Shannon Collins
Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
Photographing joy as resistance.
HI, I’M SHANNON. MY PRONOUNS ARE THEY/THEM.
I’ve been photographing weddings and families in the Philadelphia area for +13 years. Philadelphia Magazine just named me Best Photographer for Best of Philly 2022, for my work as Founder and photographer of Youthphoria. When I’m not documenting milestones, editing photos, or watching an obscene amount of Bravo programming, I’m hanging out with my two children and my partner. We also live with a nervous dachshund and an eighteen-year-old chinchilla named Maude. Elopements, intimate weddings (aka microweddings), and LGBTQIA+ weddings make me excited to wake up in the morning.
More about me? I co-founded and co-host a monthly, virtual meetup for LGBTQIA+ kids and allies in K-5 in partnership with Abington Township Public Library—Rainbow Connections. My glasses fog up all the time. I love listening to podcasts about gender identity and disability justice. I like trying to keep plants alive. I wish Moira Rose was my friend. I wish David Rose was my sweater provider. I apologize too much. I firmly believe Black Lives Matter. I identify as nonbinary, queer, Autistic, and disabled and diversify my media feed to reflect these identities and learn more about how I can better serve the wider community, through intersectionality and the amplification of BIPOC voices.
I’m the founder of Youthphoria, a Philadelphia-based project dedicated to photographing trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth in the Philadelphia area at no cost, while providing an affirming experience that celebrates them along the way.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER FOR MY FELLOW AWKWARD AND ANXIOUS PEOPLE.
So many people reach out to me to let me know they’re awkward or shy in front of the camera. If you break out in a rash from nervousness, you are not alone. Or if you’re neurodivergent like me, things like forced eye contact or sensory overload might have led to traumatic photo experiences in the past. I’m here to make you more at ease and ideally forget that I’m tucked away behind a bush somewhere while you spend time with your partner(s). I won’t force poses that don’t seem organic to who you are as individuals. Instead, I allow moments to happen naturally, while letting you lead the way and subtly guiding you — with your permission — into the best light and backdrops.
I want you to be as comfortable as possible on your wedding day, so we’ll make sure the timeline flows smoothly and you feel prepared. Weddings are incredibly personal, so I feel really privileged that I get to call this my profession. Photographing celebrations while focusing on color, composition, and getting to really know the people whose story I’m telling is what makes me thrive.
It’s okay and absolutely valid if emotions are high and you need to take breaks or want additional support to get through the day. Whether that looks like doing a mindfulness breathing exercise together or asking loved ones for some space for a few minutes, honor what your body and heart are telling you. I’ll be there to get your back (and snacks).
I WELCOME YOU FOR YOU, COMPLETELY.
Planning a photo session should evoke excitement, not fear, but that is not always the case for those who are marginalized. My intentions as an affirming photographer are to reduce the amount of labor that my clients have to engage in. As someone who is disabled, I try to be really mindful when working with clients and putting accessibility to the forefront.
Something I don’t see enough in the wedding and family photography industries is the normalization of polyamorous love. I feel energized when collaborating with queer, trans, and polyamorous folks, and people of all identities. That’s why I try to use language like “marriers” rather than “couple,” in an effort to be more inclusive and intentional.
An oppressed group can’t simply stop being oppressed, we all need to fix it. I connect LGBTQIA+ clients with affirming vendors and by advocating for safer, more diverse, more inclusive, and more accessible industry standards. I want to honor your experience by letting you lead the way in terms of how you identify and how you’d like to be addressed.
As a side note, I’m fully vaccinated and mask up indoors and outdoors when unable to socially distance, due to COVID-19.
![Something that often goes overlooked is managing the heavy grief that comes with estrangement and absence on a wedding day.
According to a ‘23 study from Just Like Us, almost half of LGBTQ+ young adults (46%) are estranged from at least one family member. As a wedding photographer whose clients often include queer marriers, it’s unfortunately not uncommon to see that statistic play out into adulthood.
I find my own grief around estrangement creeping when I least expect it. Something as simple as seeing the affection between pairs of siblings as they compete on The Amazing Race can knock the wind out of me and make me question if I’m broken.
Society will have us believing that the people we grow up around will to continue to nourish and shape us as we age, but that’s simply not true for everyone. For many of us, we’ll co-create our own communities who celebrate our complexities and remind us of our worth.
There are many reasons absence appears on a wedding day–whether due to loss, friendship breakups, or estrangement. It can be gut-wrenching, especially when vendors have questionnaires that presume the norm is true for all.
Examples of this can include assumptions that: There will be parent dances; a marrier will be walking down the aisle with a parent; and “immediate family” group photos should be centered vs. having curiosity about chosen family.
Processing feelings around estrangement or going no-contact while wedding planning can be a lot. People naturally insert themselves by offering unsolicited advice. You might be feeling pressured to invite someone you know you want to but can’t, which makes it even more heartbreaking.
On the day of, the grief can hit even harder and become overwhelming. Something that goes unmentioned on my list of qualifications is being able to read people (an Autistic stereotype I’m happy to break) and knowing when space is needed.
Whether it’s due to an overbearing guest who makes you anxious or because it finally hit you that your family won’t be there on what’s advertised as “the most important day of your life,” (which I call bs on, by the way)–I’m here to support you in whatever way that looks.
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