Perfectly Imperfect Wedding Photos

I recently listened to a podcast interview with photographer John Dolan, and something he said really stayed with me. He spoke about wedding photos that are imperfect — and how those are often his favourite images. Not the technically flawless ones or the carefully lit portraits, but the photos that hold feeling. The ones that show what the day actually felt like.

It got me thinking about my own work, and how true that is for me as well.

Some of my favourite wedding images aren’t technically perfect. The light might be harsh, there might be too much sun flare, a moment slightly off, or a touch of motion blur. But somehow, they’re exactly right. Because what they capture matters more than technical correctness.

These images have heart and depth.
They tell a story. They show emotion, movement, and sometimes the beautiful chaos of the day. They capture the in-between moments — a look shared between two people, a quiet pause, or a breath taken when no one else is watching.

That’s where emotion and beauty really live.

Weddings are full of carefully planned details, but the magic often happens in the spaces between them. When expectations drop. When people are fully present. When something real slips through. These moments don’t wait for ideal light or clean backgrounds. They just happen — and if you’re paying attention, you catch them.

I often find myself converting these images to black and white, because black and white grounds them. It strips away distraction and lets the story come forward, with the emotion becoming the focus.

I love creating beautiful portraits. I love when everything comes together and the light is right and the moment is polished. But it’s these imperfect images that are always my favourites. They’re the ones that make me feel something — both when I’m taking them and when I return to them later.

They aren’t about perfection — just honest moments that show how it felt.