5 minutes with — Redijus Anikanovas

Redijus Anikanovas is a wedding photographer from the town of Kupiškis, in the northeastern part of Lithuania. We had his attention for a few minutes to share a bit more about himself and how he approaches work. He’s been the event photographer for the Way Up North event the past few times, so you might have run in to him!

WUN: So, for those who don’t know you, who is Redijus Anikanovas?

Redijus: I started photography six years ago as a hobby. I was actually in the transport business earlier, responsible for the Scandinavian department in a big company transporting goods between Europe and Scandinavia.

I felt that I needed to get away from all thoughts of business so I was looking for a hobby. My wife told me one day that “maybe you should try photography?”.

I started taking photos of cats, dogs, flowers and so on. Later, being invited to one of our friends’ wedding, I snapped some photos of guests and the couple from a guest perspective. When I saw the photos the hired photographer had taken and compared them to my own, I thought to myself “maybe I should try wedding photography as well?”

WUN: You thought it looked pretty good then?

Redijus: Well, I didn’t think it looked bad anyway. I needed to practice a bit more. But it seemed quite OK.

Two years later I quit my eight-hour day job and started shooting weddings for a living instead.

 

WUN: So you shoot mainly weddings or do you do other things too?

Redijus: I shoot mainly weddings but sometimes in low season, in winter, I do some editorials,  or some friends ask me to shoot some product photography and so on.

WUN: So what is it about wedding photography that fascinates you?

Redijus: I enjoy being in a great celebration because every weekend, you have a great party going on.

WUN: Aha, so that’s why. You just like to party?

Redijus: Haha. No, actually, I’m not a party man. But I like people when they are smiling, when they are happy. But also when they’re in a bad mood too. I mean, a wedding can be stressful for people. And I like it when there are a lot of emotions, good or bad. I enjoy documenting these days, when you can walk around unnoticed and get those authentic shots when people are not posing.

WUN: Yeah, it feels more spontaneous and real.

Redijus: Yeah, exactly.

WUN: So do you like portraits and the formal family stuff too or…?

Redijus: Yeah. I do them. I do family portraits and photos with their friends. But it’s more for them, just to remember, because some couples even say they don’t need that kind of photos. Most of the time we just get the stuff when people are talking, or drinking or just being themselves. I enjoy it more when not directing them.

Of course, during the portraits, I will direct them, talk to them to get them to relax a bit. And those times when I have shot the preparations, then it is much easier for them to get to know me and for them to relax.

I tell all my couples this, that you need to choose a photographer with whom you would be willing to go up a mountain with. Because doing that is tough, and you need to trust your photographer. I noticed that if there is a trust between me and the couple, then it’s much easier to get the best results from the day. Because sometimes we end up in locations that are not very fancy, and I have ideas how to get something good out of it. But in order to get there, they need to relax and trust me.

WUN: We tend to spend a lot of time with the couple during a wedding day. So if you don’t get along, it’s going to be quite annoying to be around each other.

Redijus: Yeah, that’s true. As a wedding photographer, I will often be there during the entire day. I will spend a lot of time with them as a couple, and if we, for some reason do not get along, they will have to find a different photographer. Otherwise, they won’t be satisfied and they won’t like the photos they’re getting and then I’m not happy about it.

WUN: Of course!

So, thank you Redijus for taking the time to talk to me!

You can find out more about Redijus online here: Website | Instagram

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