Meet a…Photographer: Milton Gan

When it comes to wedding photography, you can’t ignore boutique studio Milton Gan of Sydney. Run by husband and wife duo, Milton and Amy, the pair really know how to perfectly capture your big day. We took some time to learn more about Milton and his work:
1. Tell us a little about yourself I was born and bred in London and lived there all my life until my move to Sydney ten years ago. Just over four years ago I met Amy who soon became my girlfriend and second photographer. A couple of months ago she became my wife! 

2. How did you get into photography? Before photography I had a long career working in media and advertising. It was a lot of fun but I always knew I was destined to run my own business. During that time photography was a hobby, but when I moved to Sydney my passion stepped up a gear and I quickly realised that photography was my future. I started shooting events during evenings and weekends to build up my experience and then one day randomly stumbled across a wedding blog with imagery that blew my mind! Suddenly all the pieces fell into place, I trained myself to shoot weddings, photographed my first wedding in 2010, went full time in 2012 and have never looked back.

3. Describe your aesthetic Our style is documentary, while our aesthetic is fine art. No one decides to get married just to have a photo shoot and we’re very conscious of that, so we remain as hands off as possible and simply document everyone having an awesome time as the day unfolds. But having a documentary style doesn’t give us an excuse to randomly point and shoot. Each frame is carefully composed to make it as artistic as possible with maximum impact.

4. What does a typical day look like? We start a wedding day with a good feed and a strong coffee and then it’s all about hitting the road and documenting the day as it unfolds. This usually means covering prep, the ceremony, creating some awesome images during the location photo session, and carrying on through the reception until everyone’s breaking out their special moves on the dance floor.

5. What is your most memorable project? Planning our own wedding! After five years of photographing weddings, I thought we would be able to plan ours with our eyes closed. We quickly realised how much work is involved and how frustrating it can be just trying to get responses from wedding vendors! Being in the shoes of our couples gave us invaluable insights into what they’re going through as well as what it feels like on the big day itself. As a result we have an even more heightened sense of awareness when we’re shooting.

6. What is your favourite aspect of your job? Well, who doesn’t love going to a good wedding? And we get to do it forty times a year! We seriously enjoy every wedding we go to because each one is unique with a new group of people to hang out with and document. We also love that we get to travel to some amazing places and even if we’re returning to familiar locations or venues, the weather, time of year and styling means they’re very rarely the same.

7. What advice would you give to potential clients when choosing a photographer? Choosing a photographer isn’t about simply seeing a style you like and booking them. It’s a two-way relationship, so it’s essential that you meet with them. Then you can both start to work out if you have a good connection, feel comfortable with each other and, most importantly, trust each other. We always advise that your decision should be based 50% on the photographer’s style and 50% on your connection with them. One without the other won’t result in the best photos.

 8. I am happiest when… I have Amy in one hand and a coffee in the other. For more info, visit the Milton Gan website.