About Me
My name is Marcus Million and I'm a wedding and elopement photographer in Kansas City. I love KC but I also have a passion for travel and am always excited to go anywhere in the world to document engagements, weddings, and elopements. I also love photography. It's more than a hobby; it's a huge, daily, part of my life outside of weddings. I'm so glad I can bring that passion to documenting couples’ lives and their weddings.
WHO AM I FOR? (My Approach)
I like to say my goal is to make photos that are timeless and authentic. Authentic meaning that they are true to the people in the photo, true to the day, true to the feelings that were had and memories of it. My style is photo-journalistic and candid. From getting ready, to the ceremony, to the reception, I want to capture things as they happen. I think of myself as an extra member of your wedding party - documenting the beautiful moments and staying out of the way of your day. We'll have some short times set aside for directed portraits but the day is about the start of your marriage.
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And timeless meaning that my photos are of a classic, nostalgic style that won’t age. I want them to feel just as warm and expressive years down the road as they do during your honeymoon.
My photos look like how you remember your day
I'm for couples that want to hire someone passionate about photography, to be a relaxed addition to their group, capturing the amazing memories, beautifully, while they happen, as they are. I'm for couples looking for photos they'll love just as much 10 and 20 years from now.
WHY FILM?
Just as I strive to make timeless and authentic photos, film is a timeless and authentic medium. It's analog, physically capturing what the day looked like in the most beautiful and nostalgic way. The limitations are what make it true and genuine. There's only so much that can be done to the photos after they're captured. The constraints of film also push creativity the same way a painter might choose a limited color pallet or only one brush technique. I love working inside its limits to find the hidden treasures. Even if I can’t shoot on film for every section of the day, I still maintain that look on my digital photos.
"The imperfections you're tempted to fix might prove to be what make the work great" - The Creative Act, Record Producer Rick Ruben
INFLUENCES
I've been surrounded by cameras since I could talk. They were always a part of life whether it was my toy 110 film camera or my dad constantly documenting every minute of our childhood. I vividly remember the first time I looked through his Pentax K1000 and the big telephoto lens; needless to say I was hooked. These days I practically always have a camera with me taking photos of my friends and places I'm traveling through, capturing the feelings and energies of moments and places. When I'm not taking photos myself, I'm usually reading coffee table photography books or following some of my favorite photographers.
MARK SHAW
One of the most prolific freelance celebrity photographers of the mid-century, Mark Shaw spent decades documenting celebrities on movie sets and in their every day lives. He worked on over 100 assignments for Life magazine following Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Pablo Picasso, and Coco Chanel to name a few. He was also the Kennedy's unofficial family photographer. Countless iconic portraits of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy came from his camera, with some of his most famous work from the set of Sabrina. His ability to find creative angles to show people in their authentic, real-life settings is something I try to channel.
GREG WILLIAMS
I can all but guarantee you've seen the work of Greg Williams. Working with magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Esquire, he is a freelance photographer known for his incredibly authentic celebrity portraiture. He is focused on capturing genuine personalities and moments, while working extremely quickly in (often times) unideal and unprepared settings. I really love his approach to posing and working with his subjects, never over directing or asking them to act like someone else.