NYC Wedding Photographer

Thank you so much for stopping by. I’m a NYC + Philly intimate wedding and elopement photographer specializing in artistic wedding photography. Based in the Northeast, I’ve been pursuing photography for over 20 years, with nearly a decade focused specifically on weddings and elopements. I currently shoot 35mm film and digital. I’m especially drawn to vibrant, colorful celebrations, unconventional souls, and couples who value creative imagery. I also have a small collective that works with me, offering Super 8, video and content creation. We serve couples in New York, Philadelphia, the Poconos, Eastern Pennsylvania, and NJ. Always willing to travel for connections that feel right.
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Gianna Leo Falcon Photographer

Gianna Leo Falcon

New York City Wedding Photographer

Me and my Husband a great example of photo styles I love !

I can’t remember a time when photography didn’t play a significant role in who I am. I got my first real camera at 14 from my grandfather Paul, he was a major influence in my photographic journey. I remember after he passed I would go visit my Nana and got through his drawers and came across his world war II images, this is years before photography was a real thing for me and remember falling in love. I don’t know if i knew it then but that imprinted on me and i believe must have subconsciously driven towards this years later. The texture and feeling a photo gives us like the image itself is the time keeper and the historical tablet.

I spent my twenties immersed in this craft, what started off as a hobby soon became an obsession, I think in reflection it was an entire lifestyle, I devoted a lot of those years to self portraiture and personal portraits of the lovers and community I was surrounded by.

My wedding journey is kind of funny and a little 2000s bizarre. I came to weddings by chance in 2016 through a Craigslist ad, of all places. As many know, being an artist doesn’t pay the bills, and in a last-ditch effort, there I was once again seeking paid photo work by any means necessary. I never thought weddings would be the missing link for me, the piece that clicked in, but it was. I spent five years working for that NYC-based elopement company off Craigslist, helping them during their inception stages and becoming an integral part of their start-up.

In 2020, when the world literally stopped moving, it gave me space to reflect. While I had learned a lot from them and established myself in the wedding and elopement scene of NYC, it ultimately wasn’t the best fit for my creative growth. I decided that year, moving forward, I wanted to work only for myself and have more artistic freedom.

I think my work falls into somewhat of an alt category. The work I create is more about human connection authenticity and this idea that each person and each wedding is its own, and that two weddings or people aren’t the same, tho maybe they possess similarities ( its a wedding) they deserve their own attention and magical spark. That means I don’t copy and paste some pose I saw on Pinterest, I really lean into spontaneity and being totally present with my clients. And I love classic portraits like the one of me and my husband, that are just that, a photo!  and oh so meaningful just as it is.

I work with both 35mm film and digital formats. But some would consider me more of a 35mm film wedding photographer. This is absolutely a love affair here. I believe film is powerful in the way it captures reality, similar to how the mind remembers it, imperfect, fractaled, and dreamlike. I believe this is truly why we keep coming back to film time and time again. No matter how many updates emerge in the tech world, humans crave things that feel real and give them a sense of nostalgia or home, film does just that.

In addition to photography, I hold a master’s degree in counseling from NYU and work part-time for Anwari Counseling in Bethlehem, PA. I live in the Poconos with my husband, Ralph, an arborist, and our two children, Luchiana and Odin. We value family time, home-cooked meals,  local farmers markets, supporting friends’ music and art, and trying to be outside as much as we can. (Photo taken by Time Traveler Tintype)

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NYC Wedding Photographer
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FAQs

My style of photography is artistic + documentary. I shoot both digital and 35mm film, with 35mm film being what I mainly showcase on my website.

I would consider my work a little raw, but also editorial in quality, often attracting couples who are alternative, artistic, and want wedding photos that feel unique.

I have been a fine art photographer for over 20 years now and always bring that passion into the work I do. Like I always say, there is no one recipe that works for everyone. My work is personal, meaningful, centered around human connection, and loving all of our differences.

