Capturing love in an authentic way

In a world overflowing with filters, poses, and Pinterest-perfect moments, there’s something deeply powerful about photographing love as it truly is — raw, honest, and unfiltered. As a wedding photographer, my mission is simple: to tell your story just as it happens, capturing the emotion, laughter, quiet glances, and beautiful chaos of the day in a way that feels true to you.

So this isn’t a posing guide for getting great authentic couple poses. And I definitely won’t advise making them stick their heads together like penguins. This is about capturing love in an authentic way as a wedding photographer.

If you’re familiar with my work you’ll know that I’m a documentary wedding photographer. So all this will be covered from an observational, non performative angle. Because I want the real stuff, not some hallmark card, orchestrated wedding photography textbook version of our connections.

I may be in a lucky position – the couples I work with value natural and  authentic wedding photography. So I don’t have to sneak this stuff into the day.

Love is love is love

There is so much love to capture at a wedding. I’m not just talking about the diversity of LGBTQ+ weddings. But there is paternal love, platonic love and so much more going on at every wedding. I want to capture all that. It’s a huge smorgasbord of human connection and emotion, and it’s what I want to capture for the couples I work with.

Remembering who you’re photographing for

Photographing people, especially at events, I think it’s important to remember who you’re capturing these moments for. Try to see your couples through each other’s eyes. Try to understand them through their parent’s eyes. Photographing people requires a lot of empathy – both for the subject and the people around them.

Half of Photojournalism is listening and watching. Stop, listen to people, especially the stories they tell, as all this feeds into capturing the complex relationships between people. Notice the little tics and things that are unique to the people you’re photographing. The little hand squeezes, the sharp intake of breath of a nervous groom. These are the parts that people are going to want to remember when they return to their wedding album years down the road.

Working with couples

I’m a big fan of standing back and letting couples be themselves, even if it’s awkward at first. I so rarely have to step in and assist. I think if you come at the couple shoot with the confidence that you’re not going to step in then it’s so much easier to let them be themselves.

I was reading a book by Dawoud Bey on photographing people. Dawoud has been photographing people for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s also a huge advocate of letting people find their own poses and rhythm – the poses that we think up are never as good as what real live serves up. More importantly, they tell you nothing about the personalities of the subject / couple and often more about what workshops the photographer has been attending this season.

So shoot the in-between moments. Take them for a walk and most importantly let them be themselves. Whether that’s goofy or quiet and restrained – don’t try to enforce any of the standard wedding photographer stuff.

Why Authenticity Matters

When your photos are authentic, they become timeless. They won’t just remind you of how your day looked — they’ll help you relive how it felt. That’s the power of natural, documentary-style wedding photography. It’s not about trends. It’s about truth. It’s about you and your loved ones.