Jeff Newsom: Best Wedding Photographers 2012

Jeff Newsom San Luis Obispo, CA jeffnewsom.com

A lot of wedding photographers break in by shooting their friends’ weddings; not San Luis Obispo, California–based Jeff Newsom. “Every single one of them said no,” says Newsom, who finally got his first gig when a couple he didn’t know hired him for dirt cheap. Once he got his start, the ever-changing dynamic of the event drew him in: “I love figuring things out and solving problems. Shooting weddings is all about unexpected situations, difficult lighting, the post-ceremony rush. I do my best work when I’m against the wall and have to figure my way out of it.”

Despite his embrace of chaos, Newsom lays the groundwork for the wedding day methodically. He does engagement sessions and tries to get to know every couple. “It always makes the wedding photos better,” he says. “I kind of get an inside pass to the day.” It also lets him put the couple at ease. “If they’re having a good time, that makes it easy to shoot photos.” It helps that Newsom has genuine affection for his clients. “I just really love people, and I think if you see the good in somebody, you’ll capture that,” he says. “I have some unconventional-looking clients, but when I take their photos, I see beautiful people.”

See the rest of our Best Wedding Photographers of 2012 list here.