The wedding shoe shot is one that nearly every wedding photographer under the sun will take. After all, the bride has probably invested quite a bit of time tracking down the perfect pair of shoes and probably paid a fair bit for them, too. So I feel it’s important to include them in the photographic coverage where possible.

With this wedding shoe shot, I could have chosen to photograph the shoes still in their box. But on this occasion that wouldn’t have made for a particularly pleasing photograph. I could have taken the shoes out of their box and positioned them on the dressing table, or underneath the hanging dress, or in front of the bouquet. But I am a documentary wedding photographer and part of my style and approach is that I prefer to record things as they happen, with no input or involvement from me. And so I waited until the bride had the shoes on her feet, then the moment she lifted her dress to take a look I crouched down low and took this image.

This was the final part of the bridal preparations and to see the shoes on the bride’s feet with her wearing her wedding dress, rather than placed in a contrived position somewhere,  makes for a far more compelling storytelling image. At least to me anyway.