I’ve always considered myself a life-learner, and several times a year I invest in my craft by attending arts or photography-related workshops. Everyone has a “favorite” photographer, and recently mine has been Mexico-based destination wedding photographer, Fer Juaristi. A photographer friend randomly mentioned his blog, and when I saw his work I was instantly excited to see imagery that not only captured raw emotions (something that is deeply rooted in my passion for photographing weddings), but his work also has a strong cinematic or film still quality. He documents important moments of people’s lives, but also greatly considers the overall environment and documents the atmosphere with amazing use of natural light. I’m often reminded of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work and can see strong street photography influences in his photos.

Several months ago I began talking with Fer through Twitter and asked if he was planning a workshop in Boston anytime soon. He was so warm and open to the idea, and we began planning for him to give a presentation through the Boston Pictage User Group thanks to the help of Anne Ruthmann and LensProToGo. He also held a Boston Fershop the following day at Ad Hoc Boston in Jamaica Plain. I am blown away by how supportive our worldwide community of photographers are, and love that tools like Twitter and Facebook have made it possible for people to connect globally!

It’s always so fascinating to hear a photographer colleague speak about their photographic style and approach, and it was fantastic to see how he interprets light. We were able to work with a sweet local couple, Laura and Ryan, who are planning a February destination wedding at the Aventura Spa Palace Resort in Riviera Maya Mexico. It was an intense and amazing couple of days, and I had such a wonderful time connecting with new photographer friends and opening my mind. Fer is passionate, humble, hilarious, approachable, and beyond being an amazing photographer, he is a wonderful person.

Below are a few of my favorite photos that I created of Laura and Ryan during their engagement session and faux wedding photo session, as well as a couple of Fer in action. Thank you again Fer for flying across the world to share a few days with fellow photographers. I am still buzzing with inspiration!