This is my blog post on how to choose a wedding photography style that is right for you.
There is a wide range of approaches adopted by photographers at weddings. It can be hard to know where to start if you are looking to choose a photographer for your wedding. There are so many wedding photographers to choose from including some of the best in the world. As a result, I’ve put together my list of the 5 most popular wedding photography styles to help couples decide which is right for them.
Traditional
The traditional approach to wedding photography includes a mix of posed/set piece photos alongside some candids. These set photos include important elements of the day – the bride and her mother in their dresses, the bride and groom signing the register, the family group photos etc. This classic approach follows a pattern which ensures a balanced range of images from throughout the day. The colours of the images shot in this style remain faithful to the original ones and are not changed through the editing process.
Documentary
This style is also known as documentary, photo-journalistic or reportage style. It means that the photographer will capture all the moments as they happen without posing (perhaps with the exception of some family group photos). The couple and their guests won’t be asked to ‘say cheese’ and the photographer will use their images to record what has happened throughout the day. Documentary photographers favour black & white photos which reflect the background of this type of photography in newsprint and media (although colour is also used).
Fashion
This style is inspired by magazines, catwalk and fashion photography in general. This may involve a lot of posed and styled shots to create a certain look both for the couple as well as the bridal party. The colours in the edited photos are likely to have been noticeably altered to create a super stylised look – whether this is de-saturating the images or using dramatic vibrant colours. This approach will suit couples who love to be in front of the camera and who are prepared to take the time to work with the photographer to create the right images.
Portrait
A portrait based style in wedding photography focuses on posed images with an emphasis on lighting and composition. These images can be quite dramatic or colourful however the focus is always on the couple, bridal party or guests as subjects. Portrait photographers will mix in candid shots as well through the day of course but the signature portrait images are the most notable feature. The photographer is likely to use one or more camera flashes to create these dramatic effects. The end result is ‘hero’ or ‘wow’ portrait images that might show the couple outside the venue, a sunset etc.
Fine Art
Fine Art is a hard term to define and it is used by a number of different photographers to describe their work. Fine Art Wedding Photography is often associated with light and airy images which are romantic, delicate and highly stylised. Fine Art can encompass both purely candid or posed images. The idea of this type of wedding photography is that these photos can be seen as a piece of art in their own right. As with other styles, the photographer is likely to mix in a range of posed and candid photos. The use of natural light and editing of the images by the photographer will determine the final look of these fine art images. The image below would probably not fall into the fine art category, but that’s ok because I am not a fine art photographer!
In summary, there is a wide range of wedding photography styles. In reality, many photographers use different styles throughout the day to achieve their approach. The best way to decide on which style you prefer is to take a look at their portfolio and look at how they describe themselves. Once you have made a shortlist it’s a good idea to have a chat with some of the ones you like. I find it’s the best way to see if there is a fit with you as a couple and the wedding photographer.
I place myself between portrait and documentary – I like the best of 2 worlds!