A Chit Chat with Arabia Weddings: Dia Saleh
Dia Saleh is one of the top photographers in the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in the world of commercial and fashion photography, Dia Saleh’s wedding photography is refreshing, spontaneous and emotional.
We had a chance to meet with Dia Saleh and ask him a few questions about his passion for photography.
- What made you get into wedding photography?
I never planned on doing weddings, but people who saw my work in fashion started asking me to photograph their weddings because they liked my work.But I always refused since it was not my niche.
Yet people kept asking me to do their wedding photography because they wanted something different and out of the box, and they thought my style could add something to their wedding pictures. So I started working through a wedding planner who is also a very good friend of mine, and this is how it all began.
- What is your favorite moment to capture in a wedding?
I love capturing the romance of the couple, I give the couple my complete attention in their private photo shoot before the wedding, when they can show their feelings, and I can have control over the photo shoot before the wedding starts.
I also love to capture pictures of the mother of the bride or the father of the bride, as they show a lot of emotions during the wedding, especially the mother who usually has tears of joy in her eyes, which I like to capture as well.
- Why is it important for a couple to have a professional and detail-oriented photographer?
Because the pictures are all that remains after the wedding, the moment will be memorized in pictures. If you plan an entire wedding and not have any beautiful pictures of the big day it can be forgotten. So it is important to have someone there to capture the details.
- What is the best advice you can give to couples regarding their wedding photography?
Preparation and planning! Many couples in the Middle East don’t prepare well for their photography session before the wedding, the photographer needs at least 1 hour alone with the couple to capture every romantic moment, and this is usually overlooked.
The bride and groom should also prepare for what they want, they can share their ideas and inspiration with me, and I usually ask the bride if she has anything in mind or a style that she prefers.
I also share some ideas with the couple, as many couples don’t know what works or what doesn’t, so here is where I come in and put them on the right track.
And now a team of talented photographers and artists work under the umbrella of Dia Saleh Photography incorporating the same fresh and modern style that many young couples are after.
- How do you reflect a couples' personality through your lens?
By making them comfortable. Whether it’s a wedding, fashion shoot or event, a photographer’s personality is very important. A good photographer should be a people person and have good communication skills so that whomever they are photographing can trust and feel comfortable around them.
