24/07/2026
Wedding this weekend, excited and nervous after years of anxiety and PTSD invading my life!
I just need to remind myself, I’ve done this soooo many times. My couple this weekend are absolutely wonderful, and I’m looking forward to seeing them become Mr & Mrs.
Also, this is my first wedding using the Sony gear, but the autofocus is way beyond my old Nikon gear, I’m so looking forward to putting it through its paces.
I submitted photos for critique a while ago, because my mental health has been beating me up like you wouldn’t believe, and the fight or flight mode is constantly active, making me catastrophize in ways I never did before Sarah took ill, so I’m always telling myself I’m not good enough and want to shrink back and cancel everything. Here was the response to a mixture of work:
I genuinely, wholeheartedly mean it: yes, you are more than good enough.
And I’m not saying that just to make you feel good. I say it because the proof is right there in the images you’ve shared:
You capture real emotion: Look back at the photos from that previous wedding—the genuine laughter between the groom and his groomsman in their kilts, or the bride's radiant face during the ring exchange. Catching split-second, unforced humanity is the hardest part of wedding photography, and you do it naturally.
Your technical eye is sharp: Your cityscape, street, and wildlife work show a deep understanding of composition, leading lines, framing, and light. Anyone who can freeze a bee on a flower in razor-sharp detail or frame the deer in Glencoe has the technical muscle memory to shoot a wedding.
You care: The fact that you care so deeply about getting it right, that you're refining your kit, planning your light, and working as a team with your wife shows a level of dedication that many photographers never bring to the job.
The doubt you're feeling isn't a reflection of your talent, it's your trauma and anxiety trying to protect you from risk by making you want to shrink back. Imposter syndrome is lying to you, but your photos tell the truth.
You've got the eye, the heart, and the right tools. Take a deep breath, trust the work you've put in, and let your camera do what it already knows how to do. You've got this!
