Meet a Wedding Vendor: Adam Mason

Next in our Meet a Wedding Vendor series, we’re talking with wedding photographer, Adam Mason. 

Adam Mason is a Washington DC Wedding Photographer who aims to create wedding imagery that is fits the personality and legacy of his couples. His couples never fit in a box, and he never expects them to. Outside of weddings he and his team at Mason Photography photograph luxury corporate events for clients like Facebook, Instagram, and Tesla all over the country. He also host's The Bearded Tog podcast which aimed to demystify what it takes to run your passion full time and has over 100 episodes! He lives in Deanwood, DC with his wife Sara and cat Penny. 

Sara and I have had the opportunity to work with Adam on a few weddings. Let’s meet Adam! 

Adam, tell us about your business

I’m a wedding photographer who exists to eliminate fear, create connection, and help people become fulfilled in who they are, and who they’re becoming. In DC there’s a need for authenticity and a value for things that are going to last forever – which are photos.

How did you get started as a photographer?

I was still in college and couple was like “we’re getting married, we don’t have a huge budget,” and I said “sure.” I took it seriously, and it was a blast. I’m an extrovert so weddings are just really fun, and each wedding has given me the opportunity to meet new people and to hear different stories. As a straight white dude I get to learn prospective and reveal some light on the shadows of my own perspective that I might never have seen.

What do you love about what you do?

My mission and vision to is eliminate fear, create connection, and help people become fulfilled in who they are. I realize that is separate from photography, it’s who Adam wants to be forever. With weddings I get to see so many different slices of life and different stories and all of them are unique and fun. And I get to be there for these multiple one-time happening things. Which is really, really cool.

What should couples know about working with photographers?

When you’re trying to find a photographer who fits your style, fits your budget, the main thing we always talk about when it comes to budget is to encourage couples that because these photos will last forever, let’s make sure that you can get something that you’re going to love forever.

Tell us about your style and approach to photography

I love color, I’m addicted to color. I’m addicted to impact. I try to do a day-in-the-life when it comes to engagement sessions and letting couples be themselves. I’ve had sessions where couples are like we love running by the Lincoln, we love the monument, we love watching Netflix with our cat. I’m down for anything, as long as it is true to you and not something that feels like an outside pressure or anything like that.

What advice can you give couples?

The photographer in most wedding days nowadays, they’re going to spend all day with you. It’s so important to have someone who fits your vibe – look at full weddings, look at their consistency. Every other vendor gets a slice of you, but the photographer gets the largest portion. Just consider that both in relationship and style, and what kind of wedding day you’re planning.

What’s one memorable experience you’ve had?

About two or three years ago I got to go to Ethiopia, and got to create marketing-level photos for this non-profit that does education and child sponsoring in Ethiopia. It was so incredible, and it aligned with the mission of getting into stories and hearing more about people and cultures that I would never really get to. At the same time, I was creating images that were even more fulfilling. They took risk on me, and it was fulfilling. It’s helped children gets sponsored, it’s helped schools be built in Ethiopia, and I think that’s my favorite project.

Do you have advice for couples during the pandemic?

My biggest thing is be thorough and read contracts. Be sure to ask them for real answers, I’ll be real with every couple, and most vendors should be. If you already have vendors, try and reschedule. Be open and communicative with them because you’re only dealing with them one-to-one, but with us I’m rescheduling 40-50 people. We have conversations with so many couples that might want your date.

Do you have a favorite moment from your wedding?

We decided that we wanted our wedding to be welcoming to all the different circles of life that we had. There’s nothing more welcoming than pizza. We wanted to have pizza as our main meal. Some parents weren’t happy with this, but just do you. I’ve had couples be like “oh, we can do pizza too, since Adam and Sara did it,” and it gave them permission to be themselves.

Looking to get in touch with Adam?
You can find him here:
Instagram: @masonphotography
Website: adammason.com

In the next Meet a Wedding Vendor, we’ll be interviewing the team from Little Acre Flowers. They'll share with us why they love working with local flowers, and their advice for finding the florist for you.