Hate Posing for Wedding Photos? You’re My Kind of Couple!
If the thought of spending your wedding day posing for photographs fills you with dread, I completely understand.
I hate having my photograph taken too.
That’s one of the reasons I photograph weddings the way I do. Rather than turning your day into a photoshoot, I want you to enjoy it — talking, laughing, hugging people and being completely caught up in everything that’s happening.
I’ll quietly photograph those moments as they unfold.
You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to perform for the camera. And you certainly don’t need to spend hours away from your guests just to get beautiful wedding photographs.
If this already sounds like you, you can see my prices and check availability here.
“We were both so anxious about our photos as neither of us feel like we photograph well, but you made us both feel so beautiful, happy and in love in every shot.”
“Your easy going approach and minimal direction really helped us feel present at our wedding, rather than at a photo shoot.”
— Helena & James
What actually happens if we hate having our photos taken?
For most of your wedding day, you won’t need to do anything for me at all.
I’ll be watching what’s happening around me — the laughter, nerves, conversations, hugs and all those little interactions you probably won’t even notice at the time.
That’s where most of your photographs come from.
I’m not going to keep stopping you and asking you to look at the camera. And I’m certainly not going to spend the day telling you where to put your hands.
Instead, you get to be present with the people you’ve invited to celebrate with you, while I quietly tell the story around you.
But what about photographs of just the two of us?
This is usually the part camera-shy couples worry about most.
I don’t really think of it as a photoshoot. I call it our little walkabout.
We’ll take a short wander together somewhere around your venue. I’ll make use of the surroundings and good light and, if you need a little help, I’ll gently point you in the right direction.
But I’m not trying to manufacture romantic poses.
I’d much rather have you walking, talking and enjoying a few minutes together while I photograph what naturally happens between you.
Often it’s also a welcome chance to escape the bustle for a few minutes and realise: we’re actually married!
Then we’ll get you back to your guests.
“We’re not normally very photogenic people but somehow Clive managed to make us look good with his technique of capturing all those candid shots…”
— Despina & Matt
What if we still want some family photographs?
Absolutely.
Natural wedding photography doesn’t mean you can’t have a photograph with your parents, children, grandparents or the people who matter most.
If you’d like some family group photographs, we’ll agree a short list beforehand. On the day I’ll get everyone together, photograph them efficiently and let you get back to enjoying yourselves.
It’s not about refusing to pose anything. It’s about not allowing photography to take over your wedding.
“But we’re just not photogenic”
I hear this surprisingly often.
Usually, what people really mean is that they don’t like how they look when they’re conscious of having a camera pointed at them.
That’s rather different from not being photogenic.
When you’re laughing with somebody you love, hugging a parent, wiping away a tear or completely lost in a conversation, you’re not wondering what expression you should make for me.
You’re simply being yourself.
And that’s the person I want your photographs to show.
Will you give us any direction at all?
Yes — when it’s helpful.
Documentary photography doesn’t mean I’ll stand silently watching you struggle if you need a little guidance.
I might suggest where we take our walkabout because I’ve spotted beautiful light, help organise your family photographs, or gently point you towards something that will work naturally.
The difference is that the photography fits around your wedding rather than your wedding fitting around the photography.
Wedding photography for people who don’t really like wedding photography
You don’t need to love having your photograph taken to love your wedding photographs.
After photographing weddings for nearly 40 years, I’ve learned that some of the most meaningful images happen precisely because nobody was performing for the camera.
They’re the fleeting expressions, ridiculous laughter, nervous glances, children doing their own thing, grandparents watching quietly, hugs you didn’t see and people simply enjoying being together.
Those are the photographs I spend the day looking for.
Because years from now, I don’t just want to remind you what your wedding looked like.
I want the photographs to bring back what being there felt like.
Sound more like your kind of wedding photography?
If that sounds like you, have a look at my prices and see whether I’m available for your date.