The different styles of wedding photography
Your wedding day is one of the most important milestones of your life. With all the money you spend on that perfect dress, your beautiful flowers, your romantic spot, and the many other things that go together to create your perfect day, you want your memories etched to reflect your personality and style.
Different photographers shoot in different styles and it’s important to cut through the sales pitch and fancy jargon to find one that can help you blend the vision of your wedding photography.
I have outlined the 3 main styles of wedding photography available today, although in many cases it is possible for a photographer to shoot in more than one style.
traditional wedding photography
Traditional, or sometimes called classic, wedding photography captures the traditional images of the wedding day, including the unforgettable moments of your wedding day, including exchanging rings, signing the marriage register, walking down the aisle as a husband and women, family groups and the cutting of the cake. to name a few.
Weddings are still considered formal occasions and this type of wedding photography has stood the test of time. With careful lighting and expert posing, traditional wedding photography creates a perfect record of your family reunion. A good photographer will be able to work quickly and put people at ease to make sure the pose doesn’t look awkward.
These are the kind of shots mom and grandma expect to see in wedding photos and can often be found on display on the wall or mantelpiece of homes.
Traditional wedding photography has sometimes gotten a bad rap caused by bossy or grumpy photographers or by photographers who take ages to complete endless group shots with the bride and groom and end up spending more time in front of a camera and less time with their guests enjoying the day of your wedding.
Wedding photography report
Reportage, sometimes called photojournalistic wedding photography, literally means “informing.” The photographer blends into the background and photographs events as they happen, often not even realizing that pictures are being taken.
This style of photography is truly the most difficult to perfect. It takes many years of experience and blazing-fast reactions to expertly capture a wedding in this style.
This style should not be confused with well-executed traditional photography, where the skill of the photographer makes the photographer look natural and not posed.
The growth of reportage wedding photography seems to have coincided with the growth of digital photography due to the low expenses per photograph that thrive in the reportage style of photography. Unfortunately, many new or inexperienced wedding photographers use the “gun” approach to take thousands of photos throughout the wedding day in hopes of capturing some great shots.
A word of warning: If you choose a photographer who exclusively shoots in this style, many couples regret not having some traditional photos in their album. With reportage wedding photography, you trust the photographers interpretation of your day. Parents of couples are often the first to complain about the lack of traditional images in their album.
contemporary wedding photography
Contemporary wedding photography, sometimes called Avant Garde, can mean many different things to different people. By definition, to be contemporary, the style is constantly changing, which could mean that the images are dated very quickly.
Contemporary wedding photography can involve unusual or “off the wall” ideas and use of odd camera angles. This style of photography brings more of the photographers personality to the photographer along with the artistic vision or individual style of the photographer. Although this style of photography may be less popular, when done correctly the results can be fantastic and your wedding album will be one of a kind.
Contemporary style images are used by many wedding photographers at professional photography awards and you will often see this style in the glossy wedding magazines.
The downside to this style of wedding photography is that it doesn’t actually provide a true record of your wedding day. You may be disappointed if your albums end up as an art exhibit.
conclusion
Once you’ve set the date and reserved your spot, start visiting the photographers and take a look at their work. Be sure to ask to see the completed wedding albums as presented to their previous clients, as this will give you a better idea of their overall style. Does your style fit your needs?
I hope this little article will help you find the photographer who will record your special day exactly how you want it.
