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Photographers for your intimate destination wedding or elopement

PRESS AND AWARDS

For the Nostalgic, Storyteller, AWARD WINNERS, and Cinema Lovers

RANGEFINDER RISING STAR

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER
IN THE WORLD

Magazine with a silhouette of a bride on the cover, titled '30 Rising Stars,' next to a cup of coffee on a textured fabric surface.

Being named a Rangefinder Rising Star Honoree by Rangefinder Magazine is a prestigious honor that recognizes up-and-coming photographers who are making a significant impact in the field of wedding photography. Rangefinder Magazine is a leading publication for professional photographers, and the Rising Star Honoree list is compiled annually to showcase the most talented and promising photographers in the industry.

Being named a Rangefinder Rising Star Honoree is a testament to a photographer's skill, creativity, and professionalism, and it can be a valuable accolade to have on a portfolio or resume. It can also open up new opportunities for the photographer, such as being invited to speak at photography conferences or workshops or being featured in Rangefinder Magazine or other industry publications.

If you are a wedding photographer and have been named a Rangefinder Rising Star Honoree, you should feel proud and grateful for this recognition. It is a testament to your hard work, talent, and dedication to your craft, and it can be a stepping stone to further success and recognition in the industry.

RANGEFINDER RISING STAR OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY for the Year 2020

WHAT A YEAR !!!!

Please Scroll Down to discover the entire SELECTION.

Aw man, what a year !!!! I would never have imagined being able to announce this: I am one of the Rangefinder Rising Stars 2019.

THANKS TO YOU

I am not really good at writing, but I will try to put this all together, and hopefully not forget anything or anyone.

2019 has been incredible, in so many ways, traveling the world, meeting amazing families and couples, discovering so many amazing landscapes, and experiencing brand-new adventures. I have also had a great time meeting others during Workshops that I was speaking to (in Porto or Abroad).

I will try to focus on the amazing news.

A few months back I had the extreme pleasure of receiving an email from the Rangefinder magazine honoring its annual '30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography
From the beginning, The American Magazine has been very exclusive in their selections for the New Rising Stars Talents, only 30 people per year are chosen in the entire world. Most of the people I follow, and admire are previous years’ nominees.

That’s a lot of pressure, right?

From the first days and the start of my company, I must admit that my vision and my work have changed dramatically. If you can see my work in the first year working in Scotland, it has changed so much from today, but also it already shows my style. Back then I did not know how much I had to work to make it very personal and to communicate that with my clients. As I would say to a good friend, it’s really a mixture of both a marathon and a sprint.

It does involve a lot of work and nothing comes overnight. I have spent countless hours thinking about my communication, my website, and my photographs to feed my personal vision.
Sometimes this tortures my nights, sometimes I am unable to sleep for 3 nights thinking about my work, trying to improve it, and then step by step making it a reality.

It is a good kind of torture because I love and adore my work, I love to tell stories about my couples.

I do not consider myself an artist, but rather an artisan or a craft maker. For me, I am simply documenting their day in the most simple, and natural way possible.

The first task was to select and narrow my work to ONLY 30 pictures. For the people who know me, or come to my workshops or conferences, you probably know how hard it is for me to take on such a mission. I would always prefer to choose, and show 120 pictures to tell a story, rather than extracting my pictures from a story, and showing them to the world. Also, the previous winners or curators have to nominate you to be on the potential winner’s list, and believe me, you want them to be proud of you; you don’t want to disappoint them.

I have already won the New Talent of Wedding Photography in 2017 at the BodaF Conference. Winning the Best Photographer of the Year at the Rising Star Magazine also put me on the right track. It gives me the courage to say that maybe I am on the right path. Not because it feeds my ego, but more because it shows you that your communication and style are the real you. After all, you need to align your style with your clients; they are the ones who pay the bills.

We don’t save lives; we are not surgeons; however, I also believe that our work is very important for the future. The memory we transmit is real, tangible, and also a part of us. So please, guys, always remember that you have to work hard and fucking love your couples.

