The wedding photography business is booming, as there are now more wedding photographers offering their services to marrying couples. The sheer number of artists has undoubtedly created stiff competition in the industry, but to photographer Rene Gaviola, his constant rival is himself.

Rene approaches each project as if it's his last, and so he pours his heart and soul in every photo he shoots. He loves the idea of a challenge. While he is an international award-winning photographer (he has awards from the Wedding Photojournalist Association and the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association), he does not rest on his laurels. Rene shares that he ups his game through the constant pursuit of the next high to chase. Because he doesn't like doing the same thing over and over, he compels himself to constantly find a fresh perspective when shooting.

While most artists pride themselves in having a reusable template, Rene believes that his craft thrives because he prefers to be more spontaneous and dynamic in every shoot. One day he could have a penchant for vintage-looking photos, the next he could be trying out a painterly treatment for the images. Rene's post processing treatment for photos may vary, and a look at his folio would always reveal a unique story for each wedding. This, ultimately, is a great advantage for his clients. Couples would constantly ask Rene to make their wedding photos different from the rest, and Rene--always with a new batch of ideas---would happily oblige.

This is not to say that Rene chooses the alternative route just for the sake of being different. Rene still treats traditional wedding photos with reverence, since some clients request for such photos, too. To keep the customary shots from looking like the usual images, Rene tries to find meaning in the elements of the photos. By juxtaposing the wedding details with emotions of the wedding attendees, he creates meaningful and soulful compositions that go beyond clichés or fads.

Rene's photo sets sure look different from each other--after all, no two couples are the same--but the way he behaves during each shoot is constant. When he covers weddings, he prefers to take candid, yet still compelling, shots. He believes in the beauty of alternative editorials, which is essentially about capturing unguarded moments and putting a new spin on the images. As much as he can, he goes about his business unnoticed so he could immortalize the couple's and their guests' most natural expressions. By combining his penchant for candid shots and unique imagery, Rene strengthens his craft in fine-art photojournalism.

While Rene is an artist in his own right, he points out that it's important for him to remember that it's the couple's big day. He is guided by the couple's input on their preferences--a meeting prior to the big day assures everyone that they're on the same page. Rene then translates the couple's directions into beautiful and unique photos--which, after all, are what both parties want in the end.