In this insightful interview, photographer duo Svenja Petersen and Juan-Pablo Mora Ruiz share their unique journey, both as creatives and as a couple. From Svenja's multicultural upbringing in the Netherlands, influenced by her Indonesian roots, to Pablo's challenging yet creatively enriching childhood in Chile, their diverse backgrounds have shaped their perspectives on life and photography. Together, they have built a thriving wedding photography brand, blending their distinct styles and talents. As they contemplate their next move from Innsbruck to a larger city like Milan, they reflect on the challenges and rewards of working together, their passion for storytelling, and their shared aspirations for the future. Their story is one of love, creativity, and the pursuit of dreams.
J: For those who don’t know, can you give us an introduction about yourself and your brand?
S+P: Our names are Juan-Pablo Mora Ruiz & Svenja Petersen and since the day we met, we’ve been building our dreams. Which started only a couple months ago ;)
J: Svenja, can you tell us about your upbringing in the Netherlands and how your multicultural background has influenced your perspective on life and photography?
S: I have Indonesian roots, so growing up as a kid wasn’t difficult for me as there are many different cultures in The Netherlands. I was fortunate and had a good upbringing. Most people have always responded in a nice way to my more “exotic look”. And who doesn’t enjoy a good tan ;)
What shaped my photography perspective a lot was the fact that so many people around me got divorced while growing up, making me not believe in the whole concept of Marriage that much. Years later, the 200+ couples that I have documented, have proven me wrong. I’m glad I got to witness their stories and that’s still something I enjoy a lot. We all keep learning about love and it’s one of the driving forces why I do, what I do.
J: Pablo, what was your childhood like in Chile, and how did it shape your creative journey?
P: My childhood was challenging. As I come from a family with humble roots, we started from the bottom and made our way in life with hard work and effort. About my creative process, I would say that it’s been shaped by all my third world country experiences through life.
J: What inspired you to move to Innsbruck in 2018, Svenja, and how did that decision impact your career and personal life?
S: For my photography studies I needed to do an internship and I was supported by my School to go abroad. So I found IBK by accident via Google Maps scrolling a little bit. It was a great time skiing, working and enjoying my first time living on my own. After that I moved back but living in The Netherlands never felt the same for me anymore, so I decided to move to IBK for good and continued building my Wedding Photography business here. Since I work around Europe my home-base never really mattered and it still doesn’t. Almost everything goes via IG nowadays and we travel happily to wherever work brings us.
Now, our dreams are leading us to a new city, possibly Milan. So the journey continues :)
J: Pablo, what were your initial impressions of Innsbruck, and how did you adapt to life there?
P: The culture shock here was and still is heavy. The language is a pain in the ass, people are hard to read and Austrian humor left the conversation a while ago haha just to say a couple things. But beside that I met my lovely girlfriend Svenja and I made some good friends that I skate with all the time.
J: Svenja, how did you get started in wedding photography, and what do you find most rewarding about capturing couples' special moments?
S: It was me during my studies that said “I’ll never become a wedding photographer”. I guess the joke’s on me!
For some time I was assisting in the Fashion photography Industry in Amsterdam but I always felt that something was missing. I then met a wedding photographer and he agreed to me joining him for a Wedding season. This is where I started documenting my first Weddings in a more editorial/documentary style. I instantly fell in love with the bride’s touch, the genuine moments between lovers, the candid, the locations and of course the guests who always look stunning! It’s mostly “good vibes only” and a big playground for any creative’s eye.
Some couples allow me to be more in my “directors role”, and sometimes I document simply what happens right in front of me. There's not one standard formula for the real good pics, every story is different. And so, every approach is as well. Yet in every story I will focus on how it felt :)
The responds I get from my couples, are heartwarming. But one of the most rewarding parts is being able to not only give the couples their galleries, but also their family & friends. It is quite the honor to be invited to such intimate events, where at the same time, a big responsibility walking around framing the moments they never get to re-live again other then through our photographs. Doing this for them with their complete trust, is still something I gasp over.
J: Pablo, what role do you play in your collaborative work with Svenja, and how do you combine your skills to create a cohesive brand?
P: I’m the funny one, hahaha! She usually directs the models etc, and I shoot around her. That works well for the both of us.
J: How did you two meet, and what led you to start working together professionally?
S+P: Shocker, Tinder!
The morning after the night we matched, we straight away met for coffee. That quickly turned into sharing a few drinks and spending a 12 hour first date together. In fact, we got the whole thing documented on an old dvd recorder. Also film prints that now hang in our kitchen. We just fell madly in love and trusted our intuition almost blindly, that this was going to be it. It’s true when people say; “When you know, you know!”.
