Top 2 Fearless Photographers in the World
Top 2 Fearless Photographers in the world? What does that even mean?
Well, first of all, compared to everything else in life that is so much more important, it means absolutely nothing. But that’s not to say we’re not celebrating the recognition! We pour so much of our hearts and souls into creating meaningful art for our couples. It’s consequential to have that struggle recognized globally by one of the most prominent authorities in the industry. When Fearless Photographers announced this news, they ran a beautifully authentic interview with Lanny that casts honest light onto our journey into and through the wild world of wedding photography. You can read that interview here.
What/who the heck is Fearless?
“Fearless Photographers is a worldwide directory of more than 3,000 of the world’s best and boldest wedding photographers for couples who truly love photography.”
Fearless Photographers is held in very high regard because the focus is on exceptional photography, period. Rather than listing their photographers alphabetically or by how much they are willing to pay for a listing, they use a ranking method to promote photographers based on the consistency and excellence of their craft. The photographers who have earned the most awards are featured at the top of the lists. This makes it easy for couples who prioritize photography on their wedding day to find the top wedding photographers in their area, or who are available to travel to their destination. Simply put, Fearless Photographers helps connect us with couples around the world who truly love photography.
So what’s a Fearless Award, anyway?
“Fearless Awards are stunning photos that excel in redefining wedding photography or are just too amazing!”
You might say, the Fearless Awards are to wedding photography, what the Oscars are to Hollywood.
Every 2 months, photographers from 90 countries compete for one of the most highly-regarded and coveted awards in the industry. Each contest spawns 13,000 submissions, of which less than 2% are selected as “Fearless Awards” by a revolving panel of internationally respected curators. The competition is ferocious and inspiring. The total of a photographer’s awards in the most recent 12 competitions – spanning 2 years – is used to determine their ranking.
Top Two in the World
With no shortage of extraordinary imagery being produced by so many talented photographers from all over the world, we are incredibly humbled, honoured, and proud to have received each and every one of our 33 Fearless Awards in 2014. We still can’t believe we achieved the top 2 places overall on both the “Top 10″ and “Top 50 Fearless Photographers of 2014″ lists. Some of the most inspiring photographers in the world share a place on those lists with us.
But more importantly…
The best thing about Fearless Photographers is the international community of over 3,000 talented, passionate, dedicated, photographers that it has connected. We are just so proud to be a part of it. We’re also proud to be leading the way by embracing the opportunity to donate, through Fearless Photographers, to social and environmental causes that we care about.
We’ve included the 33 Fearless Awards that we earned in 2014 along with a few little behind-the-scene stories. Congratulations to all of these incredible couples who trusted us to be “fearless” at their weddings.
The above Fearless Award was taken by Erika during Lauren and Rob’s rainy ceremony on the misty shores of Two Jack Lake in Banff National Park. We got absolutely soaked during this ceremony and loved every minute of it. Instead of the traditional “walk down the aisle,” Lauren’s Dad canoed her across Two Jack Lake. It was a truly breathtaking moment when the sun shone for about 15 seconds, right after Lauren and Rob exchanged their vows, as if mother nature was giving her blessing. It’s a moment in time we’ll never forget. Click here to see more photos from this beautifully unique ceremony and their rawkus reception at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
The above photo by Erika is one of 3 Fearless Awards from Judy and Kyle’s destination wedding at Punto de Vista in Costa Rica, designed by the talented Weddings Costa Rica. This beautiful moment was captured while Kyle shared his touching vows with Judy atop the rooftop terrace. 8 hours later, we found ourselves photographing the craziest wet ‘n wild rock star party ever!
The above Fearless Award was taken by Lanny during Danielle and Jamie’s engagement shoot in Calgary, AB. This surrealistic “Family of Man” sculpture features nine attenuated, stainless steel male and female figures of various ages. They’re all naked, stand about 7 meters tall, and have absolutely nothing to do with Danielle and Jamie. 🙂 The statues just happen to be near Calgary’s Olympic Plaza, where we took most of their photos (Danielle and Jamie are Olympic speed skaters). Their wedding at Botegga in Kelowna, BC was a party of Olympic proportions that gave us two Fearless Awards.
The above Fearless Award was taken by Lanny at Donna and Roger’s wedding at The Oasis Centre in Edmonton, AB. Actually, it was taken that morning at the barber shop, where Roger treated himself to a hot towel shave before serenading Donna down the aisle with Adam Sandler’s I Wanna Grow Old With You. Their wedding also had a first bounce (in a bouncy castle) and a crazy awesome fireworks display.
