David & Kathrin and the Beauty of Movement

“Even a blurry photo tells a story.”

A bride and groom stand together on a mountain overlook in the Swiss Alps, partially obscured by the bride’s veil as it moves across the frame in the wind. The black-and-white image combines the couple, drifting fabric, clouds, and snow-covered peaks into a layered outdoor wedding portrait.

Short Bio:

Based in Thun, in the Swiss Alps, David & Kathrin have spent the last eleven years building a body of work that feels both precise and deeply alive. Working across weddings, film, architecture, food, and commercial photography, their visual language that balances elegance with movement, technical control with emotional looseness.

What began almost accidentally – photographing friends’ weddings while studying Basel. Slowly evolved into one of the most visually coherent wedding photography brands in Europe. Featured by Switzerland Tourism as a defining voice in Swiss wedding photography, their work has become especially recognized within the world of luxury destination weddings across Switzerland and Italy, with a reputation built less through awards and more through consistency, trust, and a distinctly understated visual identity. Their images carry the calm of Switzerland, but underneath the perfection there is always motion, breath, and human unpredictability.
https://davidandkathrin.com/

Today, we’re speaking with David.

How did photography enter your life?

It happened very naturally.
While I was studying in Basel, some friends from university started getting married.
They knew photography was my hobby and asked me to photograph their weddings.
The first one was really fun – I took way too many photos – but I loved it.
Then came the second wedding, then the third, and suddenly people I didn’t even know personally were asking me to photograph theirs.
That’s how it all started.

A bride and groom kiss in the center of a group of wedding guests gathered beneath a large tree during an outdoor celebration. Bright sunlight filters through the leaves while motion blur and raised arms capture the movement and energy of the moment.

Your work spans weddings, architecture, food, and film. How do you keep a consistent visual language across such different genres?

I think Kathrin and I are both drawn to similar things visually, which helps a lot.
Even today, sometimes it’s difficult for us to tell who photographed which image because our visual language became so connected over the years.
There’s never really a fight between us creatively.
If we see something beautiful, we both naturally move toward it.
Especially living in Switzerland – surrounded by mountains and landscapes – certain images just feel right to us instinctively.

A passenger boat crosses a calm lake beneath a forested hill, viewed from an elevated hillside overlooking the water. Soft morning light illuminates the landscape, with green lawns, trees, and lakeside buildings framing the scene.

ow do you think about movement in a still image?

There is always this balance for me.
Especially in photography, because it’s a still image, sometimes movement is what makes the photograph feel alive.
A blurry photo can still tell a story.
Technically someone might say it’s not perfect, but if there are people involved, people are moving all the time. Sometimes the blur carries exactly what the moment felt like.

A hand holds a bottle of rosé wine as a stream of liquid pours upward into an upside-down wine glass, creating a playful visual effect. The minimalist composition is set against a soft pastel background, with the motion of the wine frozen in midair.

Wedding guests move across a reception space in a photograph created with intentional camera movement and long exposure. The blurred figures, sweeping light trails, and soft colors convey the motion and energy of the celebration while the indoor setting remains faintly visible.

And on the video side, it’s important for me not to fight movement too much.
I don’t want the cuts or camera movement to become hectic.
I like letting motion continue naturally inside the frame

A couple sits together on a motorboat crossing a lake, photographed with intentional motion blur as water trails behind them. The black-and-white image combines the movement of the boat with the surrounding mountains and shoreline in the distance.

A bride stands indoors holding a bouquet, photographed with intentional camera movement that softens her figure and dress. The black-and-white image emphasizes motion and light within the room while preserving the outline of the bride and her gown.

A bride in a white wedding gown walks along a lakeside dock at dusk, holding a bouquet as calm water and distant mountains fill the background. The image uses intentional motion blur, creating a sense of movement while soft pastel light softens the scene and reflects across the lake.

Light feels central to everything you do. How do you approach it?

We really love natural light. Indoors we use window light as much as possible.
Outdoors, we think a lot about direction – front light, backlight, side light.
Especially in the mountains, side light often gives the image more depth.
Then it becomes about balancing the background carefully.
We only really use flash in the evening.
Most of the time we prefer to work with what already exists naturally in the environment.

A bride and groom stand together on a mountain overlook framed by pastel-colored flowers, with a lake and rolling green hills stretching behind them. Soft daylight and low clouds create a calm atmosphere as the couple faces each other in an intimate portrait.

An interior staircase with dark stone steps and ornate railings rises through a narrow hallway with textured green walls. Warm wall sconces illuminate the space, highlighting patterned floor tiles, wooden doors, and a large ceramic vessel beneath the stairs, creating a quiet and inviting atmosphere.

An outdoor wedding ceremony takes place on a wooden terrace surrounded by guests, with the newly married couple standing at the front and raising their arms in celebration. Snow-capped mountains and dramatic clouds fill the background, while guests applaud and lift their hands in a bright, festive atmosphere.

