You’re Not Choosing a Photographer. You’re Choosing a Perspective.
Memory has a way of deciding what is important. You might not remember the color of your reception napkins, but you will remember the way your partner looked at you before anyone else noticed.
Photography has a way of preserving these moments, and that’s why choosing a wedding photographer has very little to do with finding “the best” one.
The Wrong Question.
Most people ask themselves: “How do I choose the best photographer?” But I don’t think that’s the right question. Any good photographer can get the shot, and because of this, the better question is: “Who do I want standing beside me on one of the most emotionally significant days of my life?”
A photographer isn’t just another vendor, they’re not standing on the sidelines watching the day happen — on quite the contrary, your photographer will be there for every moment of the day, guiding it along. They’ll be there when your partner’s voice cracks while the vows are being exchanged, they’ll be there while you button your dress, and when your best friends are dancing barefoot at the reception.
You aren’t just choosing photos. You’re choosing the person who will preserve your memories.
Every Photographer is creating art.
Something I wish more people understood is that this art is not objective. Two photographers can stand before the exact same scene yet capture it in entirely different ways: one notices the grandeur of the venue, another notices movement, one is drawn to light, to color — all while another notices the attire or emotion.
None of them are wrong. They are simply paying attention to different things.
So before you book your photographer, don’t ask yourself what they’re capable or capturing; instead, ask yourself what they consistently notice — because that is what will be highlighted on your wedding day.
Moreover, the best photographers don’t just have different editing styles — they have different instincts. They anticipate different moments. They value different things. Some are looking for perfection, while others are looking for connection. Neither is wrong, once again. But one of those ways of seeing might feel more like your own than the other.
Pay attention to how their work makes you feel.
As you’re scrolling through a photographers portfolio, don’t immediately worry about how much they charge or overanalyze the angles or lighting; rather, really linger in your first impression. Do you feel calm? Nostalgic? Can you imagine yourself in the gallery?
There is a difference between admiring someone’s work and feeling at home in it. The latter is usually what stands the test of time.
Imagine Yourself, Not the Couple.
On the same note, it’s so easy to look at beautiful people in beautiful places, and think that of course these photos are gorgeous. But try imaging that it’s your gallery, you’re the one in the photos: would you feel comfortable being directed that way? Ask yourself if you can picture your story being told in that same way, and if it feels right then you’ve probably found a photographer worth paying attention to.
Your Photographer Shapes Your Experience.
I think the common understanding is that a photography is just there to document your day as it unfolds. And while this is true, documentation is just the surface: your photographer is one of, if not the greatest influence. The pace of the day, whether you’re constantly posing for the camera or simply spending time with one another, whether your day feels like a photoshoot or a wedding… all of these things are what your photographer has control of.
The right photographer won’t just deliver a beautiful gallery, they’ll create the environment where those moments happen naturally. No photographer is the same in this regard, so finding someone that really resonates and understands the desired atmosphere of your day is beyond important.
The Best Photos Usually Aren’t Planned.
Years from now, you’re not going to remember standing at the altar for an hour after the ceremony, posing for another set of family portraits… you’re going to remember your dad tearing up when he saw you, and the way everyone squeezed onto the dance floor because your favorite song was playing. You’re going to remember love.
The photos you treasure the most will not be the ones that were curated in the moment, they’re going to be the ones that weren’t planned, the ones you never even saw coming. And going back to different photographer perspectives, a good photographer will see the moment for what it is: one that you’re going to treasure forever.
Maybe the Right Photographer isn’t the One Everyone Else Loves.
Let’s be real here: your wedding doesn’t need to look like a Pinterest board, your friend’s wedding, and certainly not a whatever trend is popular that year.
A photographer can be wildly talented and deliver a gallery that is beautiful – but will it be sentimental for you? The right photographer is simply the one whose way of seeing the world aligns with yours – because when someone understands what matters to you, they don’t just document it… they preserve the feeling of it.
And that’s what I hope for you. A deeper understanding.
Choose the perspective.
When you’re choosing a photographer, you’re really choosing whose eyes you’ll remember your wedding through. Choose someone whose way of seeing the world feels a little like your own.Because in the end, that’s what you’re really taking home — not just a gallery, but a perspective.
All the best,
Laura Ringstaff
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