Boho Loves: Debs Ivelja Photography - Creative Wedding & Elopement Photographer

Good afternoon everyone! I hope you haven’t got a case of the Monday blues too much today? Well if you have, these stunning images full of love and laughter from Photographer Debs Ivelja are bound to bring a smile to your face. Debs is one of our wonderful sponosrs on the blog, so we are more than delioghted to have the chance to show off her work a bit more. Based in Cornwall her images are so natural, relaxed and in gorgeous settings, its a treat to welcome her to the blog today!

I am a creative Wedding & Elopement Photographer based in Cornwall, photographing weddings and elopements all across the UK & worldwide. I am inspired by travel, places, people and salt water. An ocean lover, mountain dreamer, city explorer, people adorer. Storyteller. I live a very simple life by the sea with my ever faithful hound, Hugo.

More about Debs:

I have been working as a full time photographer for 6 years now. I studied photography, learning my skills on film and in the darkroom and have done so for 15 years already. How time flies!

When did you start your photography business and what made you start?
I started my business in 2010 when the opportunity arose for me to capture a friends wedding who wasn’t planning on having a photographer there. I didn’t want them to go through their day and not have any images to look back so I offered to come along and do it. I met the groom on the beach for his pre-wedding surf and from the moment I started taking photos, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

Where are you based?
I live in Newquay, Cornwall but I do travel all over the country, and world for weddings. I have photographed weddings as far away as Brazil and New Zealand to some that are right on my doorstep, literally in the harbor 60 seconds away from where I live now.

How far will you travel for a wedding?
Anywhere! My package includes my travel throughout the UK but I do also travel anywhere in Europe and Worldwide.

How would you describe your style?
Beautifully real storytelling.True documentary style capture all elements of the day, from the tiny thought out details to the emotions and characters around us and mixing in a little contemporary / creative portraiture too.

What is your favorite bit of technical kit?
My Holga, which you would be far pushed to describe as technical… but I love the look of shooting 120 film on a bit of plastic. I also geek out over prime lenses too and I shoot most of my weddings on a 35m lens and 85m lens.

What makes you different to your competitors?
I am completely inspired by nature and the outdoors and I love to incorporate the environment around us in my work. I also feel deeply connected to people and I love to be able to bring peoples characters and personality into my work, capturing how you interact and the tiny, fleeting moments that pass by that are so unique to you. I like to find creative ways of capturing the smallest detail and biggest moments in everyone’s day.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Meeting people and being a part of such a special day. I love that I get to document memories that will be with families for years and years to come. It feels like I have been tasked to capture history and I love that.

What is your biggest achievement so far?
I have lived transiently for years, travelling between Australia and the UK and managing my business there. I then relocated to Cornwall 3 years ago and I through keeping my life simple and uncomplicated, have managed to grow and establish my business here and live a dream I have had since I was a teenager. I always dreamed of living by the sea in Cornwall in a little cottage with a dog and I finally made that dream a reality.

What sort of couple do you think you attract?
Lovers of the outdoors and those who are inspired by the world. Free spirited world adventurers and those who love simplicity in their lives. Creative couples and those who love to just be themselves in whatever capacity that is.

What would be your ideal wedding to work on?
It is so hard to answer this wedding as I don’t so much look to work with ‘styles’ as I do personalities and people who we just ‘click’. My ideal wedding will be capturing the story of a couple who love being in love, who want to share a part of themselves with their friends and family and who have a wedding that will reflect them as a couple, as well as individuals.
Maybe on the beach.…with their dog in tow!

Which celeb would you like to photograph?
James Corden. I love him!

Who is your favorite photographer and why?
I don’t have just one to be honest, I admire so many. I love the realness and rawness of Martin Parr and the questions he opens through his work. In complete contrast to that, I also love the colourful opulence of Slim Aarons and his wealthy subjects. Both photographers captured life in real, but in such contrasting ways.

If you were to get married who would take your pictures / who did take the pictures at your wedding
Dan O’Day or Samm Blake. I adore their work so I would have to flip a coin.

What in your opinion makes the perfect photo?
One that isn’t necessarily technically perfect, but captures the spirit and essence of an individual.

What is your favorite photo that you have taken?
Can I talk about one that someone else took!? A black and white photograph that a wedding photographer took of my family a wedding in the early 50’s. At the time my Mum wasn’t yet born and it’s a photo of my grandparents and my Aunts and Uncles as children. A few years later my mum came along and so my grandfather (who was an avid photographer and picture framer) took a black and white photo of my mum, printed it and cut her out and placed her on the original photo with them all, reframing it. It’s like photoshop of the 50’s!
I absolutely love the sentiment in it. It’s why I encourage my couples to make a little time in their day for family photos. Its history and a documentation and for many years its been passed through our family. It now hangs on the wall in my parent’s house and in time it will be passed along to all us cousins. I love that!

What advice would you give couples when choosing their wedding photographer?
There is a lot to consider when choosing your photographer so find one who’s work and personality truly speaks to you. They will be there a lot of your day, mostly in the background, but its good to have someone who truly gets you. I find I generally have so much in common with my couples, be it they have a dog too or they love the sea and travel… whatever it is, we just click and it is the start of lovely friendships.

Can you give me some information on your pricing structure?
I offer full day coverage (usually around 8 hours or until 9pm) for an investment of £1795. I travel within the UK within that and it includes a pre-wedding shoot (which does have to take place in Cornwall) and all the final edited files on USB in high and low res. I also present couples with a slideshow and online gallery to share. If couples want a second shooter or album, I am able to of course provide those but I keep my original package simple for all and then add ons that can be chosen. I shoot a lot of elopements through the year as well which I absolutely love and these are custom created for couples, depending on where.

What is your ideal way to spend a day off?
To wake up fairly early and drink my morning coffee in bed. Once I can drag myself up I will switch off all social media and take my dog Hugo for a long walk on the beach. We may even jump in my van and head off down the coast somewhere. Inevitably I will catch up with friends over (more!) coffee at some point, maybe some lunch in one of my many favourite cafes. If I am feeling energetic and brave I will go for a surf and home for a hot shower and guess what, more coffee. I drink a lot of coffee! Time for a skype call with my niece and nephew. A cuddle and fuss for Hugo on the sofa while we watch some rubbish on TV, then an early dinner by the fire. Early to bed with a good book to finish the day. Very quiet, very simple and as little computer time as possible!

What can you never leave the house without?
My dog, Hugo.

Who would be your 5 dream dinner guests dead or alive?
Nelson Mandela ( I bet he is on everyone’s list), Stevie Nicks, Dian Fossey, Vera Wang (she was 40 before she designed her first dress, so inspiring!), Morgan Freeman

What would you do if you won the lottery?
I love where I live so although I would like to think I would buy a fancy house, I probably wouldn’t. I have a tiny little 180 year old cottage that is plenty for what I need and I absolutely love it. I would probably spend the money doing lots of work to renovate it back to its full former glory. Sadly all its character was taken out in the 70’s and 80’s so I am slowly trying to restore it. The money would help me do that quicker. I would help my family out for sure and then go on a holiday. Perhaps back to Sri Lanka again and definitely to Australia and South Africa to see my family there. And Costa Rica, I’ve always wanted to go.

If you weren’t running your business, what would you be doing?
I can’t actually imagine. Maybe working at, or owning a dog rescue center in Spain or Sri Lanka.