Beautiful Black Weddings: How to Choose a Photographer Who Captures You BestI recently had a bride tell me how much it meant to have her skin tone glow the way it did in her wedding photos; beautifully lit as she laughed, looking like her best self. You’ll see many skin tones in my wedding portfolio, a natural development as I’ve photographed friends, clients, community members, and new couples through word-of-mouth bookings. It’s important to me that my portfolio has people from a range of cultural backgrounds, couples with different skin tones, a diverse portfolio that lets you picture yourself in my photos. I’m proud of the way I let each person feel and look their best; in how I aim to put them at ease, capture their joy, and snap the moments you’ll want to relive for years to come.
If you’re planning a wedding and you’re someone with a darker skin tone, let’s have a real conversation about choosing an Ottawa wedding photographer who knows how to capture you beautifully. Because, as you likely already know, not every photographer knows how to capture each skin tone in its fullest light. In honour of Black history month (and in honour of you!) let’s explore the importance of People of Colour in photography.
The history of photography in relation to melanin, Blackness, and People of Colour carries stories of racial bias, with a prioritisation of white bodies and the way they were captured over anyone else. This history is also rich with joy, important movements, and definitive moments throughout time.
Back in the 19th century, Frederick Douglass, the African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, and writer often went to a daguerreotype studio to have his portrait taken. He used these photographs to give people a new vision of who an African-American man was in a time when there weren’t images like this, and his portraits were a central part of abolitionist movements. Around the same time over here in Canada, William “Billy” Beal was capturing pioneering life in the prairies of rural Manitoba. Shortly after he immigrated there from the states, the Canadian government passed a law banning Black people from immigrating to Canada. His photographs, like those of other under-celebrated Black photographers of the time, captured a much needed perspective of his experience at the time.
Decades later, American Professor W.E.B. Dubois also used his photographs to highlight Black excellence and achievement, creating a gallery dedicated to portraits of achievement in the 1900s, and spoke openly about the awful way in which dark skin was captured, talking about how “the average white photographer does not know how to deal with coloured skins.” These are only a few stories of how Blackness and photography were partners for important social movements of change. You can imagine how the inclusion of these photographs into our commonly known history, and many others that haven’t seen the light, expand how we see history and each other. This is a helpful history to have in your back pocket as you’re exploring how your own special moments will be captured. It’s also an essential history for all photographers to understand as they learn about lighting, natural light photography, and connecting with their subjects.
James Van Der Zee is a beautiful example of how the movement to capture Black joy evolved from this historical legacy. Chronicling life in 1920s-1930s Harlem, his photographs of weddings, engagements, parties, and special events are said to be some of the most comprehensive documentations of the Harlem Renaissance. Pieces of Canadian history surface as time goes on too, like this young man who started an Instagram account celebrating the African Diaspora in Canada after he found his grandfather’s photos of everyday life in Ontario. As his photographing grandfather put it, ““There is an onus for us to document ourselves. I certainly wasn’t waiting for anyone to tell me about Black Kitchener-Waterloo—it was incumbent upon me to do so.”
Let’s come back to the basics here, because when it comes down to it, I’ve found that most couples have the same three goals in common when it comes to their wedding photography:
Photos that represent you wellOverall, you want images to look back on in the years to come, photographs that timelessly represent you and the people you love. This means photos that are well taken professionally where you look comfortable, beautiful and at ease. In terms of skin tone, this also means having a photographer who has exposed the picture just right so you can shine.
One of my favourite things is getting my clients to let their guard down, so that I get a natural laugh, or a smile, or catch a moment between them and others. Great photos mean finding someone who is a good cultural fit for the energy of your day. If the photographer you’re working with makes you feel nervous, or doesn’t put you at ease, you’re more likely to look stiff in wedding photos. It’s a personal choice, and sometimes just comes down to a vibe!