The above photo by Lanny is one of 3 Fearless Awards from Justine and Lee’s wedding on the summit of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC. This was “the moment of truth” when Justine’s dad handed his little girl over to Lee for their ceremony. The hands and eyes say so much in this photo. Thank you to Petite Pearl Events for planning such a spectacular wedding! You can see more from this wedding here.
The above photo by Lanny is another one of 3 Fearless Awards from Justine and Lee’s wedding on the summit of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC. This “weddingscape” portrait was taken from a moving gondola. Thank you to the lifty for keeping the ride open just a few minutes longer for us! This wedding culminated in the wildest and craziest party we’ve ever photographed, fuelled by the sickest mashup band we’ve ever seen!
The above photo by Lanny is one of 3 Fearless Awards from Sarah and Chris’ wedding at Island Lake Lodge, near Fernie, BC. This is a single exposure shot through a glass window while Chris and his groomsmen got ready in the morning. The scenery at Island Lake Lodge is out of this world. And the Cat Skiing in the winter is just epic!
The above photo by Erika is one of 3 Fearless Awards from a wedding at Island Lake Lodge, near Fearie, BC. If only we had a Fearless Award for every time we’ve had a bride ask us to take “this photo” of her.
The above Fearless Award was taken by Lanny right after Laine and John’s intimate and emotional ceremony on the shores of Island Lake, near Fernie, BC. Lanny’s viewfinder was literally drenched in tears when he took this shot. Laine had incorporated John’s two little girls into her vows. They were some of the most touching words we have ever heard! After that, though, things got a little weird. Free love. Free spirits. Drum circles. Didgeridoos. Crazy costumes. Neon hula hoop dancing. Naked fire spinning! You gotta check this wedding out!
The above photo by Lanny was the first of 4 Fearless Awards made at Jen and Gavin’s wedding in Lake Louise, AB. Their ceremony took place on the wooded shores of Herbert Lake in Banff National Park. Here, Jen is having a last-minute touch-up done in the back of her dad’s awesome 1970s motor home. Their wedding was originally scheduled for June 21st, 2014. When the “Flood of the Century” hit on June 19th, washing away the Trans Canada Highway (the only way into Lake Louise from Calgary), with many of their friends and family from Ireland already in Calgary, Jen & Gavin, who’s dream was to get married in the mountains they love so dearly, were forced to cancel and reschedule their wedding. Thankfully, Deer Lodge and all the awesome vendors were able to coordinate together on an alternate date 3 months later. And it was awesome!
The above photo by Lanny was the 2nd of 4 Fearless Awards made at Jen and Gavin’s wedding in Lake Louise, AB. A portrait session at Moraine Lake would not be complete without curious tourists sharing in the fun.
The above photo by Erika was the 3rd of 4 Fearless Awards made at Jen and Gavin’s wedding in Lake Louise, AB. This was also voted one of the 50 Best Destination Wedding Photos by Junebug Weddings.
This was the 4th Fearless Award made at Jen and Gavin’s wedding in Lake Louise, AB. It also won “1st Place, First Dance” honours with the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers and was featured on Bored Panda.
The above Fearless Award by Erika was taken at Alana and Shawn’s destination wedding in Exuma Bay, Bahamas. It also won “1st Place, Bride and Groom Portrait” honours with the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers and was featured on Buzzfeed and in the New York Post.
The above photo by Erika was one of 4 Fearless Awards from Tara and Kevin’s destination wedding in St. Lucia. Just the thought of Kevin and Tara’s St. Lucia wedding instantly puts a smile upon our faces. There were so many points during their day where we found ourselves hiding behind our lenses in uncontrollable fits of laughter. From the sunset ceremony on the beach to the heartfelt vows, to the beautiful orchid placed on a front-row seat to represent Tara’s mother. From kite surfing in the morning to crowd surfing at night… in the pool… in her wedding dress! From the first dance in the rain to the surprise strip dance in tuxedo speedo G-strings (viewer discretion is advised). The day was a roller coaster of emotions, filled with so many unforgettable memories. These two love birds and their friends epitomize the word fun and make wedding photojournalism an absolutely kick-ass job. This night was probably the most fun we have ever had with our cameras!
The above photo by Erika is another one of 4 Fearless Awards from Tara and Kevin’s destination wedding in St. Lucia. Kevin and his groomsmen surprised everyone by stripping down to “tuxedo speedo G-strings” and dancing around Tara. It was absolutely hilarious! Click here if you dare; viewer discretion is advised.
