Why I Left Wedding Photography to Focus on Headshots (And Never Looked Back)
My Journey
Los Angeles headshot photographer on leaving weddings: fewer hassles, more connection, and portraits that help clients win work. | Nice Headshots
The Moment I Knew It Was Time for a Change
When I started my photography business, I thought wedding photography was going to be the thing I loved most. I didn’t just shoot weddings; I did it all—engagements, newborns, maternity, and portraits—but weddings were supposed to be my main focus, the thing I built my career around. It seemed like the perfect job- witnessing and capturing unforgettable moments for couples to relive? What a dream!
Ironically, after several years, wedding photography became the type of photography I liked the least.
I've logged my 10,000 hours of site visits, back-and-forth emails, reviewing Pinterest boards, building photo timelines, taking notes on family dynamics (because that cousin can't take a photo with that person and that person can't stand next to the bride- that kind of thing), high-stress, 12+ hour days, managing all of the personalities that come with a wedding day, and lastly the 4-6 weeks of editing work that came after the wedding.
It's an exhausting job, one that others thrive at, but for me—I just wasn't happy.
What I Loved About Wedding Photography (And Why It Wasn’t Enough)
I don’t want to sound like I hated weddings altogether. There were things I truly loved about it: 📸 Capturing genuine moments —the first time the couple sees each other down the aisle, a father tearing up during his speech, grandma tearing up the dance floor. Once-in-a-lifetime moments that I got to freeze in time. 💍 The love story.
For most of these couples, I did engagement photos before their wedding day and I got to know them and their full love story. Not a single story was alike and I loved hearing them- that was a special part of the job for me. 🎉 The joy. They deem it the "big day" for a reason. Your friends and family, all together, witnessing your union, and then having a dance party right after? There’s nothing like it and there was a contact-high you get from all of that joy.
But despite all the beautiful moments, there were many frustrations. Why Wedding Photography Wasn't for Me As much as I wanted to love weddings, these challenges made me realize it wasn’t the right fit: 1) The Pinterest Fantasy vs. Reality I can’t tell you how many times a couple would show me an inspiration photo they found on Pinterest and expect me to recreate it exactly—even when it was physically impossible. I once had a bride request their wedding photos to be taken with them surrounded by a super bloom.
That sounds beautiful, right? But she was getting married in the middle of summer. There were no lush fields of wildflowers—just dry grass and maybe a weed or two. She couldn't understand why I couldn't control nature. Fitting the fantasy into the parameters or reality was a far-too-often conversation I had to have with couples and it's not always met with a logical response. 2) The High-Stress Environment & Too Many Decision-Makers A wedding isn’t just about the couple.
It’s also about their families, the planner, the bridal party, and sometimes even distant relatives who suddenly have an opinion. And when emotions run high, that misdirected stress gets thrown at the photographer at times. I’ve been yelled at for things completely out of my control. Once a bride yelled at me because the groomsmen were wearing the wrong-colored ties—something I had absolutely nothing to do with.
Someone else made that decision, but I was the one standing there when she realized, so I was the lucky one to get scolded. But it didn't end there, she demanded that I go to the groomsmen and tell them they messed up. A punching bag and a messenger! 3) The Physical Toll of Wedding Photography Wedding days are 12+ hour marathons.
David, my husband and second-shooter, and I would be on our feet the entire day, running from place to place, carrying heavy gear, squatting, bending, squeezing-in, and barely getting a break to hydrate let alone eat. 4) Guests & Their Phones (The Growing Problem) When I started wedding photography in 2009, guests with their cameras weren’t a huge problem. But as smartphones became more advanced, it became a wedding photographers nightmare.
These were scenarios that were becoming more and more common as the years went by: ❌ During bridal party photos, I’d be directing 10-20 people to get the perfect shot but behind me I have a sea of family members and friends taking their own photos, distracting everyone so that the bridal party was looking at five different cameras.
❌I’d be perfectly positioned to capture a genuine reaction moment, like when the bride is coming down the aisle, making eye contact with loved ones, row-by-row,—but instead of reacting, guests reach for their phones, blocking their own faces. What would have been a beautiful moment for the couple to revisit now turns into an iPhone ad. ❌ The appreciation for wedding photography started to feel diminished—overshadowed by the instant gratification of a smartphone photo.
I spent 4-6 weeks carefully culling and editing every image to perfection, only to wake up the next day and see the couple had already posted a bunch of blurry, poorly lit, and badly composed shots.