Also, I want to put some clickbait here: “anti-bride” gets thrown around a lot, but anti-bride doesn’t mean different or unique. It has actually become its own genre of very trendy, good-looking wealthy couples, and after a few years of being online, they also perpetuate that sameness that isn’t fair to the nuance and diversity within us all.

I'd love to coin a new term that isn't about being anti anything, but about being a lover of reality and imperfection :) Im not sure what it would be called, but I toy around with the idea of creating my own wedding blog or podcast, all about this weird anti bride culture, thats all BS. 

 

Yes, I currently specialize in elopements and intimate weddings with guest counts under 150. However, I take on a very select number of larger weddings each year if the energy feels aligned to do so. Please don't hesitate to reach out, we may be the perfect fit . 

I offer all potential clients a complementary intro call,  via Google Meet, Zoom, or phone. This is a chance for us to get to know each other and see if it feels like a good connection.

If we decide to work together, we move forward with a standard contract that protects both of us legally. A 30% non refundable booking fee is required to reserve your date. This fee secures your wedding day and covers the cost of turning away other work.

Through out the year I am available for support as needed, as we get 60 days out we begin to work on timelines and shot lists. 

Oh pricing :) another element of this industry that remains illusory and maybe even delusional at times my pricing is somewhere in the middle. 

My elopement's start at 2k and intimate weddings at 5k. More info about wedding pricing see my blog here 

 

While I don't directly offer these services I have put together a solid trusted vendor list I refer folks to. If interested I can send over these options. 

While the goal is to be as authentic and true to real life as possible, we all need some level of guidance and validation to create strong images. I typically ask couples to think about how they really are when no one’s watching. How do you sit with each other at home? How do you walk down the street? Are you openly affectionate, or more reserved? I use that natural, unique dynamic to guide how we shoot and work together.

I also think it’s important to validate, compliment, and encourage people. There’s definitely a performative aspect to photography, but a truly documentary approach means recreating real life and genuine human behavior not pretending to be someone else for photos.

I believe life is beautiful as it is. I intentionally keep things simple and straightforward to honor that, avoiding the clichés that are common in the industry. My direction is minimal: looking at each other, holding hands, walking toward or away from me, standing in sunlight for a classic portrait, or using reflected light as it moves across a wall.

I’m inspired by street photography from the ’80s and ’90s, and I enjoy catching people while they talk, shift, and move naturally.

Family portraits are set up with a specific goal, to bring people together and ensure all requested groupings are photographed with the best backdrop available. As a documentary-style portrait photographer, I approach this process in an intentional and thoughtful way that feels less stagnant than traditional family portraiture. Sometimes I come in close while people are sill talking and take photos of family members as the staged photo unravels, capturing the natural cadence of family interactions. 

For my purposes, I work best with a very minimal, skeletal shot list, and yes, I help create this. I also help with ideas for portrait sessions and selecting backdrops for all set-up and posed photographs. Timelines typically include my arrival time, ceremony, family portraits, couple portraits, reception, dinner, and dancing. If you choose to work with an extensive shot list, I strongly recommend hiring a wedding planner or designating a trusted friend to help coordinate. At this stage in my career, my focus is on creating truly thoughtful and creative imagery, and that requires a degree of freedom. Overly detailed lists and rigid timelines can sometimes be limiting and realistically are often not followed the day of. 

In the event that I am unable to perform due to illness or an unforeseen emergency, I will arrange for a qualified backup photographer. I am part of a large photography network in NYC and Northern Pennsylvania, which allows me access to trusted professionals when needed. I will remain involved in the process and handle the editing and delivery of your final gallery. If a suitable replacement cannot be secured, a full refund will be issued. For weddings with over 150 guests, I strongly encourage adding a second photographer to ensure fuller coverage and an additional layer of backup.

Zelle is my primary method of payment. I also accept CashApp and PayPal. Cash is accepted for final payments only.

Yes, I carry standard liability insurance and can provide a certificate of insurance to venues upon request.

