Images by: josevilla and @bayleighvedelago
We are back baby. Lensel is here again for 2026. Your secret weapon to cut through the noise of the wedding photography world and get ahead. Here’s what we have on today:
The New Baseline - why trends won’t cut it in 2026
iPhone flash inspo
Trend Making ideas
All the news for wedding photographers
Now, let’s dive in ⬇️
NEWS
Happening this Week
Film burns and wisdom. Photographer Si Moore dove into 5 things 2025 can teach photographers and it’s insight you can’t miss.
Ricoh’s New Monochrome Play. A new monochrome version of the popular Ricoh GRiv was released this week dedicated to B&W photos only. Somehow, we want one? Details here.
IKEA Theory. Can the Ikea theory change the way you think about weddings and wedding photography? Answers here.
Groom Pose Lessons. This photographer showed off a bunch of guy poses you can steal from the best at the Golden Globes. Subtle Winning.
The Fujifilm Wedding Workhorse. The rumours are that the new XT-6, successor to the popular wedding camera XT-5, is finally arriving this September. Details here.
Sneaky Apple is one the move with a new ‘Creator Studio’ subscription program that gives access to all their creator software for monthly price (instead of a big outright cost as has been the case.) We are keeping a close eye on their Pixelmator photo editing software (included) that is gunning for Lightroom.
2026 Forecasts. The Wed released the 2026 Trend Guide for a little look into what’s next in the wedding world this coming year. Details here.
Pro flash on your iPhone. This post shows off an epic series of photos taken on an iPhone connect to a Profoto A10. Looking good. And here’s how you can do it too.
THE IDEA
〰️ The New Baseline
Images: aisleglam and @claramortensen.wedding
Wedding photography is winning (ok this is a rant but hear us out)
Wedding photography is INSANE right now. Truly. The standard, average level of work is higher than it has ever been. From composition, to colour, to film work, to posing, to visual concepts and references…The wedding photo industry is visually fluent and down right amazing in a way it simply wasn’t a decade ago. Cue the 2016 throwbacks.
For us wedding photographer it can feel incredibly inspiring seeing so much amazing work BUT on the flip side it can also feel overwhelming and sometimes discouraging.
Everything looks good. Everyone can make beautiful photos. The things that once felt distinctive and new and COOL are now expected. High quality photos and frames. Unique ideas. The trends. Shooting film. Clean colour. Editorial posing and framing. YOU KNOW ALL THE THINGS...
This high quality of work isn’t a differentiator anymore. Amazing work is the new starting point. The new baseline. And when the starting point rises, something else happens: trends and new ideas stop ‘working’.
We’ve passed the era of obvious, new headline trends. We saw direct flash, blurry photos etc etc come in hot for 2025, and many found success in these being new, exciting things. But now they are everywhere. And in 2026 there isn’t a new aesthetic you can latch onto that’s going to magically separate you from the pack.
Which means, in many ways everything has changed.
Here’s what we are seeing…
Refinement is going to beat novelty
2026 is not about finding the next new idea or technique. It’s about taking what you already do and doing it right, doing it better. Not just shooting film, but shooting it better. Not just editing kinda clean, but really doubling down and finding a clean, consistent look. Fewer ideas, done with more intent.
Good judgement will beat out higher output
More content. More posts. More photos are just noise. Good judgement is what will stand out. What you choose to show, and what you choose to leave out, matters more than volume will.
Taste will beat tactics
Hacks and tactics are too easy to see through. But doubling down on showing off your taste is what will compound. Find your clear point of view and lean into that.
YES, this is all a bit conceptual. But we know for the right people it will spark something good for the year to come.
There is a NEW BASELINE in wedding photography. Don’t be scared. Just double down and get ready to raise your level in 2026.
Oh and PS. You know Lensel will be there all the way as your secret, insider weapon.
INSPO THIS WEEK
⬇️ INCRED portrait inspo from all of this year Golden Globe winners. The framing and feel is so unique.
⬇️ Does a winter wedding get any more dreamy than this? AND then talk about the curation and ideas from La Dichosa.
⬇️ Emilie White with some very clean, true to life colours in the incredible set. A must see.
⬇️ In the moment landscape inspo to take you out of your portrait world for a second.
⬇️ Not photos, but why aren’t more photographers ‘taste making’? READ THE ARTICLE ABOVE.
⬇️ A vision of Villa Cimbrone you NEED to see. With tones leaning ever so slightly warm, a perfectly balance contrast, it’s a very refined editing look that many would do well to lean towards. Plus loving the different compositions that are ALL cent
Till next week,
