What happens when you stop chasing the perfect wedding photos and start focusing on how the day actually feels?
Today I sit down with photographers Joel & Justyna to talk about their “inside out” approach to weddings — blending in like guests, staying spontaneous, and capturing the moments that naturally unfold.
Joel shares his journey from growing up with photographer parents in Ottawa to modeling, picking up a camera, and eventually shooting weddings around the world. He also takes us behind the scenes of assisting his father, Canada’s official royal portrait photographer, on Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee portrait — and why that experience taught him that people skills can matter just as much as technical skills.
Justyna shares how her background in fine art, art history, fashion, and editorial work shaped the way she sees weddings creatively.
They also get into why they’ve moved away from over-planning, what they actually need from a wedding timeline, and how focusing on great work, relationships, and word of mouth helped take them from local weddings to Toronto, Montreal, and destinations around the world.
00:00 Spontaneous Wedding Philosophy
00:34 Meet Joel and Justyna
00:52 Joel’s Winding Career Path
03:55 Assisting the Royal Portrait
06:07 People Skills Behind the Lens
07:30 Justyna’s Fine Art Origins
09:07 From Craigslist to Weddings
10:28 Ditching the Shot List
13:28 Planning Versus Pivoting
16:18 Fashion Influence on Weddings
20:15 Why Couples Connect
23:39 Confidence and Self Portraits
25:22 Going International from Ottawa
28:53 Final Thanks and Subscribe
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