You and Kathrin work together all the time.
How much do photography conversations continue after a shoot?

In the beginning, constantly.
We talked endlessly about photos, ideas, what worked, what we wanted to do next time.
Sometimes we talked so much that we realized we still had editing work waiting for us.

Now it’s less technical and more emotional.
We talk more about whether something felt worth the effort.
Like after a wedding, saying, “I’m really glad we pushed ourselves to make that image happen.”
We talk more about the energy we give to a photograph.

A bride and groom walk hand in hand down a narrow cobblestone street lined with traditional wooden buildings in a mountain village. The bride carries a bouquet of white and orange flowers, while patches of snow and rugged alpine scenery create a quiet, overcast atmosphere.

You photograph weddings that look effortless, but I’m guessing there were disasters along the way.

Oh yes.
The worst one was definitely forgetting all of our cameras at home before a wedding.
We drove about two and a half hours, opened the trunk, and realized neither of us had packed the cameras.

Luckily we had a tiny camera inside our photo booth setup.
Kathrin took that to get ready while I drove all the way back home to get the real equipment.
And somehow we got lucky because the bride was running late. Nobody ever realized we arrived with only one tiny “crappy” camera.

After that, we never forgot the cameras again!

An aerial view shows a small motorboat traveling across deep blue water, leaving a symmetrical white wake behind it. Several people sit inside the boat as it moves through the lake, creating strong geometric patterns on the water’s surface.

An aerial view captures a red convertible driving along a narrow road bordered by lush green vineyards and trees. A bride in a white gown stands up through the open roof, adding a celebratory feel to the quiet countryside setting.

A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a white gravel road lined with olive trees, moving toward a countryside estate in the distance. Soft evening light bathes the landscape, while rolling hills and greenery create a peaceful and expansive setting.

Many couples arrive nervous about being photographed. How do you help them feel comfortable?

A lot of people tell us, “We’re awkward in photos,” especially after seeing our website and thinking everyone must be a model.
So for me, it’s really important to create trust as early as possible.
We actually started doing that already on the first call.

And during the shoot itself, I try to get one really strong image very quickly – maybe within the first five minutes – and then I show it to them immediately on the back of the camera.
It changes everything.

Sometimes what we ask people to do can feel strange or unnatural in the moment, but once they see the image and realize, “Oh, this actually looks beautiful,” they relax completely.
It becomes less about performing and more about trusting the process.

A bride and groom stand beside a multi-tiered wedding cake during an outdoor reception at sunset, photographed in black and white. Backlit by bright sunlight, the bride gently touches the groom’s face while both hold cake knives, surrounded by softly blurred guests and tables.

A bride and groom run hand in hand across an open mountain landscape, photographed in black and white with motion blur that emphasizes their movement. Snow-covered peaks and dramatic clouds fill the background, creating a dynamic and expansive setting.

A bride and groom dance together outdoors on a terrace overlooking distant mountains, captured in black and white with soft motion blur. The groom wears a light-colored suit and sunglasses, while the bride’s flowing dress and raised arms add a sense of movement and energy to the scene.

What’s your approach to drone photography – how do you use it without losing intimacy?

For me, the biggest thing with drones is distance.
Most people naturally fly too far away.
Usually the best image is much closer than you think.

And I try not to interrupt moments too much.
Sometimes people suddenly notice the drone and naturally react to it, and I love those moments much more than heavily directing people from above.

An overhead photograph captures a group of friends enjoying a pool party in bright sunlight, floating on colorful inflatable rafts shaped like pizza slices, popsicles, and watermelon. Guests in the water wave toward the camera, surrounded by sparkling blue water and a cheerful, celebratory mood.

An overhead view shows a man in a black suit and sunglasses floating on a colorful inflatable raft in a bright blue swimming pool. Sunlight reflects across the water, while a large watermelon-shaped float and another swimmer rest near the pool’s edge, creating a playful and relaxed atmosphere

Aerial view of several people gathered in a swimming pool at night, illuminated by green-tinted underwater lighting. Some guests stand on submerged steps while others swim or wade through the water, creating a lively and energetic scene

After photographing so many weddings, what still moves you emotionally?

The connections between people.
Parents and children. Families. Someone who may not be around much longer.
Those moments still affect me deeply.
I don’t cry because it’s a wedding – I’m touched because of the connection between people.

And I still love that weddings require effort.
Some weddings flow naturally, some are difficult and stressful.
I think that mix helps me continue loving this work.

A groom in a black tuxedo stands outdoors during a wedding ceremony, covering his face with one hand while standing in front of a wooden floral arch. The black-and-white image captures a quiet moment against an open landscape, with soft natural light and a calm background.

You’ve used JPEGmini for years. What role does it play in the way you deliver work?

