Let’s Chat About Some Industry “Hot Takes”
As the wedding photography industry has grown, so has discourse within it. Clients can sometimes feel pressure to make their wedding day absolutely perfect, stressing about things that may be outside of their control, and photographers can feel the need to jump on trends and stray from their art.
So let’s chat about some “hot takes” that not everyone is saying out loud, and I’ll give you my honest opinions on them.
"A perfect wedding timeline doesn't create perfect photos."
It’s going to shock some brides, but it's true, and flexibility matters more than perfection. If you’ve got a “perfect” and rigid timeline but aren’t willing to step out of it, your photos are going to reflect that more than anything else. Wedding days can be planned down to the minute, but things that are out of your control happen. Trust me, I’ve seen it all.
When you’re flexible and prepared with the proper expectations, not perfect, there’s space for candid moments to happen and breaks for inspiration to strike.
If you’re a bride who’s stressed about creating a timeline, put buffer time in your timeline! No, it’s not going to take 30 minutes to put on your dress, but if you allow for 30 you allow for moments with those helping you get into the dress or a dress reveal to your party. Leaving room to breathe is important on your wedding day.
"Your wedding gallery should look like your memories, not a magazine."
Yes, editorial inspiration is great, but authenticity should always come first. When you look back on the day, you don’t want it to feel disingenuine, like you’re flipping through the pages of someone else’s day. You’ll want to look through real, unposed moments that are what you actually lived through.
"More gear won't make you a better photographer."
Read it again. Skill, observation, communication, and client experience matter more than the newest camera. It’s not about the gear you have, it’s what you do with it. Learning the techniques and understanding how photography works are way more important and will help you create better art than a fancy new camera that you don’t understand, because you take the photos with the camera, the camera doesn’t take the photo. As the photographer, it’s you who must tweak settings and set up the shot and know how to work the gear, whether it's an old film camera or the latest and greatest digital camera.
That being said, here are some pieces of gear that I do think are important, and that clients may want to make sure the person documenting their day has: Dual slot cameras (don’t lose people’s photos), backup cameras and equipment (doesn’t have to all be the nicer gear, but you want to have options in case of the worst case), and lighting, whether its stand lights or a simple flash.
Make sure to ask your photographer if they can work in different lighting situations and how they handle low light, as well as what their backup systems are and what happens if shit hits the fan.
"Community grows businesses faster than competition."
Your community is who recommends you, and photography is a business that works on recommendations. Sure, it may feel like everyone around you is competing to get hired, but people always need photos. They’re always getting married or launching a business, and photography is art, which means it’s personal. Every photographer has their own personal style, and the right clients will find you. And when you build community, you give that the chance to happen instead of competing over a project that might not even be the right fit for your art.
"Most people don't need more photos. They need better reasons to revisit them."
Lots of people get their photo taken, look at the photos, post them, but then do not regularly revisit them. I think more people should!
A good photographer should take photos that, while they may not be timeless, should stand the test of time. Your style, the location, and other factors may change over the years, but a photo that showcases your love will hold up, and should be looked at over time. I encourage clients to create albums and print their lasting memories so that they have tangible ways to revisit them.
“There’s no such thing as a bridezilla”
Listen, if you’re paying large amounts of money to have things the way that you want them and have always dreamed of, then dammit, you should have it! Be particular! It’s literally your wedding day.
When you’re shelling out for your special day, you’re allowed to be as much of a diva as you want. Weddings are stressful, and it can easily all bubble to the top and make you a little crazy. But you know what you want, and I’m here to help make it happen.
“Timeless does not exist.”
Because it just does not. You can aim for things that will age well, but there will always be tells in your photos that tell you when it was taken. I mean, we look back at the 70s and think that’s really cool, so someone’s bound to do that with us now in the future. We don’t look at those 70s photos and think they are still timeless now, but they’re still cool and we appreciate them and they tell a love story, that’s the point.
Plus, trends really just cycle through and nothing is timeless. You can have the same trend but different versions throughout many different decades. While much more editing is “timeless” since more and more photographers are choosing to stay true to color, the focus should still be on capturing an authentic day above all else.
Conclusion
My biggest real hot take personally is that I do want clients that value photography at their wedding. I want clients that want to make their wedding day into a photoshoot in some aspects. Clients who want to focus on blocking off time for couples photos, clients who are particular about their florals and keep the little things in mind.
I want clients who care about their photos because I care about photos. That’s my job! These are your first family heirlooms, the only time that everyone you love will be together, the only time (realistically) that you are in your wedding attire and are most in love you will ever be. I want to work with people who care about making sure it is documented, and I will make sure you have fun and you get everything you want out of it.
