My name is Maciej Suwalowski, but everyone calls me Magic; this is how my name ‘Magic Wedding Photographer’ came about. I’m a destination wedding photographer, Sony ambassador and I have been shooting weddings for the past 9 years. I love photographing these because they’re full of happiness and there’s something special about creating memories that will be cherished for generations.

What were your first impressions of the Alpha 7 IV?

My first impression was totally, wow – that’s exactly the camera I wanted. A new Sony Alpha with that sweet spot 33 megapixel resolution – perfect for the work I do and it has Real Time Tracking autofocus; a true game changer for every wedding photographer. And on top of that, I really enjoyed the new shooting experience with the improved EVF and fully articulating screen. Those features would be probably enough for me, but then when I started to shoot in 10fps continuous mode and saw the huge improvements in the buffer clearance speed – that was above my expectations! That is something that I personally find very useful in my workflow. With the Alpha 7 IV I was able to take a series of photos, one after another, without waiting for the camera to keep up.

How will these new features impact the type of photography that you do?

All these new features and improvements will make a wedding photographer’s life much easier. We don’t need to focus so much on the technical aspect of photography anymore with the type of technology inside the Alpha 7 IV. For example, the camera has Real Time Tracking autofocus and it is so reliable that we can just shift our attention to what’s happening in front of the lens, knowing that camera will hold its focus on the faces and eyes of our subjects. Having a higher resolution and faster electronic viewfinder is crucial in my workflow. I don’t have to control and check the exposure after each shot and the experience is smoother. The last improvement I like is the new fully articulating LCD – you can shoot from various positions and check your framing a lot easier than before. During a wedding, what happens, happens just once – so there’s nothing worse for a wedding photographer to not trust their equipment. The Alpha 7 IV technology definitely makes it a trustworthy tool.

The Alpha 7 IV aims to redefine what photography enthusiasts and video content creators should expect – Do you think it achieves this goal?

I truly think that the Alpha 7 IV is the most perfect all-round camera that content creators and photography enthusiast could wish for. Just think about all the features and overall shooting experience it gives you; a full frame sensor with 33 megapixels that gives you outstanding image quality, good ISO range for low light performance, incredible autofocus, dual card slots including one compatible with super fast CF-A memory cards, a fully articulating screen, a better viewfinder and good battery life … the list just goes on and on. And then you add the video features – 4K 60P 10-bit recording, it’s crazy how fully equipped the Alpha 7 IV is. With all the technology brought from the Sony Alpha professional models and its accessibility, the Alpha 7 IV is a very powerful tool that I believe will help photographers and content creators to focus on their creativity.

Lenses & accessories are another core component of creating images – Which Sony lenses and accessories did you use for your initial test and why?

I like working really close with my couples to feel their connection and I use a shallow depth of field to create the feeling of intimacy between them. That is why for most of my work I choose prime lenses. My favourite and the most used lenses are the FE 24mm f/1.4 GM, FE 35mm f/1.4 GM and FE 50mm f/1.2 GM. Those are the three I used for this wedding shoot in Madeira. These lenses have outstanding image quality, beautiful bokeh and are really compact, which is also key for my work. All the new G Master lenses are equipped with really fast autofocus motors that separate them from other options available. Combining them with the Alpha 7 IV’s Real Time Tracking autofocus system allowed me to capture really dynamic situations at a very shallow depth of field. On top of that – the Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM is a bit more wideangle which helped me to embrace the beauty of the location in my shots.

What advice would you give aspiring photographers or content creators who look up to you and your work?

I’d say enjoy doing what you do and believe in the power of wedding photography. I think that often we find ourselves in the trap of thinking that our photos are not good enough when we compare ourselves to other photographers. But the power of our photography is often beyond what we could ever imagine. The moments we capture will become important memories that will stay with families all their life. I cannot even count how many times I wish I could see what it was like to have a wedding 80 years ago when my grandparents were getting married. These days technology allows us to create those memories, and as wedding photographers, it’s our mission to do so. If you think about our work this way, it’ll just make it more meaningful and powerful.

Any last words or advice for our readers?

First of all – thanks so much Sony for creating awesome tools that make my work easier. To the readers – use technology to your advantage, have fun shooting and creating and share your work with pride with the world. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @magicweddingphotographer. I’m always happy to answer and I enjoy talking about weddings and gear!