Nov 30, 20214 min read

Chaos & good times: An interview with Jonny Barratt Photography

Staged posing not your thing? Want to be sure all the personality, hilarity and real moments from your day are snapped? Well, you've come to the right place. We spoke with photographer Jonny Barratt on how his documentary style captures in-the-moment, un-posed and offbeat images at your wedding... check out his Instagram (and the hilarious captions) if you don't believe us!

Tell us a bit about you… why did you get into photography and how did you find your own style?

Part of a course I did at Art college was photography-based and I enjoyed the creativity, however, I didn’t do anything professionally with photography until years later. When I did get into taking pics for work it was jobs like working in portrait studios and being a school photographer.

Then by chance when first assisting a photographer at a wedding I was like, well this is way better than what I’ve been doing, and way more fun! It took me a while to go full time with weddings but it was hands down the best decision I could’ve made. I’ve been a full time wedding photographer for 6 years, I think!

At one wedding one of the bridesmaids climbed into a child’s highchair and couldn’t get out. The fire service was called to cut her out. Perfect.

What would you say makes you stand out from other photographers?

Being true to myself, not trying to be something I'm not or mimicking others is a good start. I always bring a good energy to the day and just do me, plus I give the couples I’m working with the space to do them. I’m not there to dictate or to ask anything of them. I think they like that.

What kind of couples do you love working with?

The ones that know how to party and have a good time. Also the ones that truly value photography and aren’t simply ticking that ‘hire a wedding photographer’ box. Couples I work with generally don’t want to be the centre of attention and are happy to learn that I spend more time focusing on the guests than I do them!

I want to focus on the genuine side of relationships and not force a bunch of cliché poses.

You mention you capture ‘all the chaos and the good times’ at a wedding and we love the fact you hone in on these fun moments and details that make the day – what’s been the most memorable thing you’ve been a witness to and managed to photograph?

It’s normally on the dance floor or late in the night when the carnage happens. I always hang around after the first dance because that’s when you get the comedy gold. At one wedding one of the bridesmaids climbed into a child’s highchair and couldn’t get out. The fire service was called to cut her out. Perfect.

What can couples expect when working with you?

There’s an initial chat and then an open communication in the lead up to the wedding. Some couples book a year or so in advance so by the time it’s their wedding day you feel like you know them pretty well, especially when you’re connected on social media. I do send a very detailed Q&A around a month out from the wedding and follow this up with a video call before the day.

Weddings are a sequence of moments and couples need to be fully absorbed in them and not stressing about if the photographer got their ‘good’ side.

Staged photoshoots aren’t for everyone and the thought of it on your wedding day can be a bit daunting for some couples… How do you overcome this?

Just don’t do them! I want to focus on the genuine side of relationships and not force a bunch of cliché poses. When it comes to spending time alone with the couple there may be some direction from me if it’s required, like finding nice light to shoot in but I don’t demand they get all lovey-dovey. I want to get pics that reflect their personalities and by keeping it fun and lighthearted it totally takes the awkwardness out of the portraits.

What’s the most important thing couples should think about when choosing a photographer?

They need to ask themselves what exactly they want from their wedding photos. I believe long-term we place more value in photos that have an emotional depth over those that are aesthetically amazing but maybe lacking in feeling. Weddings are a sequence of moments and couples need to be fully absorbed in them and not stressing about if the photographer got their ‘good’ side. Some of my favourite photos I have of family aren’t technically great but they are real and raw and mean the world to me.