Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Bucklar.
Anna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Anna Bucklar, and I’m a destination wedding photographer and visual storyteller. I specialize in capturing love in some of the most beautiful corners of the world, blending candid, documentary-style photography with editorial elegance. But the journey to where I am now didn’t begin with a camera in hand — it started with a deep sense of misalignment in a corporate newsroom.
I was working a stable, full-time job in the news industry. From the outside, I had what many would call a “successful” career: a reliable paycheck, a structured schedule, and a clear ladder to climb. But every day, I felt increasingly disconnected from myself. The work I was doing lacked meaning for me personally. I wasn’t creating. I wasn’t connecting. I wasn’t *living* the life I knew I was meant to live. I found myself daydreaming of color, emotion, texture — the very elements of life I longed to capture through a lens.
Photography had always been a passion of mine, but I had tucked it away, as so many of us do with the things that feel too big or too risky to pursue. One day, though, something shifted. I realized that staying in a life that didn’t fulfill me was far riskier than walking away from it. So I began saving — not just money, but courage. I studied, practiced, quietly built a portfolio, and after months of internal wrestling, I finally took the leap. I left my job without a backup plan, only a vision: to build a photography business that would allow me to document real human connection in extraordinary places.
At first, I focused on booking weddings across the United States. I drove across states, slept in Airbnbs, edited in cafés, and slowly, with every shoot, built a reputation. My work started gaining traction. Clients began recommending me, and soon, I was being hired for international weddings — something I had dreamed of, but honestly never expected to come so quickly. That season of life cracked something open in me. I realized I didn’t just want to *travel* for work — I wanted to live this life fully, untethered, seeing the world, and immersing myself in different cultures, communities, and stories.
So I made a decision that would change my life completely. I sold nearly everything I owned — furniture, clothes, keepsakes — all except for my camera gear. I packed my life into an 80-liter backpack, booked a one-way flight, and set off to become a full-time international photographer. It was wild. It was scary. And it was the most freeing thing I’ve ever done.
Since then, I’ve photographed weddings and couples in over 20 countries — from boats in bermuda to the golden cliffs of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. I don’t have a traditional home base anymore. Instead, I live where work takes me, building a life where art, travel, and human connection are at the center of everything I do. I truly believe that fear is the final gatekeeper to our biggest dreams. The moment we choose to walk through it, everything opens.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close — and honestly, I think that’s what has made it so meaningful.
Before I could even begin my photography career, I had to dismantle the life I had built — and that was emotionally and logistically overwhelming. I had a long-term lease I was financially responsible for, a binding work contract, and a serious relationship. On top of that, I had a dog who was like family to me. Every part of my identity and stability was tied up in this version of life I knew deep down I needed to leave. It felt like standing at the edge of a cliff with no guarantee of a safe landing.
Walking away wasn’t easy. It meant confronting heartbreak, loss, financial uncertainty, and the guilt that comes with choosing yourself. There were nights when I questioned everything — when the grief of letting go felt heavier than the hope of starting over. But I also knew I had to be brave. I had to choose the life I wanted, not the one I had settled into. It took so much internal work to silence the voices of doubt, especially when the world around me didn’t fully understand my choices.
Even after taking the leap, there were challenges. Building a business on the road comes with constant change, cultural shifts, time zone chaos, visa logistics, and the pressure of making sure you deliver excellence no matter where in the world you are. It’s not always glamorous. There are lonely moments. There are setbacks. There are sacrifices.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a destination wedding and elopement photographer who travels the globe capturing deeply intentional, story-driven images for couples in love. I work in both the United States and internationally, offering an experience that is highly personalized, emotionally rich, and artistically elevated.
What sets me apart is not just where I go, but how I approach my work. I don’t believe in forced poses or perfectly curated moments. I believe in realness — in the way a couple’s hands reach for each other when no one’s looking, in the tears that come during quiet vows, in the way light hits skin at golden hour. I blend a documentary approach with editorial finesse, creating galleries that feel both timeless and true.
I also think my lifestyle gives me a unique edge. I’ve designed my business in a way that allows me to be fully immersed in each location I shoot. I’m not just arriving at a destination — I’m living it, absorbing it, I can weave it into each couple’s story. My clients often tell me that working with me feels less like hiring a vendor and more like inviting a friend into their most sacred memories. That trust allows for deeper, more vulnerable imagery — and that, to me, is the magic.
Whether it’s an intimate elopement on a cliffside in Portugal or a luxury wedding on a vineyard in California, I bring the same energy: calm, creative, present, and completely invested in capturing the soul of the moment.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned — and I’ve learned it over and over again — is that comfort can be the quiet killer of dreams. It feels good in the moment, but it keeps you stuck. Choosing growth means choosing discomfort. It means choosing the unknown, the risks, the fear, the possibility of failure. But it’s also where you find yourself — your power, your creativity, your vision.
I’ve also learned that you have to be very careful about whose voice you let into your head. If someone isn’t living the kind of life you aspire to, their opinion about your path might be coming from their own fear, not your truth. So don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Don’t dim your light for the sake of fitting in. And never ever give up on what you feel called to do. The world doesn’t need more people following a script — it needs more people willing to write their own.
Pricing:
- 3k-10k wedding photography packages
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annabucklarphotography.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/annabucklarphotography
Image Credits
annabucklarphotography
