You Don’t Need to Be a Model to Have Good Wedding Photos

If there’s a small part of you thinking, “I’d love good wedding photographs. I’m just not sure I want to be in them,” I understand.

You might love the portraits you’ve seen, but wonder how you and your partner will ever look that comfortable. Especially if one of you treats having a photograph taken as something to be endured, somewhere between the dentist and renewing a passport.

Let me take that particular worry off your list.

You don’t need to learn how to pose before your wedding. You’ve already got enough to do. I’ll help you with the photographs, from finding somewhere lovely to giving you a little direction when you need it.

Mostly, I want you to enjoy a few minutes with the person you’ve just married.

First, let’s give you a minute

By the time we step away for your couples’ portraits, quite a lot may have happened.

The getting ready. The nerves. The ceremony. The realisation that you managed to say the words in the right order. Then a great many hugs.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, you’ve got married.

I think that deserves a moment.

So we’ll find a little space for you to catch up. Tell each other how the morning went. Compare notes on who cried. Have a look at the rings that are now actually on your hands.

You might laugh. You might go quiet. You might just want to lean into each other and take a breath.

You can have that moment. I’ll be paying attention.

I’ll find somewhere lovely

When I’m looking for a place to make your portraits, I’m thinking about how it will feel to be there as well as how it will photograph.

A quiet corner of a garden. A doorway catching the light. Somewhere a little removed from the enthusiastic audience of relatives.

As an Oxfordshire wedding photographer, I’ve got a mental list of quiet corners at most venues across the county and the Cotswolds, but sometimes the best spot is a few steps from where you already are.

I’ll look after the light, the background and the composition. I’ll notice how your dress falls, where a small change of position would help, and when the photograph is already there.

You can leave those decisions with me. For those few minutes, you can simply enjoy being together.

And I will tell you what to do

Giving you space doesn’t mean leaving you wondering what on earth you’re supposed to be doing.

I’ll guide you. We might start with a little walk, or I might ask you to stand close and turn towards the light. Simple things that give you somewhere to begin.

If your hands suddenly feel like unfamiliar equipment, take your partner’s hand. That usually helps.

And if you feel awkward at first, you can say so. We can have a chat, take a breath and settle into it. There’s no expectation that you’ll instantly become comfortable because I’ve picked up a camera.

I want you to feel looked after throughout. You’re allowed to ask questions, tell me what feels comfortable and be yourselves.

What about those editorial portraits?

I love making them.

If you’ve fallen for a photograph with lovely light, a striking composition or that slightly cinematic feeling, I’m very happy to spend a little time making something like that with you.

This is where I might give you more direction. We might arrange the dress, choose where you stand or work with the shape of the space around you.

For me, the editorial part begins with style, form and composition. I’m looking at how all those elements fit together, then helping you feel comfortable within the photograph.

Once we’ve found it, I’ll give you a moment to settle. A glance, a shift of weight, the way your partner reaches for you: those small things can bring the whole picture to life.

Sometimes I’ll pick up the film camera here too. Something about the sound of it winding on makes people stop performing for it.

You can love a carefully composed portrait and still want to feel like yourself. That’s exactly what I’m aiming for.

A few things you can leave with me

Before the wedding, we’ll talk about where portraits fit into your plans. I’ll help you make room for them so that, when the time comes, you know what’s happening and can enjoy it.

If you’re nervous, tell me. If there’s something you’re self-conscious about, you can tell me privately. And if there’s a photograph in my portfolio that you particularly love, I’d be pleased to know.

A practical thought, too: if we’re likely to wander across grass or gravel, a comfortable pair of shoes to slip into can be a very good idea. Your wedding shoes can rejoin proceedings shortly.

Beyond that, there’s very little you need to prepare.

Come as you are. Let me find the space and the light. And give yourselves a few minutes to realise you’re married.

That bit is usually the photograph.

If this sounds like your kind of wedding photography, tell me a little about your day. I’d love to hear what you’re planning.