The Art of Live Painting

A Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

Two different artistic crafts, pursuing the same goal on a wedding day.

I was a little worried going into this photoshoot. It was my first time working with a live wedding painter, and there were a lot of concerns going through my mind. Is the lighting correct? Is the setting okay? Is the styling good enough? There are many things photographers look for when it comes to taking photos, but painting is different.

Most importantly, as photographers, we bring our work home with us, and editing is half the work. In this scenario, everything is done on the day. It’s our equivalent of capturing one frame of the day in a single environment that is constantly changing. Once the painters have made their choices, there’s no going back.

When Kiara started setting up her easel, paints, brushes, and other tools, I was instantly intimidated by her setup. Again, photographers will bring a bag of camera bodies, lenses, and other lighting equipment, but we rely on the fact that our equipment will perform mostly the same way each time. Mixing paints, choosing brushes, and working with so many different materials and environmental factors can all affect how a painting turns out before you’ve even begun.

But watching Kiara work, there was already a sense of self-trust in knowing her colors and brushes would work the way she wanted them to. I had helped pick a spot for the painting, a backlit section of the yard surrounded by trees with beautiful fall colors. I won’t lie, I was itching to take some photos of my own of the model because the lighting was perfect, but I didn’t want to disrupt the process.

That being said, I quickly realized the differences between our crafts. I can photograph in one spot for maybe twenty minutes max before moving on when the light changes. However, someone like Kiara is tied to her spot, even when the light shifts, which it quickly did when the sun moved behind the trees and we lost the backlight.

Immediately, I felt disappointed in myself because I thought I had created a difficult situation for Kiara. But when I looked at her canvas, I instantly noticed that she was adapting. Instead of simply covering the background with rich oranges, she started incorporating darker browns, blues, and purples. She was adapting right on the spot, and even more than that, it didn’t seem to phase her one bit. I could see how much in her element she was, completely focused on perfecting her painting.

She continued to chat with the model and make light small talk while also working at the same time, which seems simple in theory but similar to us photographers not only do we have to perform our best skill wise on a wedding day but we have to create a great client experience. Kiara does the same, and to do that while you’re also adapting is a huge skill.

It took about two hours for Kiara to finish her painting, and by the time she was done the lighting had changed several times, but Kiara seemed to understand what she did and did not want in her painting in order to create a cohesive portrait. Same with us while editing with consistency across an entire wedding day.

At the end of the photoshoot, Kiara proudly presented the painting to our model of the day, Millie, who was in awe of the results, especially the details in her curly hair. On a wedding day, a bride would take home her canvas as a memento of the day. And this is when things really hit me.

Photographers seem to always emphasize that we’re the vendors who create something that lasts long after the wedding day, especially with my business model, which puts a priority on albums as a tangible keepsake. In this scenario, however, Kiara and I are providing the same thing. An heirloom, a keepsake, a treasure from the wedding day that’s meant to live in the couple’s home for many years to come.

Live Wedding Painter | Kiara Johnson

Model | Millie Blanc

Bouquet | Central Market Florist

I’m dedicated to making your wedding or portrait session in Albany, Upstate NY, & Hudson Valley a smooth, personalized, and memorable experience. Ready to begin? Explore my wedding or portrait photography services, view the heirloom album experience, or get in touch here!

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Thank you for reading!

-Raf