It’s typical to see a photographer at a wedding. After all, it’s an important moment that you want to have captured, a reminder of your special day. But for one couple, not only did they hire a wedding photographer – they got a second one as a bonus: his 9-year-old daughter!

Australians’ Aisha Cole and her photographer dad, Jerome Cole, have amassed quite the following after Aisha tagged along with her dad to a wedding. Jerome called it a highlight of his career. Aisha’s fascination with photography began early, inspired by her father’s work. Jerome first introduced her to the craft during a charity event, where her well-taken shots of the choir earned a spot in the charity’s annual report.

Jerome Cole and his daughter, Aisha. Photo courtesy of the Coles

Her passion and persistence eventually convinced her father to let her help at a wedding, an opportunity that highlighted just how good this little girl was. In February, Aisha joined her father as a second shooter for a wedding. Her father was stunned at how it turned out. “I knew she was good, and she has a good eye. And on the actual day, I could see her really trying to find the photo. Just by looking at her, I could see she was hungry to capture the moment,” Jerome said.

But when I saw the photos, I actually couldn’t believe it. My wife was amazed.”

Jerome initially taught Aisha basic photography skills, such as focusing, framing, and holding the camera. She also spent time making movies on her iPad, which helped her learn more aspects of photography. Her dad said that Aisha’s extroverted and outgoing nature helped her blend seamlessly with the guests, letting her snap candid moments that showed the joy of the event.

One standout moment was when Aisha captured a photo of a grandmother spilling water down her dress while trying to hydrate her grandchild. “I took a photo when the water was in midair. So funny,” Aisha said, smiling.  Jerome was particularly impressed by Aisha’s ability to capture key moments with precision.

For the first kiss, Aisha only took one photo. Normally, I’ll take five, but she took one and nailed the exact right moment,” he said.

The newlyweds were equally impressed, unable to distinguish between Jerome’s and Aisha’s photos in the initial set of 80 images delivered. The heartwarming father-daughter collaboration garnered significant attention on social media. Jerome shared their story and some of Aisha’s photos on Instagram, which quickly went viral, amassing almost 1.5 million likes. The overwhelming positive response included offers from American families wanting Aisha to photograph their events.

Aisha photographs the newly-married couple. Photo courtesy of Jerome Cole

Despite the newfound fame, Jerome remains committed to ensuring that Aisha enjoys her childhood. He plans to involve her in future weddings selectively, balancing her budding career with the need for her to grow up at her own pace. “It has to be the right wedding and the right timing in terms of where Aisha is up to and our family life,” Jerome explained.

For Aisha, the experience was just amazing. “It was so fun to take photos of people when they were all wearing fancy clothes and dancing. There were these two kids that were the daughters of the couple and they were so cute,” she said, reflecting on the highlights of the day.

But through it all, the pride Jerome felt watching his daughter was the most rewarding thing.”I was just so proud of her and couldn’t believe what she came up with. The other highlight for me, which was more reflection, was that Aisha was so keen and eager to work with me. She just had such a great work ethic and the work itself was the reward. She genuinely enjoyed taking photos of people.”

Sources: The Epoch Times | People