At the beginning I was looking for a way to simplify my workflow.
File sizes were becoming difficult for online delivery, especially for weddings.
I originally thought I needed to reduce image dimensions, but then I found JPEGmini and realized I could keep the resolution while compressing the files.

For me, it feels lossless. I tested it endlessly – zooming in, comparing files – and I still use it for everything, even files going to print.

But it’s not only about storage.
Wedding photos are shared constantly between guests, grandparents, friends, family members, often on phones with slow internet or limited space.
JPEGmini simply makes the whole experience easier for everyone involved.

A bride stands on a grassy hillside overlooking a lake and distant mountains, holding out her long veil as it catches the breeze. Soft daylight and layered clouds create an airy, peaceful setting, with the landscape stretching into the distance behind her.

A bride stands alone on a long gravel road lined with tall cypress trees, her veil flowing behind her in a gentle breeze. Warm afternoon light illuminates the countryside landscape, creating a quiet and elegant atmosphere.

Guests sit on a lawn during an outdoor wedding ceremony beside a swimming pool, shaded by large red-and-white striped umbrellas. The scene is bright and colorful, with greenery surrounding the gathering and reflections of the umbrellas visible in the water.

Tell us about the Basel Symphony project. What drew you to it?

During Covid everyone was wearing masks, which made the project visually challenging in a strange way. But I loved working with the atmosphere that already existed there instead of changing it.

Most of the images were created using the real lighting from the concert hall itself.
Even some of the more cinematic-looking photographs – like the violin on the chair or the musician standing near the red doorway – were simply photographed with the available light in the space.

One of my favorite images was actually taken downstairs near the toilets in the basement of the concert hall.
The architecture there was unexpectedly beautiful, and the light already felt right.
I think that’s something Kathrin and I are always looking for – places that already contain a certain atmosphere before we even touch the camera.

A musician stands in the center of a vaulted hallway playing a double bass, framed by a doorway lined with deep red walls and warm lighting. The polished floor and reflective surfaces create symmetry, while the contrast between the soft gray ceiling and rich red interior gives the scene a dramatic, theatrical mood.

A violin rests across the back of a red velvet theater seat inside an empty auditorium filled with rows of matching chairs. Low, directional light highlights the warm wood of the instrument against the dark surroundings, creating a quiet and contemplative atmosphere.

Has the rise of AI changed the way you think about perfection in photography?

Maybe a little, yes.
I think a lot of photographers are reacting to AI right now by trying to move away from images that feel too technically perfect.
You see more tilted compositions, more roughness, more things that feel intentionally imperfect.
And honestly, I really like that kind of quiet rebellion.

At the same time, I’m still very sensitive to composition and balance.
If a horizon is slightly off for no reason, I immediately want to straighten it.
That’s just naturally how I see images.
But I also don’t think perfection should remove life from a photograph.

For me, the interesting part is when an image can still feel human underneath the precision – when movement, awkwardness, or unpredictability remain inside the frame.
Otherwise it can start feeling too clean, almost disconnected from real experience.

An aerial view looks straight down onto a beach lined with neatly arranged pale-blue lounge beds and white umbrellas beside the shoreline. People relax on the sand and near the water’s edge, while gentle waves roll in from the right side of the frame, creating a bright, summery atmosphere with strong geometric patterns and coastal textures.

Final Thought

There’s something fascinating about photographers whose work appears technically perfect at first glance, but becomes more emotional the longer you stay with it.

What makes their work memorable is the way movement keeps entering the frame: a butterfly escaping from a box, the blur of guests eating and talking over dinner, a bride running across a bridge in a rush of excitement, wine spilling mid-pour, bodies caught between gestures.
This is what makes us the viewers feel that we are there in a time machine.

Guests and staff move through a wedding reception dining room, with motion blur capturing the pace of service and conversation. The black-and-white image contrasts blurred figures with a server standing in a doorway, while tables and architectural details define the interior space.

Movement exists everywhere in their work.
They create timeless films and stop-motion commercial pieces, yet even in highly controlled environments, nothing feels rigid.
Their images are so immersive you genuinely feel present inside them.

A young woman sits among a dense arrangement of colorful flowers, holding a small sprig of pink blossoms near her face. She wears a sheer cream blouse with ruffled details and delicate jewelry, while soft, even light highlights her features against a vivid backdrop of orange, blue, green, and white blooms, creating a rich and intimate portrait.

What also becomes visible through conversation is how deeply their partnership shapes the work itself. Not only practically, but visually.
The images feel less like two photographers dividing tasks and more like a shared visual instinct slowly developed over years of living and working side by side.
In many ways, contemporary AI aesthetics seem to borrow from the visual language photographers like David & Kathrin have refined for years – the precise light, the controlled softness, the cinematic compositions.
But their work reminds you that technical perfection alone is never enough.
What stays in the images is presence: the human unpredictability underneath the polish.