For this feature, wedding photographer Drew Stevens shares how a lifelong passion for storytelling evolved into a career dedicated to capturing some of life’s most meaningful moments. From learning traditional film photography in high school to documenting authentic love stories across southeastern North Carolina, their approach blends artistry, emotion, and intentionality.

As part of our wedding editorial series, we spoke with Ben Adams, the creative force behind Storyteller Adams, about building a photography experience rooted in emotion, connection, and storytelling. Based in Wilmington, Ben approaches weddings with a deeply human perspective, focusing less on perfectly posed moments and more on the relationships, emotions, and fleeting interactions that make each celebration unforgettable.

From his earliest days in a high school darkroom to his studies in documentary filmmaking at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies, Will Fryer’s path into wedding photography and videography has always been rooted in storytelling. What began as a hands-on introduction to image-making quickly grew into a deeper fascination with how moments can be preserved, shaped, and re-experienced through both still and moving images.

Brittany Castillo’s path to wedding photography began in 2010 in a small coastal village in Costa Rica, where she first documented surf culture, nature, and life by the ocean.

Mackenzie Ottinger of Sounds of Shutter, is a wedding and lifestyle photographer with a heartfelt, documentary approach to storytelling.

In conversation with photographer Meagan Forbes, we explore the story behind her decade-long journey in wedding photography and the passion that first sparked it all.