Paul Hands is a Hinckley-based documentary wedding photographer & filmmaker. He captures relaxed, unposed wedding photos and engagement portraits, plus cinematic films that tell your story.
Paul Hands is a specialist documentary wedding photographer and filmmaker based in Hinckley, Leicestershire. For couples who prefer an honest, unforced approach to their wedding day, Paul’s work is deliberately unobtrusive: unfluffy, unstuffy and unposed. With more than a decade of experience capturing weddings across the Midlands and the UK, he focuses on the moments between the formalities — the laughter, the small looks, the unexpected gestures that reveal the real story of a day. Positioned as a wedding specialist, Paul blends documentary instincts with cinematic filmmaking. He documents ceremonies and celebrations in a way that keeps you present with your guests while ensuring every emotional beat is recorded. His filmmaking complements his photography: where the stills freeze the decisive moments, the films bring movement, sound and atmosphere to life for a fuller memory of your day. Paul’s working style is calm and conversational. He keeps things relaxed and low-key so couples who dislike being directed can enjoy the day without interruption. If you want a few posed portraits to balance the documentary coverage, Paul often works alongside Elena Pavlova — a portrait photographer who creates striking, posed images that sit beautifully with his natural storytelling images. Together they offer coverage that feels both authentic and complete. Engagement and bridal photography are a natural extension of Paul’s wedding work. Engagement shoots give couples a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and produce images that reflect their personality. Bridal portraits are created with the same respect for natural light, composition and atmosphere that define his wedding photography. Paul also offers photography artwork and has a creative background in landscape and urban photography — a perspective that informs his sense of composition, light and place on wedding days. But his core focus remains wedding photography and video: telling your day as it happened, with confidence and creativity. If you’re based in Hinckley, Leicestershire or planning a wedding anywhere in the Midlands or the UK and want a specialist documentary wedding photographer and filmmaker, Paul Hands offers a considered, story-led approach that produces professional wedding photos and cinematic films you’ll return to for years to come.