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| Photo Credit: Charleton Churchill Photography via Pinterest |
Choosing a photographer is one of the most
important wedding decisions you’ll make. You and your Wedding Planner have organised
and prepared every detail to make sure that everything is perfect, and now all you need is
someone who can capture all of that to give you a permanent reminder of just
how wonderful your big day was.
Whatever your budget, you shouldn’t be
afraid of spending a fair bit on photography, as this is something you
definitely won’t regret in 50 years time when you want to show your
grandchildren how incredible you looked in that dress and how handsome granddad
used to be!
When choosing a photographer, you should
have an idea of the kind of style you’re after. Your planner will offer you a number of
photography options corresponding to your style and budget, leaving it to you to look at their online portfolios and make sure you love what they do.
Fundamentally, the styles can be broken
down into three categories;
Photojournalistic, Artistic, and Traditional.
Photojournalistic/Reportage
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| Photo Credit: Fran Menez Fotografia via www.franmenez.com |
Right now, photojournalistic photography is
all the rage, and for good reason – candid moments are artfully composed and
captured in an unobtrusive way. Reportage images are always charming thanks to
the lack of posing and the photographer’s artistic vision, and you can be sure
that the atmosphere of the day will be captured as well as the all-important
details.
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| Photo Credit: Studio Uma via Pinterest |
Photojournalism tells the story of the
wedding naturally and honestly. The photographer must be a good
observer and will spend most of his or her time hidden away, waiting for a
sideways glance, or a joke that has you all giggling. He or she will give very
little direction and will rarely make you pose – the photographer wants to
capture heartfelt moments and genuine expressions. Photojournalistic
photographers often use long telephoto lenses so that guests will be captured
without even knowing it, meaning no stiff, awkward smiles!
Most reportage photographers will make sure
there are a few formal shots in the mix as well to keep older relatives happy!
Artistic/Contemporary
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| Photo Credit: Chaz Cruz Photography via www.chazcruz.com |
Artistic photography is often chosen by
quirky couples who want something a bit different to remember their wedding day
by, and is partly inspired by fashion photography. These photos are unusual and
creative, and will incorporate unique angles and colours, as well as detail
shots of the dress, the venue, and other features of the wedding itself.
Many Artistic photographers use different
lenses and creative techniques to combine the day’s emotions with an element of
fun. The photographer will find the most interesting backdrops, lighting and
angles and will probably tweak the snaps in post-production to make them as
visually interesting and artistic as possible.
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Shots are
set up and the photographer will give
direction, but they aren’t formal or rigid. Unlike photojournalistic
photography, Artistic styles may encapsulate the photographer’s style more than
the atmosphere of the event, but this doesn’t have to be a negative if you’ve
fallen in love with his or her portfolio!
Traditional/Posed
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Traditional photography is always a winner
with parents, and has a great emphasis on formal portraits of family and
guests. Traditional photography is for you if you want to guarantee you have a
photo with each of your guests, or snaps of lots of particular groups together.
A good traditional photographer will know
how to pose people to get the best pictures possible, with relaxed and genuine
smiles! Obviously, the pictures are set up, but this doesn’t mean anyone has to
look stiff or awkward, and traditional photographers often try to show their artistic flair too, so traditional doesn't have to mean boring! Traditional photos will also include the key moments
like the exchanging of the rings and the cutting of the cake.
Traditional photographers tend to have a
set list of photographs to shoot and don’t capture candid moments, meaning the
atmosphere and excitement of the day may not be fully captured. This option is
the most intrusive of the three, as the photographer must get various groups
together and make sure everyone is sitting or standing in the right place to
guarantee a certain photographic composition.
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| Photo Credit: Erich McVey via weddingchicks.com |
And finally...
It is important to know that many
photographers combine styles – these are professionals, and although they may
specialize in one type, they are usually trained, to some extent, in all three.
For example, Photojournalistic photographers usually include a small number of
formal portraits, and many Artistic photographers take candid, informal shots
too. Photographers are artists, and always want to make your photos look as
good as they can.
There’s no such thing as a ‘right’ or
‘wrong’ style of wedding photography – it’s all about your preference and who you are. Most couples decide on a combination
of a couple of styles, because Artistic or Photojournalistic photos are unique
and will be treasured forever, but classic shots will never go out of fashion.
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