Best Photographer for Couples Who Hate Being Photographed?

You're Not Alone

If you cringe at the thought of posing for photos, you're in good company.

Most couples feel some version of this anxiety. The difference between dreading your wedding photos and actually enjoying them comes down to one thing: the photographer you choose.

The wrong photographer will make you feel like a mannequin being positioned. The right one will make you forget there's a camera in the room.

What to Look For (A Checklist)

When you're evaluating photographers as someone who hates photos, here's what actually matters:

Why Most Photographers Make It Worse

Here's the uncomfortable truth: most wedding photographers don't know how to help nervous couples.

They know lighting. They know composition. They know how to edit. But when it comes to helping a tense couple relax, their entire toolkit is: "Just be natural!"

That phrase is useless. You can't will yourself to feel natural. And hearing it just makes you more self-conscious.

What works is redirection. Instead of asking you to produce an emotion ("look happy!"), a skilled photographer gives you an action that creates the emotion organically.

"Walk toward each other." "Whisper something that makes you laugh." "Tell me about the moment you knew."

Now you're focused on your partner, not the lens. The camera captures what's actually happening between you—not a performance.

"It was such an honor to work with Jeremy... incorporating his own incredible artistic visions and ideas throughout the day without it feeling like a photoshoot. We were so happy that we had the opportunity to work with Jeremy!" — Alyssa M.

My Approach: Theater-Trained Direction

Before I became a photographer, I spent over a decade in professional theater—as an actor, acting coach, and director. I worked at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and won a Jeff Award.

That background taught me something most photographers never learn: how to help people reveal authentic emotion while being observed.

Actors face the same challenge you do on your wedding day. They have to be genuinely present and emotionally vulnerable—while hundreds of people watch. The techniques that help them do that are the same ones I use with couples.

I don't ask you to pose. I give you scenarios that create real connection. You're doing something true—I'm just there to capture it.

The result? Photos that actually look like you. Not stiff, not awkward, not that fake smile you make when someone says "cheese."

"Jeremy was very kind and helped me feel comfortable with being photographed, which is a big deal. The pictures were so creative and each one looked like something from a movie. Easily the best pictures of my life." — Gabi F.

You Might Actually Enjoy It

Here's what surprises most of my camera-shy clients: they end up having fun.

When the pressure to "perform" disappears, something shifts. You stop worrying about how you look and start actually enjoying the moment with your partner. Laughter becomes real. Eye contact becomes meaningful. The day becomes memorable for the right reasons.

And when you see the photos, you recognize yourselves.

That's the goal. Not magazine-perfect images of strangers who happen to be wearing your clothes. Real photos of real you, on the most important day of your life.