After photographing several weddings at PAFA, also known as The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, it’s become one of my favorite venues in Philadelphia. PAFA weddings are held in two different buildings. The Historic Landmark Building by Frank Furness is considered one of his most iconic works, and is America’s first modern building. This building, on Broad Street in Philadelphia, is home to the Academy, and the museum.
The wedding ceremony at PAFA is usually held on the landing area of the incredibly ornate steps, and the reception, depending on the size, is also held in the “old” building. Larger events have the receptions held in the “newer” building next door. If I had a preference, I’d rather photograph the entire event in the older building amongst the magnificent works of art. The ceilings are immensely high, and the backgrounds are quite appealing from a compositional standpoint. That said, the newer building is also a lovely spot, and even though it’s more modern, it doesn’t lack flavor given it’s wonderful exhibits that are constantly changing in the galleries.
This image, taken on said steps, gives a good sense of the grand nature of the building, and juxtaposes this beautiful couple with the art. I created this with a Nikon Z9 and a Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8S lens. To learn more about weddings at PAFA, go to www.pafa.org.
Location: 118-128 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
1/500; f/2.8; ISO 2000; 36.0 mm.