I’m excited to launch a new series of articles for wedding suppliers and couples alike, talking to English Wedding members about what they do. More than the kind of FAQ stuff you see everywhere, I’ll be asking real questions, and not holding back! Today’s article is an interview with Dorset documentary wedding photographer Nathan from Libra Photographic.

1. I love the idea of documentary photography, but lots of couples say they aren’t photogenic, and are worried they’d look weird caught off guard in photos. Is documentary the right photography style for them?

Here’s the truth: “Photogenic” is a myth. It’s just a word for people who know how to fake a smile on command.

If you hate posing, Documentary Wedding Photography isn’t just an option—it’s the only option. When you’re asked to pose, you stiffen up. You overthink your hands. You do that weird thing with your smile. That’s what makes you look awkward.

When you’re laughing at a speech or hugging your dad, you aren’t thinking about your “good side.” You’re just living. That is when you look your best. A documentary photographer will capture the reaction, not the act. “Proof, not poses.”

2. Tell me about you. Why do you photograph weddings in a documentary style?

I’ve been in this game since 1999. I’ve shot over 600 weddings. I’ve seen enough forced smiles and awkward staged shots to last a lifetime. Documentary photography is not the easy route, quite the opposite: it means the photographer is hyper aware for 10+ hours, making sure I’m in the right spot at the right time in the right light.

I choose documentary because a wedding is a party, not a photoshoot. I refuse to turn your day into a film set where you are the props. I want the grit, the joy, and the chaos. I want the “history and hysteria” of the day. When I bump into my couples years after their wedding it is always those off the cuff moments that they remember as the best photos, not the beautifully posed portraits.

If I have to stop the action to tell you to “look loving,” I’ve failed. I want to capture the stuff you can’t make up. Even the ‘portraits’ are naturally curated. Going for a walk away from the crowd is all that is needed.

3. If group photos are important to family members, can you do them too?

Yes. But do them my way: fast, efficient, and painless.

We know your mum wants the mantelpiece shot. I get it. But we won’t let it kill the vibe.

We spend 15 minutes banging out the essential family combos, and then I let you get back to the champagne. No two-hour lineups. No shouting at guests. We get the proof you were all there, then we get out of the way.

4. Is it real? Like, are some of the photos in documentary wedding photographers’ portfolios actually posed?

In this industry? Absolutely. There is a lot of “fake laughter” out there.

At Libra Photographic? No smoke and mirrors.

If you see a photo in my portfolio where a couple is laughing, it’s because something funny happened. If they are crying, it’s because they were moved.

I don’t want to set scenes up. If it didn’t happen naturally, I don’t shoot it. Authenticity matters more than perfection. This has been proven to me time and time again from couples photographed in the past, from profile photos to the walls in their homes. Yes, the Hero photo appears – but it’s the captured moments that stand the test of time.

5. Can you give some tips for shy and self-conscious couples please?

The best tip? Ignore me.

Seriously. Pretend I’m not there. The moment you look down the lens, you break the spell. Focus on your partner, your mates, and the party.

I’m not there to judge you; I’m there to document you.

After 20+ years, I know how to blend into the woodwork. If you’re shy, my style is perfect for you because I demand nothing from you. You don’t have to perform. Just be Unapologetically You.

6. Is documentary wedding photography more expensive than other styles? (It’s ok if it is… but what’s the reason?)

It can be. And it should be.

With traditional photography, you are paying for someone to follow a script. With high-end Documentary Wedding Photography, you are paying for anticipation.

I can’t control the light or the environment. I can’t ask you to do it again. I have to predict human behaviour before it happens. I must be in the right place, with the right settings, split-seconds before the laugh or the tear happens.

You aren’t paying for hours; you’re paying for the experience and instinct that ensures I don’t miss the “carnage on the dancefloor” or the quiet look between the couple.

7. People are so used to posing and selfies – it’s instinctive to pose at first sight of a camera! How would you get natural photos when people are like this?

I shoot faster than they can pose.

Most people are trained like Pavlov’s dogs to smile when they see a lens. I anticipate the moment and shoot before they notice me.

Or, I wait. I let them pose, I lower the camera, make a joke and change the script, they relax, and then I get the shot.

The real moment is usually the split second after the pose drops. That’s where the real personality lives. I don’t want the selfie face. I want the real face.

---

Shooting worldwide and established in 1999, Nathan Eames is a dad, a Dorset local, and the guy who refuses to turn your wedding into a photoshoot.
“I’ve spent the last 20+ years proving that you don’t need to stand in a line and smile to get a killer photo. I don’t deal in “fairytales.” I deal in reality. The history and hysteria of your day.”