2021 WPJA Photographer of the Year

William Lambelet


Photo by Thibault Chappe

William Lambelet has been named the WPJA 2021 Photographer of the Year — and he's grown somewhat accustomed to this title. Having previously received this award in 2017, William is one of only a handful of members who has been honored twice in his career.

While he's based out of Southeast France, William is a wedding photographer who has had the opportunity to capture events around the world. He has shot in Europe and India and has traveled across the ocean to Mexico and the Caribbean for clients who are getting married abroad.

No matter where William is shooting in the world, he is sure to bring his signature style along with him. His images are thoughtfully composed in order to share the couple's story on their wedding day.

"I am a fan of the 5W (What, When, Where, Who, Why) so that the reader understands what is going on in my images," William said. "This is one of the reasons why I use several shots to add a maximum of information to my pictures. The hardest part is to include the important information in the frame and exclude the less important ones."

From the moment that the couple begins to get ready for their wedding celebrations until the last person has left the dance floor at the reception, William is completely present and focused on capturing those perfect moments. He favors an approach that is less intrusive, opting to remain as a part of the background during the wedding so as not to impact the outcome of the day. While he may blend in with the scenery, he is always ready to capture that coveted shot.

"I am deeply convinced that the 'perfect' moment in photography lasts a fraction of a second," William explained. "That's why I'm always ready to shoot even when nothing is happening and also why I keep shooting a scene even when I think I have a good picture. Sometimes I take 50 or 100 pictures of the same scene because sometimes the 'perfect' moment comes at the very end."

One of the keys to William's long-term success is that he follows a tried-and-true model for photographing weddings. First and foremost, he is guided by the words of one of his favorite photographers, Sebastiao Salgado: "Without context, the subject is nothing." Rather than focusing solely on the action of the subject, he zooms out to include the larger picture. Every image is filled with meaningful details that highlight the story of the wedding day.

He also follows two additional rules when he is shooting a wedding:

  • All moments are important.
  • Do not interfere.

Essentially, when he is on location at a wedding, he is always on guard. He is taking the day in as a thoughtful observer who is charged with preserving each moment for eternity. William knows that he is not a character in the story, nor is he the narrator of the story. Rather, he is the documentarian — the ever-important eyewitness who views the events that take shape through an objective lens.

While he works to incorporate the style and personality of each individual couple into his approach, you can always count on one signature feature in one of William's galleries: Layers. In his own words, layering is his "obsession." For instance, he can use layering techniques to showcase adult guests praying on their knees in the foreground, clearly immersed in the magnitude of the moment. Within the same image, he can highlight the youngest guests in attendance playing in the background. The layered image can paint a juxtaposed picture of the day — one in which each generation is present and absorbing the happiness of the moment. Both groups of guests are living for the moment, but each in their own distinct way.

Within those layers, William also makes it a point to introduce humor into the mix. He recognizes that a wedding day is about more than romance — it's a joining of two lives that often includes a vast range of emotions. From parents who feel bittersweet about their children beginning a new chapter in their lives to friends who are so excited and proud of the couple, any wedding event is going to bring out an infinite number of feelings.

"I really enjoy bringing a touch of humor into my images. I see weddings as real life with lots of twists and turns that often create unexpected and funny scenes," William said. "However, I want these humorous scenes to be always benevolent and not degrading."

At the end of the day, William believes that there is no such thing as a fairytale wedding. He feels that couples should not work too hard to create the perfect experience and that they should instead be focused on enjoying the day as it comes. Life — and marriage — is about celebrating the highs and navigating through the lows.

"I like to have authentic brides and grooms who smile about life's twists and turns," he said.

With every wedding that he books, William knows that there are endless possibilities ahead of him. He appreciates having the opportunity to get to know each couple on a personal level, and is honored to be the photographer who will capture every moment of their day — not only the traditional highlights, but also the fleeting scenes that another person might easily overlook.