Jules Bower
I photograph weddings across Italy for couples who want great photographs and still want to enjoy the people they brought together.
I am calm when things change, clear when a decision needs to be made, and easy to have around when you would rather get on with the day. The photographs matter. So does the person making them.
From London to Italy
I started out as a commercial photographer in London. It taught me how to work with people who are not professional models, make good decisions quickly and keep things moving when the schedule changes.
In 2003, my wife began planning weddings in Italy for international couples. One of those early couples had already hired a photographer from Florence, so I took some extra photographs behind the scenes for our own marketing.
A few days later, I put the photographs on a disc and met the couple to show them the images on a laptop. They later wrote to say that, when the photographer’s own photographs arrived, they preferred mine.
That was the start of it. More than twenty years later, I am still photographing weddings across Italy and internationally.
I’m based centrally in Italy. I’m English and fluent in Italian, so I can communicate easily with both you and the Italian venues, planners and suppliers involved in the day.
Experience changes the day
I know when to move quickly, when to wait, when to give direction and when to stay out of the way. The job is to make the photographs properly, without making the day feel managed by a camera.
After this many weddings, I can usually see the practical questions before they become problems: where the light will be by the ceremony, whether a route works in formal clothes, how long group photographs will take, where guests can wait comfortably and what needs a backup plan if the weather changes. We make those decisions before the wedding, not while people are arriving.
I understand the planning side too
A wedding day depends on people working well together. I work with planners, venues and suppliers before and during the day, so the photography supports the plan rather than competing with it.
My wife is a wedding planner. We like to work together when a couple wants that. If you already have a planner, I work with them in exactly the same way.
More than twenty years around Italian destination weddings has given me a practical sense of what makes a day run well. Timings, guest movement, light, access and small changes all matter. My job is the photographs, handled clearly, so you do not have another thing to manage.
Easy to have around
You will spend a lot of your wedding day near your photographer. That should feel easy.
I am relaxed, good-humoured and clear about what needs to happen. I will help organise a group photograph without making it feel like a military operation. I will give you enough direction during portraits that you do not have to wonder what to do with your hands. Then I will leave you to enjoy your friends, your family and the party.
Many couples tell me before the wedding that they hate having their photograph taken. That is normal. You do not need to know how to pose or perform for a camera. You only need to turn up and be present.
Jules is like a friend and not a vendor. When it came to our wedding, he was just a joy to have around, he is so fun, professional, and talented and we felt like we had known him for years! He made us feel at ease, gave superb instructions, and took AMAZING photos!
Maria Solechnik
The photographs should still look like you
Each photograph is carefully edited to look its best while still looking like you.
I do not use heavy retouching or filters.
Planning a wedding in Italy?
Tell me your date, venue and the kind of day you are planning. I’ll let you know if I’m available and send a clear quote for the photography you need.