Industry Interview: Christian Oth

Meet Christian Oth, owner and founder of Christian Oth Studio, a full service photography studio committed to telling the story of love through editorial-style photos. Though his studio is headquartered in Manhattan’s Flat Iron district, Christian (typically) spends most of his year traveling internationally to shoot weddings all over the world. Like us, Christian has a special love for Europe and is eager to get back to all of his favorite destinations. Below he’s sharing his favorite spots to photograph and tips for seamless photography, whether you’re planning a destination wedding or wandering around your favorite city with an iPhone.

courtesy of Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel

Christian, we know you love traveling to Europe as much as we do, but from a photographer’s perspective, what are the best destinations to visit?

There is an infinite array of backdrops in Europe. It’s a true photographer’s paradise. You  can get almost any mood in such a variety of locations. I tend to favor the Mediterranean countries for anything that has a romantic feeling. Take Italy… where to  begin? Tuscany for its castles and summer landscapes. Lake Como for centuries old villas with both water and mountain backdrops. Venice for well, being Venice. The Amalfi Coast and Capri for those epic sea views that just spell summer. Puglia for its borgos surrounded by olive trees. Should I continue?

In France, it’s the Cote d’Azur. It’s where modern luxury meets old world sophistication. And talk about views! Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Antibes, and don’t forget Les Beaux de Provence. Of course, Paris is a timeless classic. One of my favorite places to shoot is in and around the Hotel de Crillon. 

In Greece, I love the Peloponnese. Amanzoe is a must. For contrast, take a day trip via sail boat to Hydra where there are only donkeys used for transportation.

Then there’s Portugal. Go to Lisbon, then head over to Sintra for its old world mansions.  There are too many beautiful spots to choose from, this country is unbelievably photogenic.

So once borders reopen, where are you headed first?

That would have to be my home town of Vienna. I was born there and always love going  back whenever I can. Right after that I will visit some good friends in Lake Como and  then head on south to Capri for a lovely weekend.

Sounds like our kind of itinerary! But we want to hear from an expert — what are some of Europe’s more underrated scenery destinations?

In terms of scenery, Mallorca and Sardinia are under-the-radar gems people don’t often think about. Croatia’s coast is also pretty spectacular, but the real magic happens when you sail the Adriatic.

For an entirely different take on coastal scenery, I love to head north for a midsummer solstice in Lofoten, Norway. It’s an unbelievably epic landscape there, definitely worth spending a few days discovering.

And let’s not forget about cities. I think people often overlook cities when thinking about scenic destinations, but Europe’s cities are some of the best in the world to photograph. My favorites are Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.

courtesy of La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel

You specialize in destination wedding photography, what’s something you wish everyone knew about your craft?

Destination weddings are inspiring and fun, but they also need someone who is organized and resourceful and has some familiarity with the culture of your destination. In order to have truly excellent backdrops for your wedding photos, your photographer should arrive a day or two ahead of your wedding in order to scout locations. There is nothing more stressful than trying to determine shot locations the day of your wedding, when there are so many more important things to think about.

courtesy of Masseria Torre Maizza

That’s a really helpful tip. Anything else you’d recommend for those planning destination weddings in Europe?

A destination wedding in Italy, France, or Greece —among others — is simply a dream. Decide early on what level of service you’d like to have. I have worked with many incredible wedding planners that are US based or European planners that understand American culture. You do need someone excellent on the ground who can execute your vision and liaise with local vendors. Of course fly top people in. It’s best to hire experts who can coordinate everything on the ground for you, it takes a lot of stress out of planning, especially since you can’t be there yourself to oversee the process.

courtesy of Quinta da Comporta

And for those of us who aren’t getting married, any tips for taking better iPhone photos?

First, what I love about the iPhone is that it’s the camera you always have on you. Even I  got used to taking pictures with it more than I thought I would.

There are a few things to observe for taking better photos: The Rule of Thirds helps you to put things in your frame. The next top priority is to hold the camera (phone) straight, parallel to what you’re shooting — so no tilting please. This also means holding the camera straight so you get a beautiful horizon line.  

In case you want to level up from your iPhone, I have a blog post about the best cameras for beginners. And if you are more serious about improving your photography, I have a 1 hour online course that will  get you started on the ground rules of photography.

Craving more Europe? Head over to Christian Oth’s blog for Local Foreigner’s exclusive feature.