Capturing Love: 15 Minutes with Photographers in a Vegas Chapel

We’re in Nevada today, giving you guys 15 minutes to do portraits with a couple.

We’re here with Imagine AI in Las Vegas, Nevada for WPPI 2026, and I’m here with the Pinkerds. They’ve been wedding photographers for at least a decade and have coached dozens of photographers. Today, we’re at a little elopement wedding chapel. How are y’all feeling about this?

We’ve never shot in a Vegas chapel, so this is kind of a new experience for us. I’m excited about dipping our toes in a different kind of elopement.

Officiating and Shooting

Just found out I’m officiating the wedding, which I usually do on mountain tops, but never in Vegas. We’re going to go in there, and I’m going to start the clock. Y’all are going to have 15 minutes to do portraits with a couple. Ready? Set. Go!

Hey, hey, how’s it going, guys? This is Laura, and Dan’s going to marry you guys while I take pictures.

Dan, Hannah, I’m thrilled and truly honored to be here to witness, celebrate, and usher in this new journey for you both. You’re officially husband and wife. Congratulations!

Getting the Shots

You guys just got married! We need you 15 minutes to photograph them. You can go anywhere you want here. Ready? Set. Go!

You guys are going under this booth. Going for a kiss? Close your eyes and hold it. Very slow. Hold it. One, two, go!

How’s your shooting? What lens are you using? How are you thinking this through?

I’m using a 24-70 lens specifically because I want to be able to change quickly and capture different focal lengths without moving. It’ll give the photos a different feel.

Creative Techniques

So, how often are you using lights like this when you’re shooting?

Not as often as you might think. It’s different because we usually shoot while hiking. I typically shoot around 2 to 300 photos an hour.

We have 11 minutes and 48 seconds left. Do you want to try an in-camera double exposure? It’s where you have a silhouette with a picture inside the silhouette. I’m trying it in-camera, hoping it will work and save each shot for editing later.

Flow of the Wedding Day

What’s the creative process usually like as you go with the flow of the wedding day?

As photographers, we want to get the shot. But it’s a couple’s wedding day, whether it’s Vegas, on top of a mountain, or in a ballroom. We focus on their experience and enjoyment, and getting cool pieces of art is secondary.

All right, look at each other. Don’t look at me. Pretend I’m not here.

You’ve got six minutes left. Oh my gosh!

How much of this did you process before, and how much of this is literally right now?

A lot of it’s just right now, as we’re not familiar with Sam and Rachel. Okay, look at each other. One, two. Run, run, run. Don’t look at each other!

The Final Moments

Let’s go. Two minutes and 30 seconds left!

You’re going to look at me, and he’s going to look off into the distance. You can kiss the top of her head for more connection.

One minute left. I’ve got one more idea. Okay, tell me! 45 seconds. 30 seconds.

Dipper, dipper, dipper, dipper! That’s perfect. I’m done! You done? I’m done!

That was awesome! We’re going to edit the photos now. In a few minutes, you’ll actually see your photos fully done. You guys ready?

Editing and Revealing

When you’re putting together sneak peeks, how do you decide what goes in?

I’ll show him the ones I’m about to edit for sneak peeks. He’s like, ‘You need to get rid of at least 50 more of those!’

Now we’re going to sit back and relax.

They just finished editing in Imagine, and we’re about to see the photos for the first time. Let’s load them up!

Okay, so let’s see the before and after. That one’s cute!

They’re so good! The couple lost their minds when they saw the photos. How are you guys feeling?

It was crazy seeing the photos. I know Imagine is good, but seeing them in real-time is a unique experience that rarely happens with our couples.

Maybe we’ll start doing this for wedding clients. Thank you so much for all of this! I think that’s the end of the video.