PHOTOWRITING by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN PORTUGAL
About the couple’s photoshoot in the garden of the Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos in Oeiras
• Pode ler este artigo em Português.
Wedding Photographer: writing with light and soul
As a wedding photographer, words often fall short. And yet, here I am, writing about this art that is much more than capturing images. It is writing with light. Wedding photography is just that: a visual narrative of the wedding day, a story told with each shutter click, each candid expression, each revealed emotion. My preferred form of writing is with light, but from time to time, I also surrender to words — because both serve the same purpose: to tell real stories, with soul.
The invisible writing of a wedding photographer
They say “photography is writing with light”, and as a wedding photographer, I fully embrace that expression. My instrument is not the pen, but the camera. My inspiration comes from the bride’s gaze, the groom’s smile, the guests’ hugs, and the emotions during the wedding ceremony. The writing with words sometimes fails, not for lack of will, but because words don’t always live up to the images.
When ideas disappear
- Inspiration doesn’t always arrive on time:
- Days are filled with editing wedding photos
- Thoughts are busy with the next wedding ceremony
- There’s often no time or energy to write
- Still, the desire to share more than images arises:
- Showing the couple the emotional side behind every click
- Explaining to wedding guests the value of each captured moment
- Sharing the beauty of photographing a love story
Writing with light is my craft
While some write novels or essays, the wedding photographer writes with their lens. It’s a silent form of writing, but deeply expressive. Each wedding photo is a sentence, each sequence a paragraph, each album a full narrative. My mission is to capture what the couple lives and often doesn’t even notice on their wedding day.
The tools of a wedding photographer
- Capturing genuine images:
- The groom’s unexpected tear
- The sparkle in the bride’s eye
- The small gestures between guests
- Editing with intention:
- Highlighting the natural light of the wedding ceremony
- Harmonising colours, tones, and emotions
- Turning each image into an eternal memory
- Preparing every detail:
- Carefully choosing the best photographs
- Building albums that tell unique stories
- Ensuring every client receives more than pictures — they receive a memory with soul
The difference between the two writings
Wedding photography has a major advantage over writing with words: it doesn’t need to be invented. The beauty is already there. The photographer just needs to be attentive, sensitive, and know the right moment. Words, on the other hand, don’t always appear. And even when they do, they don’t always arrive with clarity or emotion. So being a wedding photographer is more than a profession — it’s a state of soul.
The natural image vs. the effort of the word
- Images:
- They are always present on the wedding day
- Only require sensitivity and technique
- They are real, spontaneous, and authentic
- Words:
- Require construction, intention, and inspiration
- Must be summoned with effort
- Sometimes fail, even when there’s a lot to say
Conclusion: between light and words
Ultimately, both written words and wedding photography aim for the same thing: to touch the heart. As a wedding photographer, I feel happy when I can translate what the couple experienced on their big day into images. And I’m even more fulfilled when words also manage to honour that work. But I never forget: what I truly have to show you lies in the light I capture, not in the sentences I write.
Invitation:
If you enjoyed these words, I invite you to dive into the world of writing with light. As a wedding photographer, I have much more to show you — real stories, captured emotions, unique moments that deserve to be remembered. Explore the albums, view the images, and discover how it’s possible to relive your wedding day time and time again, through a well-crafted photograph.
- You can see a full wedding story:
- In Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos Paço de Arcos, Oeiras, Portugal