Being able to be present in the day matters. You don’t want to miss a thing. Your family is here from out of town, you’re seeing friends you haven’t seen in years, you’re reunited with old work acquaintances. Once you’ve made a decision about a photographer – and happily hired me (great choice!) – it’s so important to be able to enjoy the day and spend time with the people you love. A great photographer blends into scenes and captures candid moments of joy. One of my favourite things after I shoot is having couples ask, “Wait, when did you take that? I didn’t even see you there!” When it comes to this really important day, you want someone who’s noticing the details.
This is such an important question, and you’re not alone in thinking about this. There’s meaning in how we capture bodies, how skin tones are captured, and how a photograph makes you feel when you pose for it and when you look at it later.
When looking at online forums, I often see questions like this one, posted on Wedding Wire: “...I found another photographer that I like but after showing his work to my [future husband] he mentioned that he didn’t see any pictures of African Americans. Now I’m wondering if it’s bad to ask to see his past work with African Americans?”
My instinctual answer to this kind of question would always be a resounding “Of course it is okay! That is a perfectly sound request. If you’re a Person of Colour or you’re part of a multicultural family, whatever your background it’s wise to make sure you’ll be beautifully captured. It’s always okay to kindly ask for whatever you need, to have a clear sense that the person you’re hiring to photograph your big day is the right fit to capture you.” Even from a cultural standpoint beyond skin tone, someone who’s photographed a culturally-specific wedding may have insights that mean they’ll get all the right moments on camera. For example, a photographer who’s already shot a big glorious Indian wedding might also have intel into how a traditional ceremony works, what moments are culturally significant, and as a result can flow with your day seamlessly.
Of course asking to see more work can feel loaded, but if a wedding portfolio is full of a certain demographic of couples, it’s only logical that you’d want to see someone who looks like you to be able to envision your own shots.
Let’s also just establish that despite having very personal and historical implications, it’s also objectively true that different skin tones, complexions, and colours require different lighting, setup, or reflectors to maximize a photograph.
You want a photographer with experience, skills, and a proven portfolio that supports the kind of aesthetic you’re looking for on your wedding day.
If someone has only photographed people with a specific skin tone, they are less likely to be proactive in setting up the exposure in a way that maximizes a gorgeous look for all couples. It also can represent an unconscious bias or trend. If you and your partner have different skin tones, it’s also important to see examples so that you know the photographer is able to bring out the beauty of you both, rather than one person being over or under-exposed. Your photographer should be there to celebrate you, with all that it entails. Better to ask the question that feels awkward now than to have photos come back that don’t represent you. The way a photographer responds will also speak volumes to their approach. Or even better, pick someone whose gallery is full of People of Colour and Black folks, where they are looking comfortable, joyful, and gorgeously lit!
Making sure someone is a good fit for the aesthetic you love and brings out the natural glow of your skin tone also extends to makeup and hair.
Choose someone you’ve worked with before or do some test sessions where you take photos to reference. It feels great to walk into your wedding day knowing you can trust their work, that they’re great at matching your skin tone, and picking shades that make your eyes pop or a lip colour that suits your complexion. The commercialised wedding industry has a long legacy of centering itself around white folks so it is totally understandable to make sure you and your loved ones are being well taken care of, photographed, and celebrated on your wedding day.
The photographer is a visible guest at your wedding, no matter how much they try to blend in. So beyond the surface, choose a wedding photographer whose work you love and whose energy matches the values you have for your day.
How do you want to feel? What is most important to you; is it that the wedding looks beautiful, that your guests have fun, or that you get quality time with family members from out of town?
Sharing this with your photographer and making sure they’re aligned with your values is a great way to set up photos for the day. This will also be reflected in the amount of time spent on family portraits, or whether the couple wants to go do a special photo shoot alone during the wedding.
Now that I have a young child myself, looking back on my wedding day in the middle of a busy week brings back meaningful memories that remind me of where it all started. That’s the goal, to do that for you through photos you’ll want framed on your wall, sent in the mail, and shared with your grandchildren and future generations. Here’s to you and your upcoming nuptials!
I’d love to capture you at your best, and as you can see I’m committed to making every skin tone glow. Contact me here to schedule a conversation, and let’s make some memories!
