Think of a photographer or videographer and chances are they cast a single shadow, working in isolation, but offering the freedom to be creative. For Beatrice de Guigne and Jeremie Pennequin the idea of working to a set of conventions is the opposite of the creativity and freedom they need for their images.
Instead, Beatrice, the photographer, and Jeremie, the videographer, work together, as a creative tour de force, known as The Quirky.
What makes us different? I don’t know”, says Beatrice. “Maybe because we are a couple and that is unusual. Like our name says, we are quirky - that is why we use that word. Most photographers use their own name - we don’t want to be like that in business as that is not how we are in everyday life.
It is the same for Jeremie, “We love to work with people who are like us, who don’t like convention or to listen to their parents. That is why we photograph a number of couples who elope – just the bride and the groom who leave and get married. We love those couples.”
The Quirky started working together 4 years ago. Already a couple, Beatrice had been a photographer for around 10 years, but Jeremie left his career as an interior architect and pursued his dream of being a videographer.
Going along with them are a number of Sony cameras and lenses. Jeremie uses a pair of Sony α7S II cameras, as well as the α7 III.
I started with the α7S II because of its low light capabilities and in-camera stabilisation which means I can shoot at ISO 100,000,” he explains. “I generally use the α7 III now as my main camera, but I use the α7S II for church ceremonies, and the evening party when I need to shoot in low light.
Beatrice relies on two Sony α9 cameras, having recently switched from a professional level DSLR.
Whilst initially finding the EVF strange to work with, Beatrice now sees it and many other features of the α9 as an advantage, “There are four main reasons that I love the Sony α9 – the zero-blackout electronic viewfinder, the silent shutter, the amazing auto focus and the fact you see the exposure through the viewfinder.”
Beatrice goes on to explain that, “when all of these features combine, you know that you will have more useable images. I can also push the sensitivity and know that the images I shoot at high sensitivities are still going to look great.”
With a unique style and outlook on weddings, the pair have quickly established themselves in wedding photography and video in their base of Bordeaux in south west France. However, it isn’t the locals that they photograph the most, in fact they love photographing the British, American and Australians that travel to the region to get married.
90% of our clients are not French. In France we are really bad at the wedding speeches”, laughs Jeremie. “I much prefer English language speeches during the dinner. American and English people are more expressive with their feelings.
Thanks to social media, The Quirky now also have the opportunity to travel the world. “This year we have shot in Morocco, USA, Australia, Italy, Iceland and Spain – 15 weddings were abroad. Thanks to Facebook and Instagram we were in Hawaii 10 days ago!”
In terms of lenses they use to take in these varied locations, the two both use 35mm focal length lenses, which helps to merge their photos and video in to one seamless end project.
Jeremie uses a lens from Sony’s partner, Zeiss, the Loxia 35mm f/2 lens, whereas Beatrice uses the Sony Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 T* lens. With the scene set with the 35mm focal length, Beatrice can then switch to her trusty Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM lens to capture candid portraits of the bride, groom and all of their guests.
In the end, The Quirky are all about capturing a special day in a style that mirrors the character of the bride and groom.
Beatrice sums it up nicely: “We hope that our photography will be different – we try to make everything different. Not every wedding will have the same shot. Every couple will be different. We try and make our creativity grow again and again and again, even after so many years.”
"Let's go on an adventure and forget our limits"
"My camera is my pen, my movies their novel"