I am so happy that my style and my vision are loved by my couples. It does resonate with them, and that is the most precious gift they can give you. So far I have photographed over 170 weddings and counting. I’ve had such a blast. I don’t think I will ever become bored with it. Showing and documenting love. Love is a big word, as the most important word on earth. I wish that I am able to continue doing it for many more years in this big industry where competition is strong but it is necessary to give our best every day.

Without it, without my colleagues and my competitors, I would never be the person I am today. So for all of this, THANK YOU all. I held my first camera in my hands about 11 years ago, simply because there was a sale in a camera shop. Well, I can assure you, it has been quite a journey.

Thank you to those who have supported me

I grew in a few years into the industry, and if you had told me 5 years ago that one day I would be recognized as one of the best photographers in the world, I would never have thought it even possible. I have put a lot of myself into this work, and I am glad it has given me the pleasure to meet amazing and talented people. It would never be possible without some friends I deeply respect. Also, I would like to thank the people who have put my name on the list of the potential winners for this year and the years before. A special thanks to Joana and Dylan (the Kitcheners), Lelia Scarfiotti, Mark Pacura, Petar Jurica, The Wedding Collective, Chris Parkinson, and many more.

Thank you to my lovely couples
Thank you to my couples for trusting me. This is my 5th year as a full-time wedding photographer, and I still have so much to learn, improve, and celebrate with you and your families. This is a dream to be able to follow you wherever you go, all across the world. You are amazing. Without you, there is no Eric-René.

Thank you to the Judges, Libby Paterson, Jacqueline Tobin, Arlene Evans and Moneer Masih-Tehrani

I really don’t know how to express myself, and I hope I can find the right words to tell you how deeply and sincerely proud I am to be part of your final choice. You have made my day, my days, my year, my decade, me. With lots of love and humility, I hope to meet you one day.

A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 2019 HONOREES
Ameirfikri, Ash Powell, Becky Farr, Colin Ross, Corinna & Dylan, Daniel López Pérez Photography, Daniela Villarreal, David Ruff, Elizabeth Austin-Davis, Janine Licare, Johanna Rosenlew, Katz Photography, Lukas Leonte, Luke Bell, Matteo Innocenti, Me & Georgia, Melody Joy, Natalie J Weddings, Plan Liebe, Quyn Duong, Rafal Borek, Randi Kreckman, Rimi Sen, Rosa Garrido, Sara Lincoln, Tinted Photography, Tjeerd Paul Jacobs, Urška & Domen and Will Khoury.

ARTICLE RELATED TO THE FULL WINNERS LIST: HERE.
RELATED ARTICLE TO THE FULL WINNERS LIST GALLERIES: HERE.

PHOTO CREDITS BY  PAMELA CISNEROS

Starting my business as a full-time wedding photographer in July 2014, I was facing some struggles. Being a photographer is a rollercoaster. It is of course an amazing job and opportunity of a lifetime. I love and adore my job. It gave me the opportunity to meet amazing people all along the way. I was lucky enough to document over 170 weddings for the last 6 years and still, I would love to take photographs for another decade or more ;).
Having been able to document weddings, elopements, love stories, proposals, and even more personal work, I have also discovered a lot about myself.
When you start your business, you don’t really know which direction you should take for your aesthetics, editing, coloring, or even using the right words for your communication. It is a challenge. It is also a lot of big failures, of time spending on the computer, looking at all kinds of competitors’ websites seeking for the right move to do.

Happily and sometimes, you would face little successes. That is what exactly happened in 2017. I have received a facebook message from the guy behind the BodaF conference in Barcelona inviting me to join the biggest photography conference in Europe. At first, I have to say that I did not know what was the reason for this.
A couple of days later, an online video appeared and I realized I was selected to be on the last 25/30 people to compete to be the best and unique New Talent 2017.
Bought my ticket with a lot of stress and excitement.

That would have been for me the opportunity to meet colleagues, learn from my peers, and meet new sponsors.

