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My Shooting Style as a Southern California Wedding Photographer
Hi! My name is Mercy! I believe in capturing moments as they happen, not creating them artificially. I want to encourage people to have fun, interact authentically, and love each other. That’s what makes an amazing photograph.
I’m a photojournalistic photographer. While I always have poses I suggest, my main goal is to make people comfortable, because that makes the best photographs. I don’t interrupt loving moments unless it’s an emergency. Although I carry a busload of equipment to every shoot, I try not to influence the vibe you’re creating. As a professional southern California photographer, I believe it’s part of my job to be ready whenever and however things happen. I won’t interrupt, pause, or make you rewind. I’ve done my job if you barely notice me.
My editing style is true to skin with a slight hint of romantic moodiness. But I also try to tailor my editing style towards a particular couple’s vibe/theme. So if people are dark and gritty, my editing will show that. On the flip side, if your entire wedding is pastels and baby’s breath, my editing will be lighter. I also edit more vibrant if, for example, all the bridesmaids are in hot pink. If none of this makes much sense, check out this blog I wrote on editing styles: A Short Guide to Editing Styles.
As far as who I am: I’m super easy-going, in business and in life. People have told me I made the whole day much less stressful. Marriage is so much more than having a perfect wedding day. Life is so much more than how people look at you. When you can realize that and keep that in your head, nothing can stress you out. I love God and I love the people around me. Simple as that.
Mercy Hasselblad is a published, award-winning Los Angeles wedding photographer who shoots weddings, portraits, and epic elopements worldwide.
My lifelong passion is to leave the world better than I found it, to spread God’s love around and help people see beauty under the ugly, in each other and in the world around us.
My Shooting Philosophy | Mercy Hasselblad Los Angeles Photographer
When I was a kid, my mom was a photographer. Every year she took a picture of us. Most years, we had a nice, posed portrait in a beautiful location. But one year, we would NOT cooperate. As you can imagine, getting seven children to look good in one single picture is not an easy feat (I don’t know how my mom EVER did it). My mom decided to step back in the house for a minute.
When she came back, we were all joking and picking on each other. So we were all laughing and having fun. She snapped the picture and it became our Christmas picture. It’s one of my favorite pictures, because I have good memories associated with it. It has a story and shows a slice of our daily life.
This memory has shaped the way I take pictures. I love to make you all happy and stay out of the way as much as possible. I’ll give you tips and hints, I’ll help you look and feel amazing (especially during the posed portion), but ignore me the rest of the time.
Ansel Adams: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”
Who I Am
Hi! My name is Mercy Hasselblad (yes, that’s my real name, all you nerdy photographer people). I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Studies, was homeschooled, and spent the two years after my graduation and marriage in India doing non-profit work for charities and Christian ministries.
My husband and I are both full-time freelancers. We love to travel, and get to hop on planes quite a bit for our work. I started in graphic design and illustration, but photography has slowly consumed me and my work life. My husband is a filmmaker, artist, composer, and all-around talented genius. He is an extremely talented composer, but also makes money through programming and out-of-the-box problem solving for companies like Google. I love him very much.
Back on track: I’ve always been a visual person, and photography is a medium I’ve come to love. I like to focus on telling a story through photography. I like to show the person or couple’s unique personality through my photos. That’s my goal.
Along with photography, I teach Photoshop and design at a local high school. I also teach advanced InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator at an educational center. I mentor a couple of people in photography and love helping others discover or further their love of great visuals.
Photography is an art. It’s the ultimate form of record. It can be accurate, it can be bland, it can be loud, it can be unflattering, it can be ugly or inaccurate. Or it can be beautiful, pulling out the wonderful parts of a memory, the best side of a person, and recording it in such a way that it ultimately shapes your memory.
Awards & Honors
WeddingWire Couple’s Choice (2020).
The Knot Best of Weddings (2020).
View Bug Peer Choice Award (2018).
GuruShots All Star Photographer (10x).
GuruShots Top 10% in Competition (2017).
GuruShots Expert Level Photographer (2017).
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