Victor Zerga | Photographer

Meet the award-winning photographer who has been creating a buzz; especially in the Eritrean/Ethiopian and Indian communities! His name is Victor Zerga- a Seattle native who hails from Ukraine. His eye for beauty is impeccable and he never fails to capture all of the endearing moments for the bride and groom to cherish for a lifetime! Let’s meet the artist-

Her Big Day: Victor, how long have you been in the business of photography?

Victor Zerga: I’ve been shooting weddings since 2005 and been doing it full time since 2007.

HBD: What is your most favorite part about capturing a wedding?

VZ: There’s a long list of things about being a wedding photographer that excite me and keep me passionate about what I do. But if I were to pick just one, it’d have to be the diversity and spontaneity of every wedding we shoot. It’s the thrill of seeking out a stunning, timeless image among all the rapidly-moving events of the day. It’s smiling behind the camera knowing you just captured something epic. It’s heading back to the studio, pulling up the images from that day and being overcome with authentic joy and excitement over what I am about to turn over to my clients.

HBD: Wow, that does sound pretty exciting! We can’t get enough of your work, and your passion for capturing those moments really shows! What would you say is the biggest challenge about being a wedding photographer?

VZ: The most challenging thing is to help the newlyweds open up, relax, feel their emotions. If the photographer is a real professional – he can, through his experience, help the couple open up, so that sincere and vivid emotions will be reflected in the photographs, reflecting the day.

HBD: Over the last few years, you have worked with a number of Eritrean/Ethiopian and Indian couples. What would you say is most challenging about capturing these weddings, as they are known for their large guest lists, non-stop dancing and multiple day weddings?

VZ: To be honest with you, those were some of my favorite weddings I’ve ever shot! I like when there’s a lot of action, emotions and fun. All of the people involved in the wedding are very nice and friendly. The only challenge when shooting a wedding of that size is having enough time. Because family photos take so long sometimes I don’t have enough time for bride and groom and the bridal party photos.

HBD: Which was exactly what happened during my (Co-founder, Beri) wedding. But you improvised and we ended up taking amazing pictures back at the mansion!

HBD: I saw on your blog that you traveled to Ethiopia to shoot a wedding. The pictures you captured were breathtaking! What was that experience like?

VZ: I’ve shot weddings in many different countries but my trip to Addis I’ll never forget. It was challenging enough to shoot a huge Ethiopian wedding without assistance or all the equipment I normally bring with me, but it also was my very first Ethiopian wedding so I was a little nervous to say the least J I brought a lot of great memories with me and the bride and groom were happy with their photos which is the most important to me. I hope to shoot another wedding there again in the future!

HBD: That's awesome! Besides your camera and great energy, what else do you bring with you to a wedding shoot? Do you usually have a crew that works with you or do you man the entire wedding on your own?

VZ: I always have a ton of equipment with me when I come to a wedding - backup cameras, lighting, modifiers, etc. I have to be ready for anything and everything. Most of the time (always when I shoot Eritrean/Ethiopian and Indian weddings!) I bring another photographer or assistant with me.

HBD: Yes; we absolutely loved having Ron Espina as our second shooter! He was great!

HBD: What kind of advice would you give the future bride who has already selected a photographer for the big day? Anything she should plan out ahead of time?

VZ: Be yourselves and trust your photographer to do his/ her job. Some couples feel very uncomfortable in front of the camera and it is one of the challenges for a photographer to make them feel relaxed. So just forget you’re being photographed, have fun with your friends and family and your photos will look great!

HBD: Well, as my wedding photographer, I can personally say that you did a phenomenal job capturing our 1500+ guest wedding. What would you say was most challenging about our wedding :-) VZ: You had a beautiful wedding and I don’t remember anything challenging. You guys were a joy to work with and we had a lot of fun! Ok maybe another 30min for photos would have been great since your families were so huge and took a lot of time to photograph.

HBD: Lol! What's your favorite thing about weddings in general?

VZ: It is definitely being a part of someone’s special day, and seeing smiles on their faces and how emotional they get when they see their photo album for the first time.

Thank you, Victor, for sharing your amazing art with us! We hope to see your great work for many years to come!

(Originally published on November ‎30, ‎2015)