The world of photography has been present in his life from his childhood, when he enjoyed playing with his grandad’s camera, who was also a photographer. We’re talking about Valentín Paster, a wedding photographer from Germany, who’s passion is telling love stories through his work.
Although he has lived in Germany for most of his life, Valentín was born in Moscow, so he speaks both languages perfectly, as well as English.
You only need to see his works to understand his specialism in capturing emotional moments completely naturally, since his objective is that the couple enjoy the day and appear how they truly are. In this interview we open the doors of his profession, and we recall everything about his history, work, passion and style.
How did you start your career as a photographer?
I had the luck of being born into a very creative family, which was dedicated to music, even if it was only on a personal level. My grandma made crafts out of wood, but my grandad dedicated himself to photography.
I grew up with cameras, lenses, and took part in the development of photos. However really I didn’t understand anything. About 5 years ago I got tired of working in the support area for several electronic products, I bought a camera, said goodbye to my previous work and learned how to take pictures.
What do you like most about photographing an event as special as a wedding?
What is the main difference that you have noted between a German wedding and a foreign wedding?
How would you define your style?
Tell us about a moment in your career which you consider special and why.
You work in a lot of countries, which is why you speak different languages, how do you face this challenge? Have you ever had any difficulty in communicating with a client?
I haven’t had communication problems, as I speak Russian, English and German. Above all, it is very fun when the couple is from different countries and I can speak with each of them in their maternal language. But even sometimes words are superfluous, since what is important is the level of understanding, gestures and emotions. The empathy and the feeling that I get from the couple is how I know what they are looking for.
What is your way of working from when the couple first contacts you until the wedding day arrives? Especially if it is a destination wedding…
The big question, is the photographer born or made?
There is a bit of everything. Each of us has different talents, and we can access them at any time during our lives. When and what talent we will use depends on each person. With photography it is the same. I was lucky that at some point in my life I felt the instinct to take photographs, as well as having the opportunity to follow it.