002 - Hold My Beer…
Wedding Photography Behind the Scenes in Staffordshire
I remember years ago listening to an interview with a wedding photographer who was asked how they make sure they never miss a shot. I wish I could remember the exact quote—or even who said it—but their answer stuck with me. It was something along the lines of:
"Oh, that’s easy—just grow eyes in the back of your head!"
Now, as a wedding photographer who’s basically blind in one eye, I’m not saying I wouldn’t benefit from that particular superpower… but unless evolution takes a dramatic leap, I don’t see that happening any time soon.
It did get me thinking, though: how do you make sure you never miss a shot?
Well, the answer is... you don’t. And honestly? That’s okay.
Let’s pump the brakes for a second.
Of course there are parts of a wedding day that you absolutely, categorically cannot miss. We’re talking the first kiss, first dance, cake cutting—the key moments. But here’s the thing: those are the easy ones. You know exactly where you need to be and what you need to be pointing your camera at. If you're off wandering the grounds at 8pm instead of parking your butt by the DJ booth, that’s on you!
It’s the in-betweeny bits that are the real challenge.
One of the reasons I absolutely love shooting weddings is that there’s always something happening—usually more than one thing at a time, and, by the cruel design of Sod’s Law, probably at opposite ends of the venue. When I first started out, I’d panic about this. How on earth was I supposed to capture everything?
A couple of years in, I realised: you can’t. And that’s not the goal.
It’s not about capturing every single moment—it’s about feeling the rhythm of the day. Sometimes, it’s about using your ears as much as your eyes. It’s about being present, being ready, and capturing just enough of those little moments within the chaos to tell the full story of the day.
Which brings me (finally) to the image above.
During Kate and Darren’s reception, we were in the middle of organising the formal group shots. I usually like to start with the big group photo and work my way down to smaller combinations. This (usually!) helps avoid the classic "Uncle Bob vanishes for a pint" situation—at least until it’s his turn in a smaller group. At that point, we at least know he’s missing.
As we were moving people around, there was this sort of relay race happening—bottles of beer and glasses of wine being passed in and out of the frame as guests stepped into position. At one point, I heard someone behind me laugh and shout something. I turned instinctively, camera already coming up to my eye, and snapped a quick frame.
It was a little girl, holding someone’s beer while they jumped back into the photo. She had the cheekiest expression, and it was pure gold.
The photo itself isn’t technically perfect. I didn’t have time to compose or think, the light, while not terrible isn’t what I would have chosen—it’s just a snapshot. But that expression? That tiny, fleeting moment?
That’s what I live for on a wedding day.
And it’s a shot that I could easily have missed. I could have been looking for Uncle Bob at the bar (Seriously Bob, please just put your beer down for a moment!) or I could have been off with the couple doing portraits or a myriad of other things.
And that’s ok.
Because for sure, there’ll be plenty of other fleeting moments to capture!
