Shayleen Jagassar, Winnipeg Wedding Photographer
Some photographers are drawn to weddings for the spectacle. Others are drawn to them for the people. Shayleen Jagassar belongs firmly in the latter camp. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, her work is rooted in connection — not just how a wedding looks, but how it feels to be there. Emotion, movement, and light are the raw materials she works with, shaping galleries that feel lived-in, honest, and quietly elevated.
Shayleen’s relationship with photography began long before it became a profession. Creativity has always been a constant in her life — something instinctual rather than learned. From her earliest memories, art was a place she naturally gravitated toward, and photography eventually became the medium where everything clicked. Today, that instinct shows up in the way she reads a room, anticipates moments, and guides couples with an ease that makes the experience feel natural rather than performed.
Growing Up with Stories and Strong Connections
Shayleen was born and raised in Winnipeg, a city that remains home to this day. While she’s had opportunities to travel and photograph in other places, her roots in Manitoba have deeply shaped how she views relationships and community. Family connections played a central role in her upbringing, and those early experiences continue to inform her approach to weddings — especially her sensitivity to emotion and the importance of documenting relationships, not just timelines.
Her first exposure to photography came through her father, who loved documenting family life with a film camera. That early familiarity with photographs as vessels for memory left a lasting impression. Like many millennials, Shayleen also experimented with digital point-and-shoot cameras, photographing everyday moments with friends and exploring early editing tools.
What started as curiosity became intention in high school, when she enrolled in a film photography course at PrairieView School of Photography — a decision that would ultimately shape her career. She later returned to PrairieView to complete the diploma program, graduating in 2018 with a strong technical foundation and a clearer understanding of photography as both an art form and a profession.
From Education to Experience
While formal education gave Shayleen the technical tools to understand photography, experience is what taught her how to use them. Early in her career, she continued investing in workshops and ongoing education, recognizing that photography — especially wedding photography — is constantly evolving.
Mentorship played a significant role in that growth. Eden Strader Photography had a major influence on Shayleen’s technical development, particularly in mastering off-camera flash and confidently shooting in challenging light. On the business side, Nathan Chanski’s Business Blueprint helped her build systems and processes that support a sustainable career, not just a busy one.
Her earliest wedding experience came through second shooting, including working alongside Vanessa Renae Photography — a close friend and respected peer. Those first weddings carried the weight they should. Being trusted with something so personal was nerve-racking at first, but that responsibility quickly transformed into purpose. Wedding photography didn’t just feel possible; it felt meaningful.
Her first lead wedding was for a Somali acquaintance from high school. Shayleen approached it with preparation and care, particularly around lighting and logistics. The nerves were there, but so was confidence in her skills. Delivering a gallery she was proud of affirmed that this was work she could step into fully.
A Thoughtful, Consistent Approach to Weddings
Today, Shayleen primarily photographs weddings throughout Manitoba, with occasional travel. She focuses mainly on full-day wedding coverage, believing that complete storytelling requires space — space to document quiet beginnings, unfolding emotion, and everything in between. She also takes on elopements and intimate weddings when they align with her approach.
Her style is best described as vibrant and timeless, blending magazine-worthy editorial portraits with candid, emotion-driven moments. Movement-based posing is central to her process. Rather than placing couples into stiff positions, she encourages interaction, allowing connection to take the lead while she guides with intention.
Consistency matters deeply to her. Couples hire Shayleen for a specific look and experience, and she believes in delivering exactly that. At the same time, flexibility remains essential — every wedding is different, and her role is to adapt without losing her voice.
How Shayleen Photographs a Wedding Day
While her intention remains consistent throughout the day, her approach shifts with the rhythm of each moment.
Mornings are calm and observational. Shayleen focuses on details, natural interactions, and the quiet energy as the day begins, stepping in gently when guidance is needed. During the ceremony, she becomes more documentary and unobtrusive, prioritizing emotion, reactions, and light while allowing events to unfold naturally.
Portraits are where her guided approach comes forward. Using movement-based prompts, she creates space for couples to be themselves rather than perform for the camera. As the day transitions into the reception, her shooting becomes fluid and candid again — capturing energy and in-between moments while still stepping in for key events like speeches and first dances.
Throughout it all, her strength lies in reading the room — knowing when to direct and when to disappear.
Editing, Tools, and Craft
Shayleen’s style begins in-camera. Light, composition, and timing are foundational, and post-processing is treated as refinement rather than rescue. Her edits prioritize true-to-life colour with a subtle vibrancy that enhances rather than distracts.
After culling, images are brought into Lightroom, where she applies her preset and fine-tunes each photograph individually for balance and consistency. Select portraits receive light, natural retouching, always preserving skin texture and authenticity.
While gear is never the focus, certain tools support her workflow. A 24–70mm lens allows her to move quickly and adapt to changing moments, while a 50mm offers a softness she loves for portraits. Flash — both on and off camera — plays a key role in creating reliable, editorial lighting in any environment.
And yes — Nikon loyalty runs deep.
The Experience She Creates for Couples
Shayleen’s clients value connection, emotion, and timeless imagery. They’re drawn to photography that feels elevated yet natural — galleries that reflect not just what happened, but how it felt to be there. Most of her bookings come through her portfolio, word of mouth, and social media, where consistency in both work and voice attracts the right couples.
What clients often comment on most isn’t just the final gallery, but the experience itself. Shayleen is known for her communication, responsiveness, and ability to make couples feel supported throughout the process. She also delivers full wedding galleries within one month — a turnaround time that consistently exceeds expectations and allows couples to relive their day while it’s still fresh.
Why Weddings Still Matter to Her
Weddings sit at the intersection of everything Shayleen loves: people, emotion, storytelling, and connection. The quiet moments carry as much weight as the big ones, and the in-between interactions are often where the story truly lives.
Being a wedding photographer, to her, is about stewardship — preserving moments that will be revisited for decades and shared across generations. It’s a responsibility she takes seriously and with gratitude.
Even on the hardest days of wedding season, when exhaustion sets in, the act of photographing itself pulls her back into the present. Editing, too, is something she genuinely enjoys — a slower, reflective counterbalance to the intensity of shooting.
To sustain the rhythm of the work, Shayleen prioritizes movement, community, and intentional downtime. Weight training helps her meet the physical demands of long wedding days, while editing from coffee shops or connecting with industry friends offsets the isolation that can come with post-production.
An introverted extrovert by nature, she thrives in connection on wedding days and recharges through quiet time, family, and close friendships. That balance is what allows her to show up fully — creatively and professionally — year after year.
Looking Ahead
Shayleen’s goals are grounded and intentional. She’s focused on building a sustainable, fulfilling business that allows her to continue refining her craft while maintaining a high level of care for every couple she works with. Growth, for her, isn’t about scale — it’s about depth.
For couples seeking a Winnipeg wedding photographer who values emotion as much as aesthetics, and storytelling as much as style, Shayleen Jagassar Photography offers something quietly powerful: images that feel honest, intentional, and deeply human.
Website: shayleen.ca
Instagram: @shayleen