A Royal Wedding
If you have been in the photography industry for any period of time, than the name Sal Cincotta Is one that you have probably heard before. Sal is a photography industry magnate. He is the owner and founder of Behind the Shutter, and is a Canon Explorer of Light, and Profoto Legend of Light. Sal has helped tens of thousands of photographers around the world create profitable photography businesses, and is one of the most awarded wedding & portrait photographers in the world
But Sal and his wife Alissa are more than just mentors to us. They are close friends as well. Sal has helped build Michael Anthony Photography to the point where it is now, and has been a close confidant for a long time. In fact, it was Sal’s business model that we originally modeled that helped us to build the business that you all see today. We have traveled the world with Sal & Alissa to France, Portugal, Iceland, Italy, and more states than I can count. We have shot side by side with them. I have second shot the occasional weddings with them over the last 5 years, and I have taught at their conference Shutterfest and written articles for Shutter Magazine since 2015.
A Change of Plans
Sal asked Jen & I if we would photograph their wedding which was originally set to take place in a castle in France. After the pandemic struck, the plans were altered to a trip around the world, and finally when travel became nearly impossible, they decided to have their wedding in Las Vegas, with a 2-day photoshoot afterwards in Death Valley……and we are so glad they did…..because I couldn’t have imagined the photos being better than what we were able to create with them.
The number one question that I have been asked is “How much pressure do you feel photographing this wedding of one of the best wedding photographers in the world?”
The answer? Very little….
It’s not that I didn’t feel the pressure to perform….we feel a healthy amount every wedding and that keeps us sharp.…but we consider these two best friends, so documenting this wedding felt natural because the emotions were so authentic. Their vows were authentic. The events before the wedding were authentic, the speeches were authentic, and that made all of the photos authentic. So capturing this wedding just felt authentic and natural, and because it was the wedding of close friends….it felt easy.
The Big Day
The wedding itself started in Las Vegas at The Venetian Hotel. Sal & Alissa got ready together, and like most weddings we were a little behind schedule. We got to work side by side with the legendary cinematographer, and also former police officer, Ray Roman. We captured the bride & groom prepping for the big day while Jewels Gray, a Shutterfest Instructor, photographer, & makeup artist finished Alissa’s Makeup & Hair.
If you ever had been to the Venetian Hotel, you know the grand hall in the lobby……Yep, I have wanted to shoot there since the first time I saw it back in 2013…..however there was a small problem of Las Vegas Security being world class……So the night before we had planned the entire shot down to the correct F-Stop, we rehearsed it prior to go-time, and on the day of the wedding we executed it in less than 12 seconds. Had we not been photographing Sal & Alissa, we probably wouldn’t have had time to get this shot, because these two know how to pose already…..
