To the Bride that Doesn't Look Like Her
To the Bride that Doesn't Look Like Her
I’ve been itching to write this piece for some time now, and today is finally the day.
Let’s talk about diversity in the wedding photography industry. Full disclosure I am a “mixed” or biracial photographer, meaning my father is from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (Native American) and my mother is German (Caucasian). Throughout my upbringing, the white kids didn’t believe I was Native because my skin was fair, and the Native kids didn’t believe I was Native because again, my skin was fair, so I can relate to feeling like you don’t belong somewhere.
Unfortunately, many prospective brides feel the same way. They don’t feel beautiful because they are not what the world calls the “perfect bride” the: rail skinny, 6’2, blonde (for the record I have nothing against women of this stature — every woman is beautiful). What saddens me is when clients come to me asking to “make them skinny” or if I even photograph couples of mixed races — WHAT?! What photographer turned to these people and told them they wouldn't photograph them because of what they looked like? It's mind-blowing.
As many other brides and photographers do, we like to search for photographers on Facebook and Instagram because they produce images that are inspiring. But when you go to a photographers’ page and all you see are a ton of happy people that look nothing like you…I can’t imagine how that makes a bride feel...that the photographer of potentially her dreams doesn’t photograph women like her.
JC Photography prides itself on diversity and encourages women, men, partners, and couples of all walks of life to find a photographer that loves who they are as people because at the end of the day that’s what we all are: people.
Diversity is stunning. Every last piece of what makes people different is beautiful. Their personality, their smile, how they love, the way they party at the reception. ALL. OF. IT. IS. BEAUTIFUL.
So to the bride that doesn’t look like her…I see you, and you are just as gorgeous.
