Hot Take: Things I Don't Actually Care About as Your Photographer

Okay, I might ruffle a few feathers with this one.

There are certain things that show up on wedding photography checklists that I don't really care about.

And before anyone panics, I'm not saying I won't photograph them. If it's important to you, I will absolutely photograph it. Your wedding is yours, and my job is to pay attention to what matters to you.

But there are a few things that don't exactly make my creative brain light up.

Flat lays

There. I said it.

I'm not a flat-lay photographer.

I don't particularly care about arranging your invitation suite, rings, perfume, shoes, ribbon, stamps, earrings, and seventeen other tiny objects into a perfectly styled composition on a piece of linen.

If that's something you love, great. I'll photograph it.

But what I would much rather do is photograph your details in the environment you're actually getting married in.

Maybe the light is coming through a window and hitting your rings. Maybe your invitation is sitting next to a beautiful floral arrangement. Maybe there's an interesting architectural detail, a plant, a fountain, a piece of furniture, or some little corner of the venue that gives the details context.

I want your photographs to tell me where you were.

I'm much more interested in photographing your things as part of your story than creating a still-life that could have been photographed anywhere.

The marriage certificate signing

This one is always on someone's “must have” list, and I have to admit, I've never really understood why.

I'll photograph it. Of course I will.

If signing your marriage certificate is important to you, I'm there.

But creatively? It doesn't exactly scratch the itch.

There's only so much you can do with two people sitting at a table, looking down at a piece of paper with a pen in their hands.

And that's okay.

Not every photograph has to be an artistic masterpiece. Some photographs are simply records of something that mattered to you.

And I'm perfectly happy to make those photographs too.

Speeches

I photograph speeches. I just don't need 47 photographs of them.

I'll get the person speaking, your reactions, your friends laughing, your parents tearing up, the room, the atmosphere, and the moments that feel worth remembering.

But eventually, you've got a person holding a microphone.

Then another person holding a microphone.

Then everyone cheering.

Then everyone laughing.

Then everyone clapping.

You get the idea.

After a while, we're just making variations of the same photograph.

This is one of those parts of the day where I think video can be incredible. A photograph can capture the reaction, but video lets you actually hear the story, the terrible joke, the toast that made everyone cry, and the way your best friend completely lost it halfway through.

I'll document the important parts.

I just don't need to turn the entire speech into a photo essay.

And you know what else I don't care about?

Everything being perfect.

Actually, I care about this one a lot.

I don't need your veil to stay perfectly in place. I don't need every hair to cooperate. I don't need your dress to stay spotless. I don't need you to hold back tears because you're worried about your makeup.

Let the wind mess up your hair.

Let your nose scrunch when you laugh.

Let yourself cry.

Let your dress drag through the grass.

And if you're having an outdoor wedding in a big-ass white dress, news flash: the bottom of that thing is probably going to be brown by the end of the night.

Don't worry. Dry cleaners are magicians.

I'd much rather photograph you actually enjoying your wedding than have you spend the entire day worrying about keeping everything pristine.

Because here's the thing.

I don't love my job because I get to photograph perfect details.

I love it because I get to witness your people. I get to see the way your partner looks at you when you aren't paying attention. I get to watch your friends completely lose their minds on the dance floor (and you better believe I'll be right there with them). I get to experience all of the little things that happen when the plan inevitably meets real life.

That's the good stuff.

When your wedding becomes a checklist of photographs we have to get, it gets boring.

When I get to experience the day with you and pay attention to what is actually happening, that's when I get excited.

So yes, I'll photograph the marriage certificate.

I'll photograph the rings.

I'll photograph the speeches.

And if you really want a perfectly styled flat lay, I'll do my best.

But then I'm going to turn around and photograph the thing happening behind you that you didn't even realize was happening.

That's the stuff I care about.