Social Media Split After Wedding Photographer Shares Controversial ‘Safety Shot’ Technique

The internet is split after a wedding photographer shared a controversial “safety shot” technique he uses in case couples divorce or break up.

The photographer, Adam Lowndes, shared the technique on his TikTok recently, in which he shows himself photographing the bride and groom with close family and their respective partners. After capturing the shot, he asks the partner of the sister of the bride to step out of the frame, prompting laughter from those still in the image. 

Lowndes goes on to explain that he removed the partner from the shot “just in case” to ensure he had a version of the bridge and groom with their close family only in case they separated from their partners. The clip gained several million views and sharply split opinions. Some called it a practical and shrewd move that took a realistic perspective. Others said it was insulting to the person asked to leave and that Lowndes should have started with the smallest combination and added to it to avoid singling out anyone.

Lowndes posted a follow-up the next day, saying that he would not have proceeded that way had he not already established a good rapport with the guests. Regarding his decision to start with the larger group and work downward, he said it’s easier that keep track of people that way, as they might wander off otherwise. 

Lowndes said the technique was actually inspired by a wedding in which he asked all partners to temporarily vacate the frame so he could take a shot of only the close family, only to hear that the bride’s brother and his girlfriend had broken up that very same night, immediately validating the method. He says it’s a useful way to increase the longevity of his work and to decrease future Photoshop requests.