Yes. Please inquire and I am happy to share full galleries.

35mm film is the original photographic medium for both still and motion imagery. As digital photography became dominant, much of this format was left behind. Film offers a depth, texture, and quality that is difficult to replicate digitally. Each image has a distinct and tangible presence. It lives in a three dimensional world.

Much like our own minds and the way we remember our lives, imperfect and tangential, 35mm film is similar. It holds nuance and a quiet kind of magic. I believe it feels closer to the human imagination than digital, and within that, there is a familiarity we are naturally drawn to.

35mm film is also, quite literally, a different camera system. I carry a few with me at each wedding, including my 35mm manual camera, my Kodak half frame, and my Yashica T4. I also have a few other heavy hitters, including a Bronica medium format camera. I have fallen deeply in love with this form of photography. It does not compare to digital. They are almost different mediums, even though they are doing the same thing in effect.

Another main difference is cost. Film rolls are expensive to purchase and develop, and the process is far more time consuming. It requires a different skill level and a higher level of attention to detail from your photographer.

Yes. As a mother of two, I have a deep appreciation for maternity and family photography. These sessions are documentary in nature and shot on 35mm film and digital. Full galleries are available here.

New York City Intimate Wedding Photography & Elopement Photography Services

Portraits

Testimonials

I cannot say enough good things about Gianna. Her documentary-style vibe was the perfect fit for our more laid-back elopement + party. We never wanted anything to feel forced or cheesy. She has genuinely mastered the art of taking authentic and real pictures that are still so beautiful.
Not only is her work amazing, but she made everything feel so comfortable and easy. We all genuinely had a blast running around all over NEPA taking photos. It was a truly magical day and Gianna played a huge role in that.

Kait and Jerry

We were so lucky to have our wedding shot by Gianna! She was super responsive from day 1, easy to collaborate with, and made us feel extremely comfortable and natural in front of the camera! And, of course, the film and digital shots came out beautifully. I’d definitely recommend her to anyone out there looking for natural, “documentary” style photographs 🙂 (also: she is super cool herself! Great person to hang with!)

Isabel and Daniel

Gianna is the perfect photographer for couples seeking a relaxed experience. You can truly be yourself, enjoy your day, and trust that she will capture the significant moments and all the little details that you may not even realize matter so much. She is a serious artist and a genuinely kind human. We felt incredibly fortunate to have her as part of our special day.

Karl and Karen

“WOW! We could not recommend Gianna enough as a wedding photographer. The day of Gianna was fun, professional, and helped us make the most of every shot. She seems to have an eye for finding the perfect shot wherever we went throughout Brooklyn and knew where to take us to find interesting street art and views. She brought a positive vibe and great energy throughout. If you are looking for fun and unique shots, look no further!”

Gabby & Tom

“Gianna is a master of her craft & an all around incredible person who we are *so* grateful to have gotten to work with. Planning to have a tiny wedding ceremony in 2020 was a rollercoaster, but the stars really aligned when we found Gianna. Her photojournalistic style is so special; she captured us, our day, and the neighborhood we love so beautifully. Our wedding was very intimate, and Gianna fit right in & made us all feel at ease. It was a privilege to work with such a passionate and talented artist whose unique vision we could trust implicitly. If you’re looking for a photographer who will capture your day in a way you will treasure forever – seriously look no further! Each image is such a gift. We can’t thank you enough, Gianna!”

Dylan & Jordan

“Gianna was such an amazing part of our wedding. She was so flexible, accommodating, and friendly. Everyone loved her work. She first shot an engagement shoot with us and after that we knew we wanted her for the wedding. Those photos were a hit and everyone wanted to know who shot us. She was attentive when taking shots guiding us to get the most flattering ones and patient when we needed breaks or weren’t feeling the shots. She’s super down to earth and intuitive. We have her bookmarked for any future events and gave her info out to guests as well.”