The above photo by Lanny is another one of 4 Fearless Awards from Tara and Kevin’s destination wedding in St. Lucia. Full story here.
The above photo by Erika was one of 4 Fearless Awards from Tara and Kevin’s destination wedding in St. Lucia. This image was captured the day after their wedding at Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort. Tara was dying to go out into the ocean in her wedding dress. This is Kevin fulfilling that dream for her.
The above photo by Erika is one of 2 Fearless Awards made at Tina and Jason’s destination wedding at Punta de Vista in Costa Rica. Their celebratory weekend started with a luxurious Catamaran tour aboard The Ocean King and ended with a party that lasted well into the next morning. The climax of the weekend was watching their beautiful son Jayden in the front row during their evening rooftop ceremony. He wore a beaming smile the entire time. He was so proud of his parents and even came up for a little mid-ceremony cuddle from mom and dad. It was a huge treat for us to travel back to Punto de Vista (one of our favourite places in the world) and work with such an amazing dream team of wedding professionals. Randy, from Weddings Costa Rica, turned an already amazing venue into a visual spectacle. And Jonathan Yonkers is one of the coolest, hardest working, most passionate videographers we’ve ever met.
The above photo by Lanny is one of 2 Fearless Awards made at Tina and Jason’s destination wedding at Punta de Vista in Costa Rica. This is what happens when the Lowel GL-1 Hot Light meets Tina and Jason’s unbridled passion for each other.
The above Fearless Award by Lanny was taken at Tina and Dean’s wedding at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, AB. Designed by Lynn Fletcher Weddings, this one has to be seen to be believed. Full story and photos here.
The above Fearless Award by Lanny was taken during Diana and Jason’s engagement shoot in Canmore, AB. Everything in this photograph is real. The rainbow. The rain (backlit by a speedlite) And Diana and Jason’s exuberance! Their Calgary wedding was a beautiful cultural celebration that gave us two Fearless Awards.
The above Fearless Award by Lanny was taken at Erin and Greg’s wedding at Silvertip Resort in Canmore, AB. It was shot from outside through glass. This was their final dip at the end of their first dance. Thankfully, they accidentally dipped “the wrong way,” resulting in a much better photo than had they dipped “the right way.” Full wedding here.
The above Fearless Award by Erika was taken at Laura and Aaron’s wedding at the Fairmont Chataeu Lake Louise in Banff National Park.
The above Fearless Award was taken by Lanny at Jamie and Jamshed’s wedding (AKA JamJam 2014) at the Banff Park Lodge in Banff, AB. It was our first Indian wedding and we loved every minute of it.
The above photo by Erika is one of 2 Fearless Awards from Diana and Jason’s wedding in Calgary, AB. This little boy’s reaction to their emotional ceremony was one of the most touching moments of our careers.
The above photo by Lanny is one of 2 Fearless Awards from Diana and Jason’s wedding in Calgary, AB. This one was actually 100% Erika’s vision. If only she was 6 inches taller, she would have been “Fearless Photographer of the Year” instead of Lanny. But alas, Lanny took the shot simply because he was tall enough to do so. No marbles were harmed in the making of this photo (the missing marble from this sculpture had already been removed or fallen out). The large white circle behind Diana and Jason is actually our flashed reflector, being used to occlude a distracting background.
The above photo by Lanny is one of 2 Fearless Awards from Stephanie and Joel’s wedding in Old Quebec City. These cute kids slept like this in the corner of the reception through most of the dance. It was just too adorable.
The above photo by Erika is one of 2 Fearless Awards from Stephanie and Joel’s wedding in Old Quebec City. We had scouted this shot out during beautiful light when a perfect sliver of light highlighted this alleyway. By the time we returned with Stephanie and Joel, however, everything was in shade, so we were forced to make our own light. This was definitely pushing the limits of our speedlite transmitters, but thankfully it fired for this frame. No helicopters or drones were used in the making of this photo.
The above Fearless Award by Erika was taken at Marie and Justin’s wedding at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, AB.
The above Fearless Award by Lanny was taken during Sara and Adam’s engagement session in Canmore, AB. We can’t wait to photograph their wedding!
The above Fearless Award was taken by Erika at Chelsea and Adrian’s wedding at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, AB. Sometimes the light is on your side.
The above Fearless Award was taken by Erika at Dominika and Jon’s wedding in Whitefish, Montana. Dominika’s flower girls were the cutest.
