Wedding Photographer Van Middleton is the 2023 Lit! category winner and joins us this year as a 2025 IWPOTY Judge. Based out of Brisbane, Australia Van describes himself as a storyteller & minimalist. Always seeking and searching for big pictures and little moments.
What will make an entry stand out to you this year?Â
Something that intersects the unique and beautiful. It’s easy to take a unique photo, and it’s easy to take a pretty picture. It’s not easy to do both
What’s one myth about wedding photography that you would love to bust?
That it’s cheesy & easy. It’s easy to be cheesy, but it’s very, very hard to capture a wedding day in a way that is both unique and beautiful and true to the spirit of the day.
Is there a past IWPOTY image (or winner) that really blew you away? Why?
I loved the winner of 2023 – the image of the bird on the bride’s head by Tara Lilly. Everything about this photo was perfect: the moment, the emotion, the location, the composition.
Do you use presets or post production services with your post production ? If so, which ones ?
Yes, I own Wildernis Lab!
One piece of advice for other photographers or small business owners..
Don’t follow the herd, make what you think is beautiful. Trends come and go, but there will always be people that share your style and approach and so you will carve out a niche. Work hard, always seek and search.
We can’t wait to work closely with Van this year on the Awards!
