Five Photos That Changed My Business For The Better
After more than a decade photographing weddings, there are a handful of images that have shaped not just the way I take photos, but the way I approach this entire job. They weren’t necessarily the biggest moments or the “hero shots.” In fact, a few were completely unplanned quiet frames, chaotic frames, or blink-and-you’d-miss-them moments that taught me something lasting about timing, people, light, or what weddings truly mean to the couples I work with.
These photographs have become little turning points in my career. Some changed the way I position myself in a room. Some changed the lenses I use. Some made me rethink how I structure a wedding day, communicate with couples, or stay present for the unscripted bits that often matter most. And a few reminded me why I do this job in the first place.
In this post, I’m sharing five of those images, not just the photos themselves, but the stories behind them and the lessons they taught me. They span back to 2016 in the early part of my career to as recently as three months ago as I write this post. Each one has influenced how I shoot today and the experience I give the couples who trust me with their wedding memories. They’re moments that nudged me, challenged me, surprised me, and ultimately shaped the photographer I’ve become.
1. 24mm On The Dance Floor
This is the wonderful Katherine & Calum who got married at the Oak Barn in Devon back in 2016. You can see their full Oak Barn wedding gallery here. A winter wedding that definitely shaped how I work today. This was taken moments after their first dance, surrounded by friends and it has the emotion and atmosphere that I chase in an image to this day. This photo encouraged me to stick with a 24mm lens on the dance floor paired with off camera flash. Get close, don’t be shy, because the result brings you into this brilliant moment that would not be no way near as impactful if shot from far away. As a result the 24mm field of view, alongside interesting flash angles, is my go to choice for the evening.
2. Emotion without facial expression
This is one of my favourite moments from Preet & Dave’s wedding at Huntsham Court in Devon. During the final moments of prep Preet’s mum holds her hand, and with the details on their hands, along with the context of the moment it’s everything I love about documentary wedding photography. It wasn’t so clear to me in the early years, but experience has taught me that isolated moments with hands, or other interestedly framed moments without facial expression, can have big impact. Other moments of Huntsham Court wedding photography can be found here, but emotion without faces will always be an interesting addition to the gallery.
3. connection at blue hour
Taken two years ago it’s still one of my favourite wedding images I’ve captured, found on my homepage because it encapsulates everything I love about wedding photography. Emily & Eddie’s Croyde wedding was non stop fun, but when I caught this moment I was over the moon. From a technical stand point it’s not often you get to photograph sparklers at dusk, but this was taken at 10pm in peak summer. I love the unique look of blue hour with sparklers, rarely seen on Instagram. But most of all it’s the look of Eddie, that makes this photo for me. It’s unique in colour & attire, but that connection is everything I want in a wedding photo.
4. the Importance of wedding photography
This wedding nearly happened four times, ah the joy of 2020. So come 2021 when weddings were permitted again it was this first dance moment between Vicky & Marc that showed how important this day was. They got married at Upton Barn (you can see all my Upton Barn wedding photography here) and this unique outside first dance showed all the connection I want between couples. Not posed, just a genuine moment that shows all the emotion of celebrating a wedding day after waiting 18 months. Shot up close on a 24mm, like I learnt back in 2016, it’s one of my favourite wedding moments. You can see this one, and plenty more, of my favourite unscripted wedding moments here. If I ever needed it, this reminded me of how important this job is.
4. moments vs lighting
The most recent photo in this collection, a frame from Emma & Calum’s wedding in Shropshire, not my normal stomping ground. I was booked primarily because I had photographed three family members weddings previously, which hopefully tells me I’m doing something right! This hug from Calum to his dad, with his brother watching on, is the kind of family moment that I hope goes on to have more and more value as time goes on. This was a tipi wedding and where they offer great styling choices they are notorious for tricky light, in this case severe back light with no fill light. For the speeches I opted for some discrete flashes to help light the scene, and I’m so glad I did because this moment might not otherwise be captured. Being focused on a documentary approach you want to remain unseen, discrete and that extends to the gear used. Yes, the use of flash here was less discrete, although still very low power, but I appreciate what it allowed me to capture more as a result.
About the Author
Lee Maxwell is a wedding photographer based in Devon, specialising in capturing unscripted moments and the authentic atmosphere of a wedding day. With over a decade of experience photographing large and intimate weddings, all with different lighting conditions and schedules to navigate, Lee’s photography has been featured by leading publications like Rangefinder Magazine and Wed Magazine. His approach is rooted in being an unobtrusive presence, allowing real moments to unfold naturally to tell a truer story of the day. When writing these wedding guides, Lee draws on his extensive on-the-day knowledge to help couples prioritise experience over poses, ensuring their memories are as effortless and heartfelt as the day itself. You can explore more of his work in his portfolio.
