This Is Reportage Winner 2025 – 2 Story Awards & 1 Reportage Award

Winning a This is Reportage Story Award: A Milestone in Documentary Wedding Photography

Winning a This is Reportage Story Award is one of the most significant accolades in documentary wedding photography. Unlike single-image awards, this honour celebrates the ability to tell a compelling, unscripted narrative through a series of 18-20 images. It’s an award that recognises consistency, storytelling, and the ability to capture raw, unfiltered moments that define a wedding day. So winning not one but TWO Story awards feels like a real achievement!

The Significance of a Story Award

In the world of wedding photography, storytelling is everything. A single image can be powerful, but a sequence of images creates a deeper emotional connection. This is Reportage’s Story Award challenges photographers to think beyond one great shot and instead craft a visual narrative that immerses viewers in the essence of a wedding.

For me, winning this award was both a validation and an inspiration. It affirmed my commitment to capturing weddings in a documentary style, focusing on real emotions and moments rather than staged perfection. Seeing my work recognised at such a high level among the best documentary wedding photographers in the world was both humbling and motivating.

My First Story Award – Sameera & Umairah

Sameera and Umairah’s wedding held a special place in my heart as it was the first same-sex wedding I had the honour of photographing. The love in the room that day was unlike anything I’d ever experienced—deep, emotional, and full of joy. You could feel the weight of their journey, the challenges they had faced, the happiness they had found, and just how much this day meant to them and everyone who had supported them along the way.

It was a true honour to be trusted with capturing their story. I absolutely loved getting to know Sameera and Umairah, celebrating alongside them, and capturing these memories for them to relive forever.

I’ve been lucky to photograph so many incredible weddings across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Love knows no boundaries, and I truly believe every couple deserves to celebrate in a way that feels authentic to them. Whether it’s a traditional wedding or an LGBTQ+ celebration, my goal is always to create meaningful photos that capture who you are—real, unfiltered, and completely you.

The Process of Crafting a Winning Story

Winning a Story Award isn’t about luck; it requires careful curation, storytelling intuition, and a deep understanding of human emotion. Here’s what I focused on:

1. Choosing the Right Wedding

Not every wedding lends itself to a strong documentary story. I selected a wedding that had a rich emotional arc, interesting characters, and dynamic moments unfolding naturally.

2. Selecting the Right Images

Curating a sequence of six images is a meticulous process. Each photo must contribute to the overall narrative, with a balance of wide shots, close-ups, action, reaction, and atmosphere. I aimed for variety in composition and perspective while maintaining a consistent visual and emotional tone.

3. Prioritising Authenticity

This is Reportage values real moments over anything contrived. My winning sequence had no posed portraits or artificially constructed moments—just pure, unfiltered wedding day emotions, from joy and laughter to quiet, intimate interactions.

4. Emphasising Flow and Cohesion

The transition from one image to the next is crucial. I ensured the sequence had a natural flow, guiding the viewer through the story without abrupt jumps. The images needed to complement each other, forming a seamless visual experience.

What This Award Means Moving Forward

Winning a This is Reportage Story Award is more than just a badge of honuor—it’s a reminder of why I love documentary wedding photography. It reinforces my belief that the most powerful wedding images aren’t always the ones that are technically perfect, but the ones that make people feel something.

It also inspires me to keep pushing my storytelling, looking for those fleeting, meaningful moments that define a wedding day. Every wedding is a new story waiting to be told, and I’m excited to continue capturing them with authenticity and heart.

My Second Story Award – Kavita & Anit

I chose this story because it holds a special place in my heart. I had received several wedding inquiries for Morocco in the past, but they never quite came together—so when Kavita and Anit booked me, I was over the moon. Not only was I finally getting the chance to photograph a wedding in Morocco, but I also had a special connection with Kavita. She was a wedding planner in the US, and we had worked together before, always having a great time.

Kavita and Anit’s intimate wedding in Morocco was nothing short of incredible. The people, the culture, the energy—it had everything. It was an absolute honour to document it all, and even more special to work alongside so many industry friends from the UK!

Get In Touch about your Wedding

Being a London wedding photographer it is a real pleasure to document your special day in London or anywhere in the world . If my approach seems like the style you’re looking for your big day, then give me a shout. I only capture up to 25 weddings per year to make sure that I give every single one of my couples 110% of my energy, effort and creativity. You can read what other couples have said about me either via my google reviews or by my kind words page. Get in touch and I look forward to talking to you soon.

To me, love knows no boundaries, and I wholeheartedly celebrate and embrace every facet of your being. Your sexuality, gender identity, race, religion, age, body size, ability, or music taste are all integral parts of who you are, and they are all welcome here. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve to ensure that everyone feels secure, acknowledged, and embraced on this platform, please don’t hesitate to share. I am constantly learning and committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and included.