Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022 – Award-winning wedding photographers

“Wait…. Is this actually happening???” That’s what I said moments after finding out we’ve been named as one of the Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022!  After checking we hadn’t been sent the email by mistake (genuinely, I was that overwhelmed by it!) I then proceeded to scream my house down with excitement… at 4am! Sorry neighbours!

I really wanted to tell Jawad face to face, so it was an agonising wait until just before the next wedding we were photographing! Jawad refused to believe it until he’d read the email himself quite a few times, and even then, it was a while before it started to sink in. We both just looked at each other, totally speechless but filled with more pride and happiness than we could have imagined any professional achievement would bring. 

This is a big deal to us, to be named as Rangefinder Rising Stars means we have been recognised among the most promising and creative emerging talent in the industry – honestly… how is this even real right now?! And it’s not just within the best wedding photographers in the UK, it’s a competition for emerging talent across the whole world! The actual WHOLE WORLD!!! (Sorry, there’s going to be lots of exclamation marks in this blog post!)

What are Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022?

Every year, Rangefinder (one of the most high-profile sources of inspiration, education and motivation in the photography world) asks for industry leaders to nominate exciting new talent, people who they feel really represent the best of the best. To tell you the truth, just being nominated was a massive achievement for us! Those who are nominated then get the chance to submit 30 images to be considered by the judging panel. 

The portfolio of images must represent the best of a photographer’s or photography duo’s work; award winning wedding photography, expertly captured, and of absolutely world-class standard.  Did we mention it’s a world-wide competition? The judges then select the Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars, the 30 photographers they think are at the top of their game, bringing something new and interesting to the industry through their work.

What does Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022 mean to us?

I mean, we might have already covered this… but OMG!!! AMAZING!!! WHHAAATTTT???!

Seriously, as self-taught photographers we have followed this competition every year, and when we started Reportage Studios it was on our list of goals for the future. You know, the kind of thing you write down and try to work towards but never imagine will happen?

We knew it would be a huge achievement to be recognised in this way – but we never thought it might become a reality, and so soon too! We’ve attended brilliant workshops run by previous winners and it became our little dream that one day, somehow, if we worked our butts off… that might be us!

We are continuously learning and developing our skills, it keeps us on our toes and pushing creative boundaries. It’s also part of what helps us deliver amazing galleries to our couples. Being named in the Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022 is something we wanted for us, but also for our couples, our families, and our friends who have supported us so much. Thank you all so much! One of the hardest parts of this achievement has been keeping it a secret (until now) from the people who helped us get here!

This recognition from the industry, on a hugely competitive, worldwide stage, confirms we are pushing in the right direction – and we are loving every second of this crazy journey we are on together, as award-winning wedding photographers.

How did we select our portfolio of award-winning wedding photography?

Picking 30 images to submit was HARD! We love capturing weddings, and a little part of us goes into every single photograph – so it was kind of like trying to pick our favourite children (which other parents will know is impossible… unless one of them decides to bring you breakfast in bed!).

A big part of the process for us was to focus on selecting images that spoke from the heart. We wanted to show a portfolio that would authentically represent us, show who we are as photographers, and demonstrate the unique style of Reportage Studios. 

Emotions and people are at the heart of a wedding. For us, it isn’t about how a day looks it’s about how it feels (cheesy line…? Maybe, but it’s SO true!). So, the portfolio we submitted reflects documentary moments, candid reportage photography, and images full of emotion… all the real stuff!

We won’t lie… after spending ages on our selections, finally pressing send on the portfolio submission was an epic feeling! 

We’re award-winning wedding photographers – How does this affect our work?

We constantly strive to use visual storytelling to capture the authentic and unique story of every wedding. Winning photography awards and receiving recognition from the industry confirms our position amongst the top UK wedding photographers, and establishes Reportage Studios on the world stage (nope… still doesn’t feel real yet!!).

The incredible feedback we receive from couples is also a big part of what keeps us motivated. When we started the business together our aim was to combine our strengths to provide a first-class service to our amazing clients, and we’re so glad we followed our dreams! 

“It was really important to us that our photographs were natural and didn’t require endless hours of posing. This is exactly what Janina and Jawad delivered.The photos that Janina has sent through are absolutely breathtaking and capture the many perfect moments of our day.”

Photographing important moments in award winning wedding photography is such a brilliant feeling. Those photos are a way for people to relive their wedding day, and we feel really lucky to be trusted by each and every couple we meet.

As part of Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022, we hope to follow in the footsteps of those who inspired us, and also keeping on evolving and delivering the very best galleries to our lovely couples. We still genuinely can’t believe it (Imposter Syndrome is real!!), and we can’t wait to see where the next year takes us!

And that’s not all… more award winning wedding photos

We’ve talked about and shared the portfolio of images that helped us become part of Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars 2022… but we’ve also entered other contests throughout the year and have been super excited to receive some amazing recognition for our work.

Thank you again to everyone that has been a part of our journey so far – here are some more award-winning wedding photography highlights, that we still have to pinch ourselves to believe! 

This is Reportage
Photographers Keeping it Real, Wedding Photojournalist Association & Photojournalist Association
Your Perfect Wedding Photographer, Masters of Wedding Photography
SLR Lounge Top 100

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