Pop the Questions with Kylee Yee

We sat down with Kylee Yee (AKA @kyleeyeephoto)—fine art wedding photographer based in New York City. Kylee is teaming up with Zola for our new series "Pop the Questions" to talk about what it’s really like behind the lens. In this Q&A, Kylee reveals how she got her start in photography, her strategies for creating breathtaking imagery, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Got your own wedding dilemmas to dish out? Join Zola’s r/PoptheQuestions community on Reddit to get real advice from couples just like you. Yee will also host a live AMA in Zola’s subreddit on Monday, November 3, giving couples a rare opportunity to ask one of the industry’s top wedding professionals their burning questions directly. Stay tuned!

How did you get started with your career in photography?

In my twenties, I moved from Australia to London and I bought my first SLR. One of my close friends got engaged, and she asked me to shoot her wedding. I quickly said, "Hell no." She assured me that she was going to have a wedding photographer; she just wanted me to come along with my camera and shoot from my point of view. I loved it. I decided to take six months off, I took a professional photography course in London, started second shooting for other wedding photographers, and then eventually started shooting my own weddings.

What is one wedding photography trend you love and one you'd toss?

I love motion blur, when it makes sense. I would probably toss the hanging of the dress shot. I'd rather just focus my time and energy on the person wearing the dress and enjoying the dress throughout the day.

Tell us the most successful way a couple has ever made you feel like a guest at their wedding.

So I actually had a couple give me a seat at the table at the reception and a three-course meal, which was pretty amazing. But honestly, it's not something I would ever expect.

What's the first trick you use to get a genuine laugh out of a couple?

There is one game that is a great icebreaker, which I call the "ABC game." They will think of a word that describes the other, and they will work through the alphabet. And hopefully, throughout that process, they're not so worried about the camera being on them and more focused on each other. Although that's also backfired before...I had a couple start arguing, which wasn't the intention.

If the weather is less than ideal, what are your strategies for still creating gorgeous images?

I encourage you to embrace the weather. I had a couple that actually went out in the rain, they were dancing, and they made some of the most epic, romantic photos.

What's your favorite moment to photograph at a wedding and why?

The speeches. Usually they will elicit true, authentic emotion.

What's a lesson you've learned from photographing weddings that's changed the way you approach life outside of work?

If you're scared, do it anyway.

Do you ever find yourself getting emotional at weddings? What moments usually get to you?

Since becoming a parent, I think that's really brought in a different dimension to how I see and shoot weddings. And I definitely see the perspective of the parent a lot more now, and so the parent dances and the parent speeches will definitely get me teary.

What's a wedding day memory you'll never forget? For better or for worse!

Seeing Adam Levine perform at an afterparty—that was pretty unforgettable.