Mischa & Samir

“I cannot say enough good things about Gianna. Her documentary-style vibe was the perfect fit for our more laid-back elopement + party. We never wanted anything to feel forced or cheesy. She has genuinely mastered the art of taking authentic and real pictures that are still so beautiful.
Not only is her work amazing, but she made everything feel so comfortable and easy. We all genuinely had a blast running around all over NEPA taking photos. It was a truly magical day and Gianna played a huge role in that!”

Kait & Jerry

“Gianna was brilliant I’m so happy we chose her to photograph our wedding. She was very flexible with timings (even last minute changes on the morning of) and made us feel relaxed and ourselves. My favorite thing is that she shot on film and digital, so special to have both mediums. She’s truly a master of her craft and a wonderful human. Thanks Gianna for giving us the best memories to keep forever”

Olivia & David

“So when you elope from Tennessee to have your wedding in NYC you want the best of everything; the best location, the ceremony, and the best photographer, and that is what we had! Gianna made our wedding a true fairytale! Gianna brought the city to us! Our photos were so unique and creative. We had so much fun traveling around the city that she knows so well. She captured the brilliance and magic of her New York and shared it with us, making our day so very special. The photos bring back the feel of day to us each time we see them.”

Lucy & Gary

“Gianna was an absolute pleasure to work with. Her passion, charisma, and energy really shines in her elopement photography. Her attention to detail and professionalism really blew us away. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer for our New York City wedding. Gianna has a strong knowledge of the city and knew all of the best places to take stunning photos. Our family and friends could not get over how well our photos turned out and thought they should be featured in magazines! We will always have such vivid memories from our special day whenever we look at Gianna’s photos. Thank you for everything Gianna!”

Chris & Gillian

“Sometimes thank you doesn’t seem enough. You amazed us. When we first booked our wedding we had our fingers crossed we’d get to have you as our photographer and we can’t tell you how happy we were when we got you! Your passion and love for what you do shines through. It’s so lovely to watch someone who has truly found their unique talent in this world. We know every photo you took could not have been taken by anyone else. Our photos are beautiful, you’ve captured our happiest moments and turned them into something so special for us and our family. Thank you for everything – you are one of a kind. “

Jemma & Matt
Coming up on 10 years with this beautiful guy right here! I still remember the night we met like it was yesterday a memory that I hope will never fade.. we met at a nyc spot called the tender trap. Who remembers the tender trap ? I was absolutely not looking for love that night but once we connected we couldn’t stop talking and I felt a feeling of home with him .. I remember those first few weeks so vividly, it was like highschool all over again and I couldn’t get enough of him, we were inseparable .. in a wild witchy twist of fate the apt building he had been living in burned down and we made some really big decisions only weeks into our romance to move in together .. the truth is I couldn’t have imagined not being around him or with him so it was such a blessing.. in those early months our love felt so effortless and both of our lives got better with eachother. He started working more full time in the carpenters union and my wedding work really became my full time job alongside graduate school for counseling .. it didn’t take long for us to both realize that kids and this energy around making babies together was a real thing, the truth is I spent most of my adult life after abdominal surgery thinking I couldn’t have them, but after some fertility testing found out I could and 3 months later we found out we were pregnant with our first child Luchiana ! That was the happiest day of my life .. then the pandemic happened and tested and rocked our world and we make this huge decision to move to PA this could have been a breaking point for us, he didn’t want to leave NYC and I couldn’t stay, but it wasn’t and our love grew and we ended up with our son Odin:) he was definitely a mistake but I had been thinking of him as many mothers do for months prior.. our life over the last 10 years has been filled with so many trials and has acted as huge testaments for why I love this man so much ! He’s my best friend and late night we still stay up talking way too late about everything and nothing .. I love you Ralph ! And as I just kissed you good bye I felt it again I’m still so in love with you .. you and our kids mean the world to me .. and I love your hands so much .. ❤️
Usually get one of these magical photos per wedding ! This is the one for @katehmcternan ❤️
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