Secondary Photographer

Madelyn R.

I've been working in wedding photography for about a decade, with the majority of my shooting experience coming from three busy seasons from 2016-2018 as an associate in Chicago, IL. During that time, I photographed around 30 weddings as a primary photographer and another 50 or so as a secondary, so I'm very familiar with the pace, flow, and unpredictability of a wedding day. After stepping away from shooting full-time, I've continued working in the wedding industry as a freelance photo editor, so I've never really been far from weddings, or stopped loving them. I’ve also continued to shoot portrait work during this time, on the side. The work I love most is candid, documentary-style photography. I really enjoy anticipating moments and finding the little interactions happening around the edges of the day. This is a big reason I’ve thrived being a secondary shooter because it gave me the opportunity to be creative and look for a different perspective while supporting the primary photographer's coverage. I'm excited about Candid because the associate model feels like a great way for me to get back into shooting while being part of an established team rather than immediately rebuilding my own photography business in a new city. I also love the variety of weddings Candid takes on. I spent my shooting years photographing couples from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and budgets, and that variety was one of my favorite parts of the job. I'm looking forward to contributing wherever I'm needed and hopefully growing into more opportunities with Candid over time.