As a wedding photographer, I get to experience so many different cultures, religions and traditions. One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that respecting someone’s religion doesn’t mean you have to agree with it to respect them as a human being.

Recently, I photographed a Muslim wedding, and it reminded me about how important the little things can be.

Throughout my years photographing Muslim Weddings I have come to learn that some Muslim people prefer not to be photographed, so when I walk around taking table photographs, I simply ask them if I may take their photo or not. If they say yes, I take the photo and carry on. If they say no, I respect their decision and I go over to the next person.

At this wedding, I realised just how much that small question can mean.

Instead of someone having to avoid the camera all evening or repeatedly say, “Please don’t photograph me,” I had given them the choice. What I thought was just a small interaction was something bigger to someone else, they felt seen and respected.

Sometimes respect is simply giving someone a choice.

I don’t need to share someone’s beliefs to respect them. I don’t need to understand every part of their religion either. As a wedding photographer, my job is to photograph their wedding, their traditions and their people, and that means respecting the boundaries that matter to them.

That little moment reminded me that being a good photographer isn’t only about taking beautiful photographs. Sometimes, it’s knowing when to ask and being completely comfortable with the answer being no.

Happy Planning & Good Luck!