Wedding Photographer Says More Clients are Requesting Blurry Pictures

A wedding photographer has shared how her clients are increasingly requesting blurry photos of their big day.

Wedding photographer Asantae Haanstad posted a video on TikTok showing an example of a blurry photo she had taken of a newlywed couple alongside the caption “This is why you need to ask your photographer for blurry pictures on your wedding.”

The short clip took off and has racked up over four million views. Speaking to PetaPixel, Haanstaad says that including a few blurry photos can add variety to a set of wedding pictures and that her clients are increasingly requesting this aesthetic.

“I personally love blurry photos as they show movement and make you feel as though you are there in that moment,” says Haanstaad, who photographs weddings in Missouri and San Diego. “My photography style is very candid and movement-oriented and I think that the blurry photos fit perfectly with that vibe.”

“I think that blurry photos are a great way to provide variety in your gallery and images that you provide to a client. They have become more popular this year and I am consistently having clients request them as they find them unique and beautiful.”

Haanstaad, who shoots with a Canon EOS R6, says that she includes a handful of blurry pictures in the final set of wedding photos for her clients.

“Most of the time in a wedding gallery of 1,000 photos there are only 1 to 3 images that are blurred,” explains Haanstaad. “Also, anytime I do a blurry photo I have the couple do the same thing but in focus so the couple has both images and is not missing out on a moment from their wedding day.”

The wedding photographer posted a TikTok video about the photography technique last month and the clip garnered over 440,000 likes. Haanstaad says she was “shocked” when the clip went viral.

Although she received criticism from TikTok viewers who wrongly presumed that she delivered a significant amount of blurry photos in a set, Haanstaad says she did receive positive messages from many couples who had also requested this style from their wedding photographers.

“I posted the TikTok because I wanted to put the idea out there for clients to ask their photographer about,” she says. “On a weekly basis, clients are asking me for blurry images and I think it is great when clients can bring ideas to their photographer especially when they are looking for something particular.”

“I love brainstorming ideas with my clients and providing them with the images they are looking for, plus the whole idea of blurry photos is super trendy in the world of photography right now.”

In December last year, Mashable reported on the growing trend for intentionally blurry photos on social media — describing the images as “aspirational in a sense.”

According to Mashable, the aesthetic of blurry photos serve as a “reminder to let loose in front of the camera sometimes and embrace life’s candid moments.” And in the last year, the photography style has been popularized by celebrities on Instagram like Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Like the 0.5 selfie trend which has taken off among Generation Z, blurry images are a visually evocative antidote to the highly-edited and picture-perfect photos commonly seen on social media.

For more on Haanstaad’s work, check out her website and Instagram.

Image credits: All photos by Asantae Photography.