A question that is often asked in business is Why! what drives you to do what you do? And the typical response from most wedding photographers is: “photography is my passion, I love being able to provide my clients with pictures they will treasure forever”! etc etc etc!!! yep, we all say it! if you don’t believe me go look at the first 10 wedding photographers websites on google! you will see what I mean.

Now I’ve got to be honest here, for the first 6 to 8 years of my wedding photography business that’s pretty much what I said too, but lately, I have been delving more into self-development, personal growth and trying to find what really fulfils me. Finding fulfilment in life starts with understanding WHY we do what we do.

I’ve always tried to explain to my clients that wedding photography shouldn’t just be a box to tick on a list of things you need for your wedding. Sure it awesome re-living your day and sharing all your photos on social media for friends and family to see, but there is something way more important than that.

“You see a photograph becomes more than just a memory of a fun time in your life”.

There may be a time in your life when you standing outside watching your house burning to the ground and the most valuable irreplaceable items you have, are those photographs! 

The saddest fact of life is we are all going to lose someone we love eventually. And sometimes these loved ones are taken from us sooner then we expect!

A few years ago I lost one of my best friends to a motorcycle accident, he was 45! we had been best friends for over 25 years! It rocked our circle of friends to the core, and one thing that we all took immense pleasure in was sharing the odd few photographs that we had taken over the years. Photographs of loved ones that are no longer with us are IMMENSELY powerful, SO important they become the ONLY item you need out of that burning house!

I kept hearing in conversation with my friends “I really wish we had taken more photographs when we were together”. Everyone had a few poor quality pictures but that was it. Luckily he had recently attended another friends wedding and there were some great photos of him and all of us together. His Family and friends Were in eternal debt to that photographer for giving them this amazing gift, and I know how it made the photographer feel…. as the photographer was me!

Since then I have a new perspective on what I do and the thing that makes me love my job, it’s not the work that I’m doing, it’s the way I feel when I go there knowing the importance and power of a photograph!

I know all my clients won’t get it yet, but unfortunately one day they will!

So when someone asks me why I do it, I simply tell them, 

“I believe we should all have a visual memory of a special moment in time. So we look back and remember”