My style and how I work...

I specialise in shooting genuinely natural, documentary style wedding photography; the idea behind this is to retain a relaxed atmosphere where the couple and their guests can feel relaxed and enjoy the day: no contrived directions (e.g. stepping into the nice light), no uncomfortable posing – and consequently no interruption of the flow of events as they unfold. Whilst I am not invisible, as a documentary photographer I capture candid moments from the day with discretion and integrity. I do not seek to create the wedding-by-numbers set pieces that are traditionally associated with wedding photos; rather, I embrace the opportunity to create a sincere, authentic, and timeless record of your day. I am a purposeful eyewitness in the thick of the action, capturing context, fleeting emotions and freezing those moments in time to create a genuine narrative of the wedding. I want to capture the character and characters of the day, weaving together collective memories of moments witnessed and missed.

So what do documentary wedding photographers photograph – and what don’t they?

Some couples may choose to have bride and/ or groom preparation shots: this is often a great opportunity to capture the nerves and excitement in anticipation of the big day – as well as allowing the bridal party to get used to and comfortable with the photographer. But some couples choose not to have this – it is entirely up to you.

There are many good reasons why it’s good to have a few family group shots as a memento of the day (and often there is a lot of pressure to do so) – but if they are required (and again, it is totally up to the couple), I like to keep these sessions quick, relaxed and painless to maximise time to capture the real event.

Couple portraits are another element that can result in some truly beautiful and memorable shots… again, if this is wanted I like to keep the sessions quick and informal, and I aim to capture the couple’s real relationship dynamic (even if it means photographing the bursting into laughter when asked to look into each other’s eyes lovingly!)

Finally – details do help to tell the story of the day, but don’t expect artificially laid out accessories; it’s more about recording the time, effort and love put into the day in the details of the cake, flowers, dress etc.

Nick Emm Photography - based just outside of Oxford, covering weddings across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and further afield