I first met photographer Elizabeth Messina at the wedding reception of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott in Los Angeles. At the time, I was in the early stages of pregnancy with my first child, and apart from my husband, Elizabeth was the first person I told despite her being a complete stranger to me. This is the immediate effect she has on people: You instantly get the feeling that this is a woman you can trust with your deepest secrets and your biggest joys. Since then, she’s not only won a long list of awards, but has also become one of my closest friends.
Elizabeth possesses an innate ability to work with natural light and expose film in a way that gives her images a unique, luminous quality. But it’s not merely her technical genius that makes her photographs extraordinary. It’s the way they make you feel. Rarely has the world been presented in such pure, beautiful light. It’s as if each image has a little string attached, wrapping itself gently around your heart, pulling you close and reassuring you that yes, the world is indeed a wondrous place.
Elizabeth is famous for her stunning editorial portraits and wedding photography, but for this month’s Curated — Sweden With Love‘s monthly art show — we are seeing a different side of her. I’m honored to be able to exclusively present this collection of Elizabeth’s film photographs of the magical city of Venice, Italy. • Ulrica Wihlborg
Elizabeth Messina is an award-winning photographer and the author of The Luminous Portrait (with Jacqueline Tobin). She was named one of the top ten wedding photographers of 2010 by Adorama, one of the top ten wedding photographers of 2008 by Pop Photo and American PHOTO, and one of the twenty-five trendsetters of 2008 by Modern Bride. Her images have graced the covers of US Weekly, OK magazine, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and The Knot among others. Elizabeth and her husband Lee Moore are the parents of three children. For more about Elizabeth, visit her blog Kiss The Groom and follow her on Twitter @kissthegroom.
All photographs by Elizabeth Messina © 2013.
