For John Makris, wedding photography is about two things: "It is about the love between the couple and also the moments with their family and friends around them. These are the main elements of the story that I am trying to tell".  And the story is everything - John’s images have a signature style that has the look and feel of classic cinema. "I love this style - It is timelessly elegant and I want the couple to feel like they are in a movie scene, but as themselves. I don't want them to act or change who they are."

Weddings involve a wide range of different types of images, which is why John has recently been using the Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master lens with his Sony Alpha 7 IV and Alpha 7R V cameras. Before making the switch to the 50-150mm lens, he used a 70-200mm zoom lens. "I wondered if I would miss those extra 50mm from 200mm to 150mm" John remembers "To be sure, I went through tens of thousands of my old wedding photos with the 70-200 mm lens, sorted them by focal length, and found that the largest percentage of my shots were taken between 100mm and 150mm, with only a small portion at 200mm. So, I realised it's a very important focal range for me."

John has now shot ten weddings with the 50-150mm lens and sees the value in not only the focal range, but also the large f/2 aperture. "I have discovered how useful it is to start at 50mm", he reveals "It gives me the flexibility to capture wider portraits, to capture moments without changing lenses. It is one lens that lets me tell the whole story. I can capture all the small details without having to think about which lens to use next. Its quality and consistency across the focal lengths let me focus on what matters most - emotion, connections, real moments."

The difference between shooting at f/2.8 and f/2 seems insignificant, but it makes a massive difference to John’s ability to shoot and how he takes images. "In some dark churches here in Greece, or during a poorly lit wedding reception, the lens stays fast, sharp and reliable. Many times, f/2 gives me the freedom to stay natural without having to use extra light. And of course, the bokeh, the blur behind the couple or in the foreground - this is amazing."

John shoots weddings all over Europe, but in his Greek homeland, he explains that the tradition is to have weddings late, often around 8 pm. "There is no daylight left to take photos after the service, so it isn’t unusual to take pictures of the married couple in the days after the wedding."

One such shoot was taken at a location John had never been to "When I go to a place for the first time, I'm more creative." He explains "I try to look for a scene and imagine the shot. In this picture, I saw the light and I saw this potential. I asked the groom to drag his feet a little bit as the couple ran across the dusty land. I like to direct the couples, but I want the result to feel natural, not posed. I think that this picture shows freedom, energy - it’s like a movie scene."

Another recent shoot saw John photograph an engagement session in Paris for a couple. One particular shot outside the Louvre art gallery stood out. “I saw this beautiful row of street lamps there. I placed the couple at the beginning of the lamps, so my thought was the lights would create leading lines, a vanishing point behind them. However, when I switched to 150mm at f/2, the result was incredible. The couple is perfectly sharp, but the background is creamy; it's magical. I love that I can show the emotion between them and capture all the atmosphere in a cinematic way."

Shooting at 150mm f/2 has allowed John to be even more creative and shoot in a way that he wouldn’t have before " It's as if I've unlocked a new superpower, especially at 150mm f/2. This is something I've never experienced before, so it's new to me."

The reward of John’s efforts in capturing beautiful moments with his Sony kit is when he shares the images with the couple. "I love to see the reaction. I want them to feel and remember the moments, but also to feel like they look the most beautiful they ever have."