Hot Take: You shouldn't include photos from styled shoots and workshops in your portfolio.


Why? Well frankly, it's deceptive and dishonest. Anyone with a camera can take photos at a styled shoot, but it takes a level of skill and experience to successfully coordinate a full wedding day.


When I first started shooting weddings in 2018, I might have mistaken styled shoots for real weddings. Now I can usually spot them, especially when the same couple shows up on several photographers websites and/or Instagrams, or when the wedding looks a little too effortless.


While I appreciate workshops and styled shoots for skill-building, creativity, and networking, I believe they should be clearly differentiated from real wedding galleries. Styled shoots are, at their core, a collaborative effort to showcase different vendors and creative elements, while creating a great opportunity for photographers to experiment and refine their craft.


However, what sets styled shoots apart from real weddings is their controlled environment:


  • They lack the real-life challenges and time constraints of a wedding day.
  • Models are expert posers, styled perfectly, with no timeline pressures or distractions.


While styled shoots showcase a photographer's potential, they don't reflect the challenges and unpredictability of a real wedding day. Being transparent about this to couples is crucial to managing client expectations. Couples need to understand that while these images demonstrate capability, real weddings involve so many different dynamics and constraints.


For Couples

For couples seeking a wedding photographer, it's very important to distinguish between styled shoot images and real wedding portfolios. Ask to see full wedding galleries to ensure consistency and capability throughout the day. Be straightforward and ask if photos are from styled shoots or workshops. While the skill level of the wedding photography itself is crucial, so is the ability to "run the show" of a wedding day. Understanding this difference can allow you to make better decisions about your wedding photography.