You can imagine that our shared passion for photo & film naturally led us to working together, on some of my weddings and other shoots. Which has been the spark for much more!
J: What are some challenges and benefits of working as a couple in the wedding photography and film industry?
S+P: So far there are no complaints ;-)
J: Svenja, can you describe your creative process when working with couples to bring their wedding visions to life?
S: I would never decide anything for my couples, it’s their Wedding. But if they want, I’ll help steering their ideas into real possibilities, connecting them to the right vendors. My 10 year of knowledge and network of connections is theirs, period :)
The most beautiful weddings aren’t necessarily those that are perfect, but those that are all the more personal and authentic. It shouldn‘t be a Pinterest competition who hosts the best one. It should be a day where you celebrate the love of your life, your family & your friends. It‘s about the candid, the raw & emotional moments you share together. I always tell my couples that they should celebrate the wedding that shows who they are, what their love is about and why they are getting married.
However, aesthetics matter to everyone nowadays. So it does help celebrating your day on a location that allows artistic photos ;-)
J: Pablo, how do you contribute to the creative process, and what unique elements do you bring to your joint projects?
P: I contribute with different kinda angles, for example when she shoots the front, I shoot the back perspective. I like creative, detailed and unusual frames. I follow and trust my gut feeling all the time, and it works well.
J: Svenja, you have a wide range of interests, from interior design to 70's punk/rock music. How do these passions influence your work and personal life?
S: I love interesting locations with great architecture, nostalgia and beautiful light. But I enjoy shooting in messy/busy city streets as well. There’s beauty anywhere. It’s just how you look at the world I guess :)
For me, most of my inspiration comes from a certain vibe I want to create. And music plays a part in that. A certain genre in Music either fits, or it really doesn’t and you would know and feel it.
But I always try to find fitting music to my concepts. It’s a great tool to set the tone for your models and team as well. Sometimes they can better relate to the feeling you’re trying to put out.
J: Pablo, what are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work, and how do they inspire you creatively?
P: My main hobby & passion is skateboarding. Since I was a little kid I got most of my creativity from there. Not all, but it has influenced a big part.
J: Can you both describe a typical day in your life in Innsbruck? How do you balance work, hobbies, and time together?
S+P: We enjoy our life with home cooked food, some red wine and usually a good Movie. It’s simple yet for us a perfect night! We enjoy & focus on the little things equally as much as our work :)
Balancing it all can of course be challenging, definitely when it’s your passion. So we often find ourselves working in the night, traveling around for long wedding weekends and making sure they get the previews the night after their celebration. So they can share it with their family & friends. In the end we believe that hard work, pays off! And we love it.
J: What do you both love most about living in Innsbruck, and how does the city's atmosphere influence your work?
S+P: We both have lived here for over 5 years now and respectfully .. it’s time to move on. We both long for a big city with more opportunities. Innsbruck has given us beautiful and fun years mostly enjoying the mountains! We had good times here but are also very excited and ready for what’s coming next!
J: What are some future goals and aspirations you have for your professional careers, both individually and as a team?
S+P: The main goal now is figuring out our new home base. How we will curate and build our photo business dreams, will come next. Our daily brainstorming sessions has been a wonderful process already.
We both continuously work on our growth so we can keep being the best partner for each other.
J: Are there any specific projects or dreams you hope to pursue together in the coming years?
S+P: Beside Weddings, we want to collaborate with cool fashion brands and make more space for Passion Projects. Nothing specific yet, but our collaboration with you guys have been one of them already!
J: Svenja, what advice would you give to aspiring wedding photographers looking to make a mark in the industry?
S: I would love to but instead I would highly recommend joining our Wedding photography Workshop in Italy this year. One that I am hosting together with my best friend @meavotastudio who’s an incredible Artist herself. The workshop is called @thehausofscorpio and it is all about “Mastering the Art of Authenticity within Wedding Photography”.
J: Pablo, what insights can you share about maintaining a successful creative partnership, especially when working closely with a loved one?
P: Basically respecting each others work and being able to speak openly about our thoughts, always.
J: Looking back on your journey so far, what moments or achievements are you most proud of?
S+P: That’s a simple one. For trusting each other so deeply and jumped when we did :) Also of course, the work we create together or when one of Pablo’s photographs is my favourite one of the full photoshoot.
J: How do you see your relationship evolving both personally and professionally in the future?
S+P: Magically, hahah! We trust in that it will grow and happen naturally :) Both personal and professionally.
We shall see and hopefully are able to say soon; “Ciao! Arrivederci!”
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Credits: All images by Svenja and Pablo.
You can find more about Svenja and Pablo by clicking here .