Professional photographers have traditionally been men and jobs within photography has always seemed a little like a boys club. I can remember talking with a professional wedding photographer while I was still in school at Brooks in Santa Barbara. He was explaining to me how male photographers should be worried that more women are becoming photographers. He said, “women are better at capturing moments and they have better intuition than men.” (This came from a male wedding photographer) I think he is right when it comes to wedding photography. I would think a bride would rather have a woman capturing her day because women get how important weddings are, not that men don’t but it’s different.
I can remember when I first got out of school and I was assisting for professional fashion and celebrity photographers. I always felt like being a girl assisting is like a woman trying to be a fireman. As an assistant, you spend most of your days lifting heavy equipment. For a short time, I assisted photographers for Play Boy Magazine. (I’m not a pervert; at the time it was the best job in town.) While assisting these photographers I realized that a man is much better naturally at shooting a naked woman because they can relate to what a man finds sexy. I think the same is true when it comes to wedding photography. A female photographer knows what is important to a bride because she can relate. She can also be in the bride’s room while she’s changing and getting ready. She gets the importance of capturing the simple things that are meaningful to a girl.
Sometimes things happen at weddings that only a girl is going to understand why it’s important and know that it needs to be captured. My opinion on woman photographing weddings comes from my own personal experience from hiring men, knowing many male wedding photographers. I know there are exceptions but in general, I feel like my statements are true.
*Plus so much of photography is about color and 70% of men are colorblind to some extent.