Let your life experience shape your creative voice!

Image Credit - Charlotte Macke Photography

Episode Overview:

Charlotte Macke is an incredible, french-born wedding photographer based in the UK who shoots primarily on film. She specializes in documentary-style wedding photography with a refined, editorial aesthetic.

During the episode, we discuss how Charlotte transitioned from a successful career as a fashion designer to wedding photographer, her unconventional journey through the creative industries, and her commitment to shooting almost exclusively on film in an increasingly digital landscape.

Charlotte grew up in Paris and came to the UK at 15 to learn English. She studied fashion design and ran her own fashion brand from ages 23 to 30, getting picked up by Opening Ceremony and selling internationally. After leaving fashion due to sustainability concerns and unsustainable business costs, she transitioned to running a manufacturing studio for designer brands and costume work. A pivotal moment came after a friend's funeral in Scotland, when working with a career coach helped her realize she needed more creative freedom. Initially resistant to wedding photography—seeing it as "cheesy"—she discovered Naomi Koenig's film documentary work, which completely reframed what wedding photography could be.

Her entry into wedding photography was organic. She shot her first wedding as a guest at her best friend's sister's wedding, and the experience rekindled her excitement about life and forced her to be truly present. Her early projects gained traction thanks to referrals from friends in the creative industry, leading to multiple features in Vogue. She has just completed her first full season and is now heading into her second.

Episode Takeaways:

→ Putting yourself outside your comfort zone is necessary for growth—Charlotte's shift from digital to film transformed how she showed up at weddings.

→ Film forces presence and consideration in ways digital doesn't—the constraints of a prime lens and limited exposures make you think harder about composition and moment.

→ Finding your voice means intentionally avoiding trends—Charlotte deliberately doesn't look at wedding photography trends, focusing instead on what genuinely interests her.

→ Tight editing creates stronger stories—delivering around 400 images for a 10-hour day requires asking "is this relevant?" for every frame and considering how images flow together.

→ Technical constraints guide creative choices—Charlotte uses specific film stocks for specific purposes: Portra 400 for skin tones, Tri-X 400 pushed for punchy black and white, Cinestill 800T for cinematic low light.

→ Your background shapes your photographic eye—Charlotte's fashion design experience gives her an instinct for how people hold themselves, dress, and occupy space.