Why I'm Not a Wedding Photographer (and Why That Matters for My Brand Clients)

A few times every year, couples reach out to me and ask if I can shoot their weddings.

While I’m always flattered, it’s been years since I didn’t (politely) say no.

Now, if you know me at all, you probably know that I love weddings—I love the romance, the energy, the dressing up, all the twinkling lights and fancy china and the sweet, heartfelt toasts. I love the laughter and the dancing. I love the tradition, like the tossing of the bouquet, and all the things the best man and matron of honor are tasked with doing. Weddings are magical to me.

And if weddings were as fun for me to photograph, I think I wouldn’t be able to ask for a better job. If, as a photographer, I could relax and sink into all that magic with the wedding party and the guests, I would love it. But I actually get that natural high someplace else:

Brand photography.

MY WORK WITH WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS

Truth be told, there’s a part of me that still secretly likes to do engagement sessions.

Engagement sessions are small and intimate—they’re both relaxed and heavily directed. A couple that’s been recently engaged is about as happy a pair of people as you will ever find, which makes it easy for them to find joy in capturing the moment and embrace instructions like, “Whisper in his ear,” and “Dip her as low as you can go!” In the editing room, my heart positively glows, thinking about how enamored the couple will be when they get their photos back.

Of course, you never see these images on my website, because I’ve created a brand for myself as a photographer who works commercially—shooting the images that small businesses can use for their websites, e-commerce, social media posts, and digital campaigns. But I do still take on the occasional engagement session.

Then there are weddings. In the past, I’ve even been the primary (or only) shooter for a small handful of nuptials. But I learned very early that weddings are not like engagement sessions, and they require a special type of photographer… and maybe that type of photographer wasn’t me.

The best parts of a wedding for me to capture are the parts I can style or direct; because at heart, I’m a creative curator. Those candid bursts of laughter that I’m able to capture—they’re usually not moments I got just waiting for them to strike. They’re moments I created by telling just the right joke or giving just the right direction to get a person to forget about being self-conscious for just a second and just be present. And those are moments you can usually only create with individuals, pairs, and very small groups of people, no more than five or six, max.

Since most weddings are hosted to much bigger groups, sometimes over 100 people, that’s a very different type of project to manage. Some photographers thrive on it. I just enjoy a little more one-to-one contact.

Another aspect of weddings that is vastly different from engagements or brand photography is that there’s no “going back and trying again.” As a photographer, you only get one shot to capture the flowergirl’s beaming smile as her family waves her down the aisle; you only get one shot at that first look between bride and groom; you only get one shot at the kiss that pronounces the couple Husband and Wife. So if you miss the moment—it’s gone.

That’s a lot of pressure, especially for someone who is a natural curator!—and to be honest, I didn’t go into a creative profession because the pressure drives me. I got into a creative profession because I wanted to be surrounded by and to create beauty.

BECOMING A BETTER BRAND PHOTOGRAPHER

Being a full-time brand photographer requires something different of a person, too. If there’s a lot of pressure on wedding photographers to get a moment before it’s gone, that pressure is balanced out by the fact that if you’re charging the going rate, you only need to book 6-10 weddings every year to pay all your bills for 52 weeks. As a brand photographer, you might need to book 48-72 shoots per year to make the same money!

And that means, to be a commercial photographer and make it in the world, you have to get really good at what you do.

When I decided to specialize in brand photography, that gave me the opportunity to get laser-focused on learning how photos actually garner engagement you can measure—the qualities photos can have that make them likely to drive traffic from an Instagram post to an e-commerce listing; from a Facebook ad to a sales page; from a Pinterest pin to a blog post. In other words, I was able to eliminate all other distractions (like becoming better at wedding photography) and get truly excellent at one thing: Brand photography.

Luckily for me, as a brand photographer, I still periodically get to capture many of the magical details that can be part of a wedding—flowers, calligraphy, place settings, jewelry, and wedding cakes. I just capture them all individually for the businesses that create them, instead of as part of someone’s Big Day.

And I also get to capture other things, like bloggers and influencers, food and coffee, home decor, and so much more.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU THAT I’M A BRAND PHOTOGRAPHER

There are a lot—I mean a lot—of photographers out there today offering “brand sessions” in addition to a host of other services on their websites (senior portraits, engagement sessions, boudoir sessions, corporate headshots, maternity shoots, elopement sessions…). And if that’s how they’re able to do photography full-time, more power to them.

But for the brands that have big dreams and aspirations—brands that don’t just want a headshot for their website and a few quick product shots for sales emails—a photographer who specializes in creating an experience through photos is critical. Especially if that specialization consistently leads to photos that convert into subscribers, word-of-mouth, and sales.

A photographer who splits his or her time among four or six different branches of photography probably hasn’t put in the consecutive hours needed to hone in on the complexities of true brand photography. But I have put in those hours. I have forsaken all else in order to be the best Brand Photographer I can be. And that means more for you in the long run.

Moreover, as I’ve gone deeper down the path of understanding high-quality brand photography, I’ve also learned how to use the images, in addition to just creating them, which is how I’m able to offer classes on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, as well as offer digital styling services. This knowledge helps me plan ahead, ask the right questions in the moment, and crop, size, and color-calibrate images for their most impactful applications. The better I get at my job, the more powerful every photo session is for you.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I’M A BRAND PHOTOGRAPHER

There’s probably always going to be a voice in my head when a couple contacts me for wedding photos that says, “Maybe I should do weddings.” After all, what creative person doesn’t love a challenge?

But in the end, what lights me up the most, what I’m best at, and what makes the most difference in the world when I’m doing it is definitely work with brands. So I’m going to continue on this path into the unforeseeable future… and while I reserve the right to change my mind someday, for now I’m very happy working to help small businesses increase their reach and grow to the next heights in their company dreams!

HELLO! MY NAME IS ALEXIS.

Coffee lover, day dreamer, foodie, and creative. I believe in doing what you can with what you have where you are. I blog to help you do more with what you have. I hope you love it here!