I took it like it was, with no specific expectations, just like a time off in Barcelona before the rush of the wedding season :)

With the days of the conference passing, I realized the pressure was ON. Lots of people told me that actually had a chance to win the competition and coming to the main entry on the amphitheater at first I realized the staff working there knew my name. I was shocked. I don’t think there are any famous wedding photographers in this world, we don’t save lives and are per se not very important.

On the evening of the trophy, I started to stress a lot and thought that maybe I should have prepared an “in case if” speech, but after an hour of torturing myself I just dropped this idea.
After a very long time waiting for this to finally be on, I finally realized my name appearing on the big screen in front of potentially 600 people.

Super pumped, proud, and excited to grab my trophy from the hands of my good friend and mentor Dan O’Day. My “in case if” speech started to appear again in my brain but because of the stress I would say that I could have done better, haha. It just went all the way crazy, I felt very very very uncomfortable, I am usually a very shy person, but it is a bit different when I talk about my philosophy, my business, my SEO, and my communication because that is the only I know for the last 7 years. But actually facing 600 people is a very strange experience.

I was invited to talk at the next event BodaF Conference in Barcelona in 2018. Here was the video presentation, and YES they forgot my name on the presentation but who cares.

Eric Rene Penoy Wedding photographer posing for a photo; one holding a trophy bodaf best wedding photographer europe

In 2019 I was invited to run a Keynote.
In 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 I was invited to be a judge for the same competition.

Graphic featuring portraits of Bodaf New Talent awardees from 2017 to 2019.

I am now able to face that maybe was communication was aligned, maybe my work was noticed by my colleagues and competitors, and maybe I could actually have found my direction, my way of running my business. It has been very telling me much more about my business. It did not give me more photography business but I felt more legit to talk during workshops and conferences, run my own workshops, and see that, in one way, was aiming to the right direction :)

For all of this, it was an amazing fact in my small and still fresh career.

Judges for the BodaF New Talent Selection 2017 : Lelia Scarfiotti, Marcos Sanchez and Andre Teixeira from Brancoprata

Magazine spread featuring a historical building with a couple in formal attire, titled '2019 Honorees' for wedding photography.
Magazine cover featuring a bride in a wedding dress holding a bouquet, titled "Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography 2019," next to a floral bouquet on a chair.
Collage of wedding photographs by Elizabeth Austin-Davis and Eric-René Penoy, featuring couples, bridesmaids, scenic landscapes, and interior settings. Includes text about the photographers in "Rangefinder" magazine.
Vintage lace wedding dress on chair and bouquet on velvet sofa.
Pair of embellished high-heeled sandals on patterned carpet
Women in dresses assisting with shoe strap in dimly lit room
Silhouette of person looking out windows at ocean view in black and white
Bride in lace wedding dress descending staircase holding bouquet indoors
A black and white photo of a person in a dress walking towards two other people standing on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea.
A bride walking down the aisle during a wedding ceremony, accompanied by a man, surrounded by seated guests in a rustic setting.
A newlywed couple walking down the aisle outdoors while guests throw confetti. The bride wears a floral crown and holds a bouquet, and the groom wears a suit.
Bride and groom holding candles during a wedding ceremony inside a church, looking at each other lovingly.
Silhouette of a woman in front of a stained glass window, with a bicycle and dim room setting.

BODAF
WINNER

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER IN EUROPE

Flyer for BODAF Barcelona Wedding Photography Convention 2018, featuring portraits of various photographers and presenters. Includes names like Chusico Espeleta, Frøydis Geithus, Isabel Muñoz, and more, with keynote speaker Martin Parr and host Igor Demba.

And Also …

AWARDS, RECOGNITION, UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS: 

Four photography award logos: Rising Stars of Wedding Photography 2019, BODAF Europe New Talent, Way Up North Awards Finalist, and The Best of the Best 2017 by junebug.
Grid of eight black and white portrait photos with names: Daniel Alonso, Isabelle Hattink, Yves Schepers, Erin Chrisman, Daniel Ribeiro, Eric Rene Penoy, Thibault Chappe, Daniel Ochoa de Olza.