Often, there’s a dilemma when it comes to wedding photos. We all want to have beautiful pictures that contain even just a speck of the emotion of the day—but so many of us feel awkward in front of the camera.

Fortunately, this isn’t an impossible problem. This month's guest, Dani Bartlett exemplifies our point that no one is truly “unphotogenic.” All they need to do is find the right photographer that helps them get comfortable.

Dani is the face,  the talent behind Melbourne-based wedding photography studio, Dani Bartlett Photography, providing wedding photography and family portraits for lovers of fun and colour.

In this chat, we discuss:

• How to not feel awkward posing for wedding photos
• What to look for in wedding photographers
• Balancing candid and formal photographers
• Completely candid vs guided candid photographers
• Games for candid photography
• Effective posing techniques
• Breathing fresh life into family portraits

Your wedding photos are treasures you only have one day of getting. You’ll probably look through hundreds of wedding photographers as you search for the right one. One way to help you is to look through their galleries. That way, you can get a clearer sense of the ins and outs of their work throughout the ceremony.

When you’ve chosen a photographer, communication is key. Meet with them in person, have dinner, and just chat to help you get to know them better and—importantly—feel more comfortable. How relaxed you feel with them allows you to feel more confident in front of the camera on your pre-wedding shoot and wedding day, and it’ll translate in the photos.

Ultimately, what’s important is to trust your photographer and have fun. Communicate what you want and trust their direction. They might throw a prompt or game at you to lighten your portraits. Go with the flow. Explore where the prompts take you; you’d be surprised at how lovely you and your partner look when you’re just relaxing and having fun.

Links & Vendors Mentioned:

Dani Bartlett Photography

Find Dani Bartlett Photography:

On Polka Dot Wedding: Dani Bartlett Photography

On Facebook: Dani Bartlett Photography

On Instagram: @danibartlettphotography

On Pinterest: Dani Bartlett Photography

Find Dani Bartlett:

On LinkedIn: Danielle (O’Halloran) Bartlett

Find Dorothy & the Polka Dot Wedding team:

On Instagram: @polkadotwedding

On the website: polkadotwedding.com

This podcast was produced by Polka Dot Wedding

The Polka Dot Wedding team is honoured to conduct our work on the land of the BoonWurrung, WoiWorung, Eora and Kuring-gai people. We honour the traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders custodians of the land and pay our respects to Elders past & present.