You chose your date, reserved your spot and started shopping for dresses. Now you are looking for a wedding photographer. There are many styles of wedding photography, and while people in the industry may know these styles inside out, they can be confusing to couples. Also remember that you are not just choosing a style of photography, but different types of wedding photography can place different demands on your time on your wedding day.
Choosing the style of photography you want at your wedding comes down to three things. What style of images you want, how much time you want to spend with a photographer on your wedding day, and most importantly, your overall personality and comfort in front of the camera.
There are a ton of different photography buzzwords out there. Vintage, editorial, artistic or contemporary are just a few. Perhaps more confusingly, they are used by different photographers in different ways. Ultimately, it’s up to couples to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research before choosing a photographer, and rely on seeing a complete set of completed wedding photos. Don’t rely on the best five or six photos from various weddings to make a choice. .
Wedding photography styles are a compromise between producing fantastic work and sticking to a schedule. A photographer can produce brilliant photos, but if he takes too long to produce them, he may not enjoy the experience.
Traditional (or posada) wedding photography
Many people think of traditional wedding photography as endless group shots where everyone looks stiff as a board. Worse yet, the different collections of people seem to go on forever. I think there is a fad of being below traditional wedding photography, but the actual framework remains the same for most wedding photographers. The photos may be more stylish, but the actual experience of the day for the bride and groom is much the same.
There is always a trade-off between the type of work a photographer does and the time it takes to photograph them. It will take more time to set up and achieve more formally posed photos. Any photographer producing artistic posed work will need a certain amount of time to produce the best work of it. It’s important to figure out how much time he’ll need and how he’ll fit into your day. There are photographers who spend a couple of hours on formal shots. Make sure you’re happy to put in that amount of time on your wedding day. If you’re not as comfortable in front of the camera, you may find this type of photography more difficult. A good photographer should be able to help and put your mind at ease, but to many people it can still seem a bit daunting.
Reportage Wedding Photography (Wedding Photojournalism)
If traditional is all about posed photography, then reportage wedding photography is anything but. It’s all about capturing moments as they happen, and it’s more like a fly-on-the-wall documentary. This form of wedding photography means that the photographer spends most of their time in the background, which is why it has become increasingly popular with couples. Weddings are also becoming less formal than they used to be. Documentary wedding photography demands a different skill set than traditional wedding photography, so you need to make sure your photographer has the right photographic background and can show you full weddings to back this up. Wedding photojournalism is more about a complete set of images from throughout the day than a set of a dozen highlights. There are photographers out there who will jump on the latest bandwagon to do business, but still wear the same old style they’ve always had. Wedding photojournalism is all about anticipation and being in the right place at the right time. It’s not about directing people closely, which is why it puts many traditional wedding photographers outside of their skill set. There are some less ethical photographers who will use the latest buzzwords to improve their search engine presence, but still take the same old tired photos.
If you are reluctant to have your photo taken, wedding photojournalism is probably your best option. The photography happens without you really noticing and you will look in the best natural way.
Although these two approaches may seem like polar opposites, in reality most wedding photographers will offer a combination of these two styles. There aren’t many wedding photojournalists who don’t take at least some formal photography and traditional wedding photographers will also take informal photography. Find out what proportion of each a photographer likes to photograph and, better yet, ask him what he likes to photograph the most; most likely this is what he is best at.
vintage wedding photography
Vintage wedding photography is a style that has recently caught on, but in many ways it’s hard to quantify. Vintage can mean anything from the use of old film cameras during part of the wedding to simply a different approach to post-production to produce ‘old’ looking digital files. There are some great photographers out there, but be aware that if you receive files that are heavily edited in a certain style, you run the risk of your photos looking quite dated a few years later. If I were hiring a vintage style photographer I personally would want at least a portion of the wedding photo on film, I’m not a big fan of fake stuff. As always, ask questions, see examples, and make an informed decision.
Wedding Editorial Photography
This genre of weddings is inspired by fashion editorials from fashion magazines and can, at its best, produce fantastic, high-quality images. To successfully produce this on a wedding day, the photographer needs to be very organized and will probably need an assistant to help set up some of the shots in advance, although that will depend on the style of the photographer. Do your research to make sure the time requirements for this type of session fit into your plans. If you really like this type of photography but don’t want to spend too much time on it on your wedding day, consider booking a separate photo shoot after the wedding. Often described as dress photo shoot trash or appreciation, a separate photo shoot can be the best way to get the wedding day you want and the pictures you’ll love without wasting a big chunk of your wedding day. wedding. It also means that you and your photographer can choose the ideal time of day for the right light and have room to reschedule if it’s pouring with rain. In many countries, particularly the US, high-end wedding photography is evolving into three sessions: the engagement session, the wedding day, and an editorial session. Don’t necessarily think that everything has to be done in one day.
Artistic or fine art wedding photography
Essentially an evolution of traditional wedding photography, this type of photography offers a contemporary take on the traditional set of posed photographs, though both are terms that have been overused by the photography community, so do your research again. At its best, this genre can produce moving, romantic images, but some photographers can overuse the same poses, making it seem a bit impersonal. Ask to see lots of shots, and don’t be afraid to bring your own ideas to the pre-wedding meeting.
recommendations
There are many styles of photographers, but the main thing is to look past catchy buzzwords and take a hard look at portfolios. Ultimately, it is the competence of the photographer you are hiring that really matters. Experience, personalized service and professionalism are what guarantee a constant standard of photography from wedding to wedding, and consistency and the ability to deal with the different shooting conditions that arise throughout the wedding day. Your portfolio should show a good balance of shots from the wedding preparations to the first dance. Ask how much time they’ll need to complete all those important formal and couple shots, and figure out how much time you’re willing to spend on them. Even with more observational styles, pre-wedding planning and communication is vital to getting the best results and achieving them efficiently. Follow the guidelines and you are sure to have a memorable wedding day with photos to match.