The D.J. & Photographer
“Our favorite thing to photograph is couples getting ready together. That’s brilliant stuff.”
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(Photo: Victor Prado/New York Magazine) |
Kenan Juska and Ro Agents, Co-owners of Les Loups
Why did you decide to work
together instead of pursuing separate paths?
Kenan Juska: I’d deejayed a couple of weddings already and loved the vibe. Everyone’s so happy.
Ro Agents: The rest happened organically. Friends of ours were getting married in South Carolina, and they asked us to be a part of it. We’ve always collaborated on creative projects, so it was a natural progression.
Do you prefer digital photography to film?
Agents: Film is incredible, but the beauty in digital is you don’t have to worry about changing rolls or if you’ve got enough.
Do you suggest a mix of color and black-and-white?
Agents: My mentor was a documentary photographer named Mary Ellen Mark, and she used to say everything looks more beautiful in black-and-white. There’s some truth to that, though it’s nice to have a balance.
Kenan, what’s the current trend with deejaying?
When I started doing weddings, I played nothing but vinyl. But [deejaying software] Serato changed the game, because it lets you have the same control as vinyl, but with this giant catalog. If someone told me ten years ago that I’d be showing up to an event with 40,000 songs, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Illustration by Hanna K. Lee
“Put ‘Mundian to Bach Ke’ by Panjabi MC on your playlist. The crowd will go absolutely wild. Dropped at the right moment, it takes the party to a whole different place.”
What songs work best across generations?
A lot of Motown, or songs that people don’t normally hear but have an instant reaction to. Whenever I play Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” people lose it.
No Rihanna then?
People often feel obligated to play Top 40 at weddings. It can go over well, but it can also be a dance-floor killer. Stay true to your tastes.
So do you have a folder on your laptop labeled “I Can’t Believe I Have to Play This Crap?”
[Laughs] No, no. I think it just says POP MUSIC. I’m a firm believer in there being a time and a place for everything; I just prefer Top 40 sparingly, rather than 45 minutes in a row.
Let’s say a couple wants to hire you guys, but you’re already booked on the day of their wedding. Who do you recommend in your place?
Agents: Brooke Fitts from Brookelyn Photography and Shannen Norman; they’re both part of the Wedding Artists Collective, and everybody who works for them is supercool.
Juska: D.J.-wise, there’s $mall hange, Jason Fioto at Generation Events, and D.J. Gaza. They’re all great.
Are you always a package deal?
Juska: We do separate stuff, but it’s hard logistically.
Agents: And we really love working together; that’s part of the fun.
Sounds like you should be couples therapists.
Juska: People always ask, “How do you work together?” For us, that’s the easiest—and best—part.
Agents: We inspire each other. That’s how we fell in love.
Juska: Okay, now you’re getting corny [laughs].