Palm Springs Panache, by Callaway Gable [RF Wedding of the Week]

When I think of the work being created by Callaway Gable, certain words automatically spring to mind—adjectives like graphic, bold and vibrant—that describe dynamic duo Brian and Allison Callaway’s larger-than-life compositions.

ALL PHOTOS © CALLAWAY GABLE

Brian says couple Shane and Josh came to him and Allison as a referral from their friend Joey Lizotte of Artisan Events—”one of the best planners and designers in Palm Springs.” And when first considering wedding photographers, Shane and Josh explained to the Callaways what struck them most about the photography they saw on their first visit to the callawaygable.com website: “The color contrasts and the boldness of the images really attracted us. As we went through all of the photographs, we liked the unique perspectives and the emotion and moments you were able to capture. We’ve seen a lot of wedding pictures from our friends that seemed overly staged and awkward—given that this is a gay wedding, we know a lot of the standard poses would look unnatural for us, so we really liked your creativity, imagination and humor. We loved some of the shots you took for a Viceroy (now called Avalon Hotel) wedding earlier this year, particularly the desert shots by the windmills.”

Many of the lit portraits of Shane and Josh in the desert, says Brian, were shot with 2 to 3 handheld 600 EX RT speed lights in order to overpower the brightness of the sun, says Brian. These were triggered by the Canon ST-E3 Commander.

“With many of our destination wedding clients, we often don’t meet them in person until their actual wedding day,” Brian explains. “We always suggest that these clients add an Engagement shoot or Day Before (in wedding attire) before their wedding. This way we can get to know them and produce art for them without the constrain and stress of the wedding day. That’s what we did here with Shane and Josh. The photos in the desert by the windmills were photographed on the day before the wedding (with both in their tuxedo jackets). Everything later on from the Avalon hotel in Palm Springs and in the pool was photographed on the day of their wedding.”

Because the Aqualillies (above and below) were performing in the dark, says Brian, “we had to set up light stands on either side of them with speed lights and cross-light them to create a more dynamic photo than on-camera flash.”

“We LOVED everything about this wedding,” Brian sums up. “From Shane and Josh’s impeccable style and sense of fashion to the emotional experience of being married with the support of all of their friends and families, their wedding reminded us why we do what we do. In fact, its one of our all time favorites.” Mine too!

Equipment Used:

• Canon 5D Mark III
• Multiple 600 EX RT Speedlights
• 16-35mm f/2.8 L II
• 70-200mm f/2.8 L II
• 50mm f/1.2
• 85mm f/1.2

Want to read more on how Callaway Gable lights a wedding? Click here to discover how they how transform an image magically by using flash and video light.

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Libby Peterson or Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.