Virginia and Evan

Virginia Strobel and Evan Cikaluk have a simple equation for their wedding images: breathtaking landscape + couple = unique adventure elopement. “It’s what shapes our photographic style,” they say.

With their mantra to brides being “throw on your hiking boots, no one will see them under your dress,” the bulk of the photo duo’s elopement coverage takes place outdoors, using the natural light available to them. “We love balanced warm tones that show off natural colors,” they say. “Each layer of the photo should tell a story that reveals more about the day and the couple themselves.”

When it comes to post processing, Virginia and Evan—who use Lightroom for color editing, dodging and burning, and Photoshop for more detailed editing—equate it to “putting your unedited photos into the kiln. The photo was beautiful before, but you know it can become something even more special after. It’s our signature in the clay.”

Check out the official announcement of this year’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography, along with the editors’ observations on the list of 2020.