Key Takeaways
- On Saturday, September 27, 2025, Selena Gomez uploaded a series of newlywed portraits to Instagram.
- She identified the photographer as Petra Collins.
- Collins and Gomez first met in 2015 and are close friends.
- Collins previously directed two of the singer's music videos.
Today, on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Selena Gomez announced that she and Benny Blanco were married, uploading a collection of photos and videos of the two as newlyweds to Instagram. However, while the bride revealed few details about the couple's nuptials, she did tag the photographer that they used for the portrait session: Petra Collins. Rather than turning to a traditional wedding photographer, the music producer and the actress appeared to opt for a more unorthodox vendor by asking Collins to document their big day.
Below, we break down everything you need to know about Collins—from her relationship with the Rare Beauty founder to her previous work. Read on for everything you need to know.
She's a model and actress.
In addition to being an accomplished photographer, Collins also works as as a model and actress. The Canadian was featured in a Calvin Klein campaign—and was selected as the face of Gucci in 2016. That same year, she made her runway debut in a show for the Italian fashion house. Additionally, in 2014, she was cast in a recurring role in Transparent, a comedy series.
She has directed a number of well-known music videos.
Beyond her work in front of the camera, the artist has also directed a number of music videos, including two for Selena Gomez: "Fetish" in 2017 and "Sunset Blvd" in 2024. However, Collins also oversaw four music videos for Olivia Rodrigo, including "good 4 u" and "vampire," as well as one for Carly Rae Jepsen, "Boy Problems."
She's Canadian.
While she now works on major shoots in New York and Los Angeles, Collins was born in Toronto. Herr passion for the arts started at a young age, as the aspiring creative attended Rosedale Heights School of the Arts. After graduating, she enrolled at the Ontario College of Art and Design for two years. During her time at the university, she reportedly studied artistic criticism and curatorial practice.
She's a published author.
Beyond acting, directing, and modeling, Collins has also found the time to publish photo books—and a collection of short stories In 2021, she collaborated with Alexa Demie, an actress on Euphoria, to produce a book that reimagined fairytales as erotic folklore. The collection, Fairytales, was published by Rizzoli.
Taylor Hill / Contributor / Getty Images
She and Selena are close friends.
According to Elle, the photographer and the Rare Beauty founder first met each other during a shoot for Wonderland in September 2015. Over the next few years, the two were spotted at a number of high-profile events together, including runway shows and galas. "You make me feel more confident about the choices I make, like a sister," Gomez said in a conversation with Collins for Dazed in 2017, Elle reported. "You help me, you encourage me and validate how I feel in that moment. I wouldn't have been able to grow into the artist I am right now without you. It's like this fire-and-water, duality thing going on."
Her work has been published in major publications.
While the artist's work was just featured on Gomez's Instagram, her pictures have also been published in high-profile publications around the world. In February of this year, she shot Nicole Kidman for Time, and in August 2024, she photographer Demi Moore for Interview.
She's a former ballerina.
Even though Collins is now a photographer and director, as a child, she was a ballerina. Yet, any dreams of becoming a professional dancer were quashed when she snapped her knee in 2008. "The doctors told me that I would never dance again," she told Vanity Fair in 2017. “My life was over for a second, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. Art was—and is—my biggest outlet. I’d probably die if I didn’t do it."
