10/22/2026
All the 'buzz words' in the wedding industry nowadays... "I'm looking for a cinematic, documentary, photojournalist, candid, editorial, vibrant, light & airy, dark & moody, earthy tone, true to color, whimsical, vibrant, energetic, budget-friendly, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, won't break the bank, photographer." I want all day coverage, 75 photographers, video also included, drone included, live streaming included, engagement photos included, and my budget is........... $300.
Next step; cut the side-hustlers who attack like piranha saying, "I'll do it for free to build my portfolio."
Next step... "don't use so & so photography, they're scammers, they use AI editing, they are too good to be true, they are XYZ" and the infighting amongst the industry is why couples are SO CONFUSED as to what boils down to QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHY !!!!!
These buzz words don't mean a thing. What matters is quality photography matching the desired look that the couples dream of.
The only problem is... couples, especially young brides, are all over Pinterest or other social media sites, finding photos captured by renowned photographers captured in some of the most elegant venues, castles, and exotic destinations, and they think, "I want my photos to look just like that!" While all the while; their venue is a barn in the middle of nowheresville, USA and they choose a location with harsh lighting, never consult the photographer about a thing prior to wedding day, and then wonder why their photos didn't turn out like these $50k weddings done by elite teams of photographers.
I truly wish I could find time to create educational videos on REAL WORLD experiences, planning and expectations... along with proper budgeting and cautionary things to think about prior to just reaching out and booking a photographer based on how many attacks and allegations they make against others!
The world is going through a really dramatic shift in just how people are, and sadly, social media is a major source of this misinformation and misguided mindset.
If I had the time and the financial resources, I would create an entire series of educational videos on how to properly seek out, source, book, collaborate, plan, and make a wedding day actually work within a REAL WORLD environment for weddings.
When couples, again, especially these young brides who live on TikTok and Facebook are influenced by these people who are no more than 20 years old themselves, it creates a very unrealistic vision of how wedding days really go.
Weddings are NOT styled shoots, modeling sessions, and days with unlimited time and resources to capture all of these things these young people are seeing online!
A wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye !!!!!!
There's barely enough time to gather everyone for formal portraits before everyone starts getting 'hangry' and just wants to go eat and start the party.
What's worse... guests bringing along their six screaming kids who want to eat cake before the reception even begins, the folks who can't help but have a say-so in every decision to be made, it can become EXTREMELY stressful for the couple, the family members, and yes, even your vendors !!!
As I type this, I can think of so many stories of how fast our wedding days just fly by. We try our very hardest to make sure we capture everything and honestly, deliver beyond the expectations of the wedding couple. But... we are NOT perfect!
We cannot make up 3 hours of photo/video coverage when the bridesmaids aren't happy with their hair and run two hours late; when the groomsmen sleep in because they partied too hard the night before, when aunt Bessie and uncle George can't find the venue because their GPS doesn't work; when the meal service is running late; when the bride's dress doesn't fit like it did in the store, etc. etc. etc. - the time just slips by and then folks are left asking, "I wonder why we missed out on the family photos?"
The biggest problem in this industry today is that there, and I'm going to offend some folks here for sure; but there are FAR TOO MANY young people who are simply jumping into this industry thinking, "oooh, I can make some good money at weddings with my point and shoot camera I got for Christmas!" They show up with one lens and a camera, have no experience whatsoever, and leave the couples empty handed! Or, because of their side-hustle status... their REAL job at Taco Bell calls them into work on the day of the wedding they committed to, and they are a no-show! Or, another scenario we see all too often is that people are out here double, triple, quadruple booking, and then trying to find 'associates' who are extremely unreliable, inexperienced, unqualified, unprofessional, or simply just don't care!
Lastly; those who can't get out here and do the work... are the ones who are online, just bashing, and I mean slandering, harassing, threatening, etc. people who are actually out here doing the work !!! It's not just us; although we have certainly had more than our fair share of attacks and ridiculous allegations made about us. But we've seen plenty of others come under attack for things they had absolutely no control over. It's a viscous industry full of people who have nothing to do but run down others!
Again, part of my desire is to educate couples to look past this social media world full of drama, false information, and unrealistic expectations, and come down to the REAL WORLD of planning an enjoyable wedding day, but with realistic goals and expectations.
Might be verbose in this type-up, but it needed to be said. I hate seeing couples go through so much undue stress and worry, or what's worse, being let down by inexperienced photographers / videographers.
I saw a post on TikTok the other day, where a group of young girls, every bit of maybe 25 years old, were saying that photographers over the age of 40 were "out of style" and out of touch with the wedding industry and "too old" to be doing weddings. I laughed, then I wanted to shout out in anger!
This is the VERY REASON that so many couples are left with scammers, no-shows, poor quality, after spending thousands and thousands of dollars falling victim to these social media posts made by kids themselves!
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can replace EXPERIENCE in the industry! I see all these young girls advertising, "I'll be out on the dance floor with you partying the night away, so book me!"
Couples, I'm telling you... no matter who you choose as your wedding photographer/videographer, the LAST thing you need is someone like that !!!!!
But hey, to most of these kids nowadays, I am old. But I wouldn't trade my experiences and passion for delivering quality and affordability to the industry for anything.
If you're out here struggling to make the right decision or just confused about wedding or event planning your photo/video services, WE'D LOVE TO EARN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS !!!!!!! Phone conversations are still a GOOD THING to do when especially thinking of booking someone who you trust to capture your wedding day.
I highly encourage the parents of these couples to step in and, if anything, just offer some advice about not getting caught up in all this social media, buzz word, party mentality and to think about their investment in their vendors wisely and cautiously!
And for goodness sake, IGNORE THE ALLEGATIONS AND SLANDER ON SOCIAL MEDIA and simply reach out and talk to the photo/video people you're interested in! Get things in writing! Talk to former clients! Read reviews, but don't believe all the negative ones; you can't please everyone, and some folks love to start smear campaigns as well !!!
The best advice is to trust the contracts, business references from former clients, look at their quality of work and see if it's a good fit for your desired aesthetic and budget, and to. have realistic budgets in mind.
Not everyone needs to go into huge debt for a wedding !!!
There are plenty of superior quality photo/video teams out here who don't charge $10k + per wedding.
And by all means; if you'd like to give us a chance, we'd sure be honored to speak with you in hopes of earning your trust, and your business!
NATURAL IMAGES PHOTO VIDEO
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naturalimagesphotovideo.com
Natural Images Photo Video
Family, Event, and Wedding Photography and Video Services Provider
