A wedding photographer specially created this “super contrast” image so that a blind groom could see pictures of his big day.
Wedding photographer Alice Lodge, who runs Alice Lodge Photography, shot couple Reece’s and Sophy’s nupitals in September last year.
@blindandblonde This is why accessibility matters 🥹👰🏼♀️👨🏻🦯 #blind #interabledcouple #wedding #weddingphotographer #blindtok #accessibility #disability ♬ Here Comes the Sun – Relaxing Instrumental Music
When the couple approached Lodge about the wedding, they told the photographer that groom Reece is blind and has around 5% useful vision — which meant he wouldn’t be able to see all the photos.
But Lodge, who is based in York, U.K., knew that she wanted to find a way to allow visually-impaired Reece to look at his wedding photos.
‘I Tried to Put Myself in His Shoes’
“Sophy and Reece approached me openly and honestly and told me what Reece needed in order to feel comfortable. I always listen closely to my couples’ needs and wants” Lodge tells PetaPixel.
“I knew that Reece had some vision, about 5% I think. Obviously, I can’t imagine what that means but I knew he could see lights to some degree — hence all the fairy lights, candles, and the light-up dance floor Reece and Sophy had on their wedding day.
“I always loved how enthusiastic Reece was about the wedding photos even though I knew he couldn’t see them (other than with AI descriptions) and I wondered if there was anything I could do.
“That’s why I created that super contrast image trying to put myself in his shoes.”
Lodge created a special super high-contrast photograph for the couple in Adobe Lightroom. The photographer says that the process was a straightforward one.
“I used Lightroom and it was super quick,” Lodge explains.
“As I knew that he could see some contrast and lights I made sure that the highlights were super blown out and the shadows really dark. Two sliders really — simple.”
‘This is Why Accessibility Matters’
In a heartwarming TikTok video posted by the couple, Reece is seen looking closely at the super high-contrast image created by Lodge.
The couple say that were touched and appreciative of the extra thought that Lodge put into their wedding photos for Reece.
“Alice was an absolutely perfect photographer. She captured everything we wanted from our day in exactly the way we wanted,” Reece and Sophy say.
“In addition, I (the groom) am visually impaired, and Alice made so many little adjustments to make sure that I kept looking in the right direction and knew what was going on in each picture.
“She even offered to add more contrast to the images when she sent through our first look at our gallery, which truly shows how thoughtful and committed she is to making our day as special as possible for us.”
Lodge adds: “It was an absolute privilege to be chosen as Sophy’s and Reece’s photographer and that it was a life-long lesson to witness the love, humour, and support they have for each other.”
More of Lodge’s work can be found on Instagram and her website..
Image credits: All photos by Alice Lodge Photography.