At the start of 2020, as I was looking at the year ahead and feeling super excited about all of the weddings to come and the wonderful couples I was getting to work with, little did I know that 2020 had other plans in store. What was supposed to be a busy time of year suddenly became unexpectedly quiet as plans were cancelled and weddings postponed. As lockdown came into force, it became increasingly clear that this was just the beginning of what was going to be a hugely challenging few months for everyone.

Inspired by other photographers who were in the same position, I started offering lockdown doorstep shoots in my local area and found that families in my community were keen to capture this unprecedented moment in time.

Even documentary wedding photography, in itself, can come in many different styles but for me, it’s all about authenticity and emotion. Ultimately, documentary wedding photographers are storytellers. We are there to tell each couple’s unique story and each image should have it’s own tale to tell.

The images that lift my heart at the ones that feel genuine and natural. Whether it be tears of joy or full on belly laughs, I aim to capture it all so those feelings can be relived and shared for years to come.

I initially started planning these shoots into my daily permitted walk and what I found was that whilst the streets were eerily quiet, life behind those doors was as busy as ever. From newborn babies and lockdown birthdays to the trials of homeschooling and working from home, in taking these photos, I got to meet some wonderful people and hear some truly remarkable and unique stories.

Some of the most extraordinary stories undoubtedly came from the amazing front line NHS and care home workers I met along the way. Hearing about their experiences over the past few months and seeing these absolute heroes with their proud families was incredibly moving.

With just a few more doorstep shoots to go over the next couple of weeks, I’m sad to see them coming to an end but at the same time pleased that the end is a sign of life moving on from this strange time.