Saudi photographer Reem Bajabaa has taken the Saudi wedding scene by storm with her artistic touches in nuptial photography. Her style is an attraction for many brides-to-be who queue outside her office waiting to book her for their big day.

She specializes in capturing precious and behind the scene moments at weddings. Bajabaa’s photos are so perfect that they win her clients who want to document every moment of their weddings in an artistic form.

Bajabaa was born in a small town on the west coast of Saudi Arabia but her life was a journey in which she traveled around along with her family and lived in the United Kingdom and the United States. This exposed her to people with different backgrounds and to different cultures, all of which play a major role in her artistic inspiration.

It was not until she was 19 when Bajabaa discovered her passion for art in different forms and by the age of 25, she attended a local art exhibition in her hometown that touched her deeply. That’s when she knew photography was her true calling and her future career. “I am a self-taught photographer, I learned about angles by experience and I learned how to use the camera by trying and failing over and over again. I used to go online and browse through different kinds of photography and photos to learn more about all the important elements of photography,” she said. “I also used to gather experience from other people and photographers when I needed a question to be answered. Then I went into the field and took photos of landscapes and people used to tell me I have the potential to do well and that my touch is really clean,” she added.

She later worked on her newly acquired life-goal with nothing but a disposable camera and a trip to London. Two years later Bajabaa became one of the most renowned female photographers in the Kingdom. Her work can only be described as romantic, ethereal and sensuous. “By the time I was 27, I decided to focus on weddings even though I rejected the idea at first because I hated doing the typical poses for the bride and groom but the thing that pushed me to do so was after my engagement when I was looking for a photographer who understands me,” she said. “I fell in love with the beauty of weddings and the chemistry between the bride and the groom and that was the turning point for me,” she added.

Bajabaa finds inspirations in the wedding theme, the location, atmosphere and of course, the bride and the groom. “Personally meeting the bride before signing the contract is very important because it introduces me to her lifestyle and personality and this gives me an idea of how I would shoot,” she said. “After arriving at the venue I like to start taking photos of the whole place and arranging the lighting, lens and angles I would use for the photo shoot. It is amazing how many memories you can capture in one night only,” she said.

The photographer owns all lenses a professional photographer could ever need. “I have two sets of each lens because you don’t know what could happen and sometimes they need it for the video shoot. I have to always be prepared because I cannot afford any accidents caused by camera and lights,” she said. “I always make sure the camera is fully charged, the light bulbs are perfectly functioning and I have the right lens with me. I love working mostly with two lenses for my canon camera (70-200, 50 mm and 24-70 mm)” she added.

According to Bajabaa, love, lights and location are what make a successful wedding. “You need good quality lights whether the wedding is held indoors or outdoors. Light can literally take photos from good to great. Good light is not only a must for photography but also a must for the whole atmosphere and it serves the interiors as well,” she said. “Sometimes you can only depend on the sun rays and it would be perfect in a sunny city like Jeddah. Also many ballrooms in Jeddah install professional lighting for events; having great lights and a great angle will serve the photo more than you can imagine,” she added.

Perfect photography needs flawless makeup and a great makeup artist to avoid retouching the photos. “Makeup artists should always bear in mind that they should use colors that match the bride and fewer shiny colors to avoid reflection,” said Bajabaa. “I don’t usually do a lot of photoshop unless it’s needed, such as, to cleanup blemishes and other flaws in the bride but I don’t like to abuse the photos with heavy photoshop and other tools,” she said.

Bajabaa’s work started by word of mouth. Even though she started working as a professional photographer in 2008, she never advertised for herself or promoted herself in the media. “Google once said we never market ourself, it was always word of mouth publicity for them, and this was my motto, I believe that only good work is promoted by word of mouth, people talk about your work if they really like it,” she said. “I am so happy every time I receive a phone call from a potential client who tells me someone else recommended me. At that point I know my quality and my work was good and that is what made me what I am today,” she added.

— [email protected]