Ian Weldon is a British photographer who has become known around the world for his unique way of shooting weddings. Weldon doesn’t take the usual posed photos or fake smiles. Instead, he captures natural moments that show how the couple and their guests feel and what they are like as people. His work is raw, real, and funny. It shows the chaos and happiness of a wedding day in a way that traditional photography often misses.
Weldon has built a loyal following of couples who come from all over the world to hire him because of his unique style. Even though he is becoming more and more popular, he is still committed to capturing the moments that are most important to his clients. He doesn’t do the formal things that most wedding photographers do. Instead, he takes shots that are real and happen on the spot. Weldon has set a new standard for wedding photography by focusing on the real moments and feelings of the day and capturing them so they can be remembered forever.
More info: Instagram | martinparrfoundation.org | ianweldon.com
Credit: bored panda
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Bored Panda has reached out to Ian to ask him a few questions about his recent works and learn more about them. We wanted to know what was the hardest thing for him to do when he was taking photos of real life. The photographer said, “It’s definitely being noticed, and when that happens, the guests will “act up” for the camera. That can make it hard to catch truly natural moments on camera, but there are ways to get around it.
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We were interested in how the photographer gets to know his clients and their guests and makes them feel comfortable enough to be photographed in a natural way. Ian said, “I think anyone who hires me to take pictures at their wedding knows how I work, and they are fine with that.”
We all know that sometimes it’s hard to work with other people. When it comes to weddings, there is a good chance that some of the guests will be difficult and make your job harder. We needed to know what to do about them. Ian replied quickly, “I try not to have anything to do with them.” I’ll just move on and take pictures somewhere else, but problems are rare for me.”
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Ian’s style is different from what most wedding photographers do. We wanted to know if he still gets requests from guests for traditional, staged wedding photos. Ian said, “On a wedding day, my main goal is to record, and that’s what I’m paid to do. It’s mostly spontaneous, but sometimes I’ll take a group photo or a portrait, though I don’t spend too much time on those.
It’s not how I like to work, and I don’t think I’m very good at making posed or staged photos. I don’t know what I want it to look like until I see it. Even so, I’m always happy to take group photos during the day if people ask. If I think that’s what a potential couple really wants—lots of group shots and beautiful portraits—I’m happy to refer them to a more traditional wedding photographer.”
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Next, we asked him what the best ways were to stay out of the way during a wedding shoot. Ian told us, “When I’m shooting, I also talk to guests and mingle, so it looks like I’m just another guest, which in many ways I am.” So I don’t stand out too much; I only use small cameras. People often ask me if I’m a friend or family member of the couple. People are also more comfortable with me because I don’t have a big camera or big lenses. I don’t look like a traditional wedding photographer or a “professional.” It’s like keeping a secret in plain sight.”
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Lastly, we wanted to know if Ian’s job as a wedding photographer still makes him think outside the box. He said, “I don’t really think of myself as a “wedding photographer.” I’m more of a photographer who takes pictures at weddings. I like photography because it lets me express myself, helps me make sense of the world around me, and lets me show other people how I see my surroundings. The work itself is both the challenge and, I guess, the source of inspiration. The idea is always changing, just like I am, and that helps me keep seeing and doing new things in life. I also work on other long-term personal projects that are based on social documentaries, which helps to make my approach more solid.
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