Rangefinder Magazine
August 2005

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Generation Next by LORRAINE A. DARCONTE
Joe and J.P. Elario—Never Ever Staged

Photographer Joe Elario has been capturing “candid” moments at weddings for more than 20 years now, long before the style—currently termed wedding photojournalism—became popular. He never aspired to be a wedding photographer, and really didn’t want to be pigeonholed as one. The people whose work he admired were press and fashion photographers, especially those who worked for Look and Life magazines. “I tried to emulate that work,” Joe says. “I was interested in fashion and lifestyle photography. But because my family was young and I lived upstate (and that type of work was available downstate, in Manhattan), I put it on the back burner.”

But one day, at a photo expo about 15 years ago, while listening to a lecture by wedding guru Denis Reggie, he realized he could apply that style of photography to weddings. “I wanted people to look at my work and say, ‘Yes, it’s a wedding photo, but it also could be a photo that might grace the cover of a fashion magazine.’ That’s the look I was always after.” And so began Joe’s long, successful career as a… wedding photographer.

It was called “candid” work years ago, and the wedding industry didn’t pay it much creed, but Joe’s customers responded to it well. “My clients always liked it; they didn’t know why, but they did. And working this way gave me a lot of creative freedom. Back then it was new. Now, of course, if you’re not doing photojournalism, you’re not trendy.” Aside from being one of the first photographers to work in a journalistic style, Joe also shot exclusively with a Hasselblad. “I could never work with the two formats and do justice to one,” he admits. “So I decided to shoot my candids with a Hasselblad. Not because it was a medium format, but because I liked the square format. True, I had to carry a lot of film backs with me,” says Joe. “I always had at least six, plus an assistant, so there was always someone loading, rewinding, or handing me backs. But once you discipline yourself to use it, you can shoot it as fast as any SLR.”

Today, Joe works with digital cameras. “I use Canon cameras and lenses, and nine times out of 10, it’s a Canon “L” series. I’ve always bought and used the best equipment I could,” states Joe, “which is why I preferred using the Hasselblad with its Zeiss lenses. There are times when I’d like to use it, but digital is so fast, and I can do so much more with it. For instance, I’ve always offered black-and-white and color coverage. But I’d have to carry black-and-white backs and/or have the lab print it on Panalure paper.

Today, we average 700 images per wedding. When we do our final edit before we send them to the lab (Miller’s is my lab and continues to stay ahead of the curve), we select images we know people will like in black and white. That’s what’s nice about digital. My son, J.P., selects which images from each wedding will be printed in color and which in black and white. We know what works—but can always switch an image for the client.

“In addition” says Joe, “after eight to 10 hours at a wedding, the first thing I do now is undo the bow tie. I get in the car and say, ‘Yeah, I know we got it,’ because of digital’s instant gratification. Shooting film was like living on the edge—worrying whether or not lights were working, etc. With film, everything had to be sent out FedEx, and it was the only copy of the wedding. Now I can tell the bride, before she even takes her gown off, her wedding is backed up twice. Before she’s on the honeymoon, it’s backed up four times. However, we do spend a lot more time at the computer monitor with digital because post-production has become a huge part of our job.” And that’s where 23-year-old J.P. comes in.

Joe Elario Jr., better known as J.P., has been working weddings with his father for about 11 years; he currently works as second shooter. “I have always been interested in photography,” says J.P. “It’s in the blood.”

J.P. has an associate’s degree in photography from SAGE, a junior art school in Albany. Plus, he studied art and design at Savannah College of Art and Design for one year. In addition, he’s taken courses in Photoshop, web design, and other computer programs. “I do all the digital editing, etc. Dad has it easy, all he has to do is shoot. I create the book designs, including the comp cards,” continues J.P. “Our wedding books are like our comp cards; they’re custom. I never use a template, and I think they have that MTV feel to them. They’re not boring; not one image per page. They’re different, modern, contemporary,” he states. “I’m not afraid to use color, and I want people to be wowed when they look at them.”

Promotions
The Elarios also take a cue from commercial photographers when it comes to self-promotion.
“The comp card we use is taken from the commercial side of photography,” J.P. notes. “I began with the type of cards that are used at Christmas, with a message. I ordered them 50 at a time and used them at bridal shows, etc. It wasn’t long before I noticed other photographers doing the same thing. The printed cards are now a very big part of our marketing program. And the Internet was huge at one time,” he states. “I was one of the first photographers in the area to have a web site. I used to wonder how photographers could not have a web site because it’s a great vehicle to show your work. But now it’s overwhelming. You key in ‘wedding photographer, ’ and the listings never end.”

With all that competition, how do the Elarios stand out from the crowd? “It now goes back to the referral,” J.P. says. “Word of mouth is the best form of promotion, but you still have to advertise. I place a simple ad with very little copy in local newspapers, with the tag line ‘Never, Ever Staged,’ and our web address.”

As for the future, both Joe and J.P. are fairly satisfied with their progress and status. “Right now,” says J.P., “I’m content with the wedding photography. I am branching out doing my own weddings; and the older that dad gets, the less he’s going to want to do, so I’ll probably be doing more weddings.

Eventually, I’d like to move to a bigger city, like Manhattan, where there’s more money in the business.”
Joe Sr. says, “I still love doing what I do. It’s the business part that becomes a drag at times because all I ever really wanted to do was take pictures. When I listen to other photographers speak, they always talk about their own work… that’s what’s missing in my career; I’m not working on my own work. Every time I use my camera it’s because I’m getting paid. So I wish I was doing more of my own stuff, quite frankly.” 

Lorraine A. DarConte is a freelance writer/photographer living in Tucson, Arizona. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including, Rangefinder magazine Newsday, and Tucson Visitors Guide.