonfires by night. Promises for tomorrow. This is the stuff that makes life worth living. Worth writing about. So much that it hurts not to capture it.
FINE ART WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
by Jose Melgarejo
Jose Melgarejo is a destination wedding and elopement photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. Father, teacher, linguist. Ex-corporate cubicle warrior turned traveling photographer.
Jose incorporates an artistic approach to wedding photography with an energy that is consistent and calm.
My Approach and Philosophy
Simple wins. Most important is the story between two people in love and the people that love them. I focus on this beautiful element.
People first. I get to know people genuinely. I am part of your team and I create with everyone.
Different is cool. I embrace our world of diversity and the million different ways you can celebrate your day. Love is for all people.
Clear as day. I communicate, clarify and double-check. The time to have the map is before the journey.
Honest to you. Never forced. Photographs should represent your energy. That’s what you’ll look back on years from now.
HUSBAND, FATHER, PHOTOGRAPHER, TEACHER
I see myself as a thoughtful and curious person. I am fascinated by people and their relationships and how life got us to where we are. I love discovering new places and learning local cultures. A fan of the city life but also the stillness of the desert and the rush of crashing waves. I live in the New York City area with our little family of three. I am a photographer but I haven’t always been. During the recession, I worked a corporate job where I learned a ton about how people value things. A few years later, I found myself teaching for almost a decade– schools taught me true patience, humility and compassion for humanity. In my spare time, I traveled, learned a few languages and re-taught myself how to use a camera. I photographed Jen- now my lovely wife, my family, my friends. I learned that I loved individuals and the personalities that made them unique, and that I can give something special through photography.
Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.
the Dalai Lama
In Photographs
