Meet Cameron Whitlock | Wedding Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Whitlock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameron, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I traveled a long and winding path before becoming a wedding filmmaker. I started my career in newspapers after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism. I originally was more interested in writing than any other form of storytelling. But working as a reporter, you naturally become a jack-of-all-trades. Covering high school sports really helped me learn my way around the camera. Sports and action photography isn’t easy to master, but after a year or so I felt very confident in the quality of my photos. After working as an editor for a couple years, I decided I wanted to branch out of newspapers and try my hand at freelance journalism.
My goal was to primarily write about travel, so I took what little savings I had and decided to try out the digital nomad lifestyle – backpacking around the world for about a year. I picked up several writing and photography gigs in magazines and online publications, and even won a couple awards from multiple journalism trade organizations.
Yet even with a bit of success, I soon learned it would be tough to survive on the salary of a freelancer. Still, I continued to write, take photos and began to record videos documenting my travels. I self published the stories of the people and places I encountered along the way to my personal blog. And in my freetime, I stayed glued to Youtube where I learned as much about filming and editing as I could.
When I returned home to Georgia, I continued to write and began to take on some local photo and video gigs. I filmed conferences, tourism ads and social media spots for small businesses. And the more video I shot, the more confident I became behind the camera and in the editing room.
Then, one day, a mutual friend put me in touch with a newly engaged couple that was looking for someone to film their wedding. I had no experience in weddings, but my friend knew that I was a skilled storyteller and adept with a camera in-hand. Luckily, the couple had faith that I’d deliver a great product.
My wife Dasha, who also has a strong creative streak, agreed to be my second shooter and Whitlock Wedding Films was born.
I never thought I’d enjoy working weddings, but capturing the unfiltered love and joy of a couple and narrating their story is truly something special. It’s deeply satisfying and fulfilling on a personal level. To me, there’s no greater reward than hearing that my art made someone laugh, cry, and a whole spectrum of emotions.
Once we realized how much we enjoyed that feeling, there was no turning back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To me, the most important part of any film is the story. You can add dynamic transitions and exciting special effects, but without a gripping narrative, the soul of the film feels hollow and dull.
I truly believe that you can make an incredible film, simply with the camera on your phone. We’re incredibly privileged to live in this digital era where everyone is carrying a 4k recording device in their pocket. But it’s important to remember that the equipment doesn’t tell the story. It’s your job, as a filmmaker, to extract the story from your subjects and use all the skills and tools in your chest to make that story come to life.
When I was first starting out with my old DSLR, I was constantly frustrated with the limitations of my equipment. I wanted slow motion, low light shooting, drone aerials and more. But I think being forced to shoot with the tools I had helped me develop as a cinematographer. Learning how to position couples, how to frame shots, the different types of camera movements – mastering all the basics was essential.
Now our equipment is much improved and that makes my job much easier. Still, I try to always remember everything I learned early on and to use the techniques without trying to cut corners.
I think what sets us apart from some wedding filmmakers is the personal relationship we aim to build with each of our clients. We don’t just show up on a couple’s wedding day with no background or idea who they are and what they are about. I typically make multiple video or phone calls after I have the couple fill out an online questionnaire. Perhaps it’s the former journalist in me, but I want to know the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY of the wedding. Understanding a couple’s personality helps me craft a tailor-made film that is truly unique and creates a time capsule to forever memorialize the love and passion the couple felt for one another on that day. Plus, knowing small personal details about the relationship can make the shoot more fun and natural.
On top of all the preparation and planning, a wedding can be an intense and stressful event. I want all our couples to know that they can relax and be themselves. We aim to make the experience a fun, carefree and joyous occasion.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta is truly an international city and that shows especially when it comes to food choices. If I was showing a friend around the city, our first stop would likely be The Consulate. It’s a very unique restaurant in Midtown where the menu changes every three months. Executive Chef Mei Lin explores the cuisine of countries all over the globe while keeping an excellent residential menu with delicious small plates and tapas. Other restaurants that are a must on our itinerary would be The Iberian Pig, Cooks and Soldiers and Las Brasas – a delicious Peruvian joint in Decatur. I’d also take my friend north to Buford Highway Farmers market. The produce and fresh meats are excellent. Plus, the experience of a different country on each aisle is worth the drive. Finally, I’d recommend a night out for craft cocktails at Little Spirits in the Old Fourth Ward.
In terms of activities, I’d probably plan a walk around the Belt Line and a trip to Ponce City Market. I love Atlanta sports, so a Falcons, Hawks, ATL United or Braves game would definitely be on the agenda. I’d suggest grabbing a cappuccino and petting some adoptable felines at Java Cats or Happy Tabby – one of Atlanta’s two cat cafes. Finally, I’d recommend some outdoor activities outside the city. In the summer, perhaps we’d take a hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park or Shoot the Hooch (float down the Chattahoochee River in an inner tube). In fall, there’s nothing better than camping or grabbing a cozy cabin in the North Georgia Mountains.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are countless people who helped me along the path to where I am today. My former newspaper co-workers helped me develop the skills and drive to become a better storyteller. My mom always supported me in all my endeavors and encouraged me to find work that I could be passionate about and proud of.
But if there’s one person who helped me more than any other, it’s my wife Dasha. Back when I was contemplating leaving my job, no one was more supportive than Dasha. She always urged me to follow my dreams and find happiness in life. While some people might have seen leaving a stable job with benefits as crazy, she trusted me and supported my decision the entire way. She’s always believed in me as an artist and gave me the courage to take the leap.

She’s helped me build my business in more ways than I can describe. Without her emotional and financial support, I would have never been in position to grow the business. We largely relied on her salary to pay the bills while Whitlock Wedding Films was still getting off the ground. And on top of all that, she became my business partner, second shooter and a truly excellent filmmaker herself.

Website: whitlockweddingfilms.com

Instagram: instagram.com/whitlockweddingfilms

Facebook: facebook.com/whitlockweddingfilms

Other: TikTok – tiktok.com/@whitlockweddingfilms