Which Style of Photography is Right For Your Wedding?
On your wedding day, your photographer is one of your best friends. This is the person that you have trusted to take your memories for you to treasure forever. This is why so many couples agonize over the decision of photographer to hire before their wedding. Besides experience and price, you will want to know what style of photography the photographer specializes in and it’s one of the most important criteria you can look for. This will decide if in ten years, when you look through your wedding photo album, you are happy with what you see.
There are two main types of wedding photography, classic and photojournalistic. Classic photography is what you probably immediately think of when you think of wedding photos. There are pictures of the bride and groom. And then there are pictures of the bride and groom with the wedding party. And then just the groomsmen. And then just the bridesmaids. And then the bridesmaids with the groomsmen. You get the idea. A classic wedding photographer will capture your wedding with posed for pictures.
Photojournalism is more candid. A photographer who works with this style will be catching the candid moments, focusing on what really happened that day, instead of poses. This type of photographer will be there snapping away on their shutter when you don’t even realize it.
Both styles have their advantages and disadvantages. Classic wedding photography allows the details, such as the wedding dress or the rings to be captured. Everyone who was in the wedding and who attended the wedding as a guest will also be included in the photographs. The classic wedding photographer will also try to get some shots that aren’t just portraits. This means that they will take some shots of the bridesmaids slipping the garter onto the leg of the bride or they will capture a hug between the bride and her mother. Although these pictures may seem candid, they are actually posed. A classic photographer may be at the event for the entire day, depending on what the original contract states but usually, they will be there primarily for the portraits and some candids and then be on their way.
The classic photographer has some disadvantages as well. Because the classic photographer is so busy trying to get pictures of everyone present, they will not have the time to capture all of the details on film. Photographers who have the classic style of photography also seem to be a bit more difficult to work with when it comes to flexibility. Because they are interested in getting the perfect shot, they may need the perfect lighting conditions or the perfect weather.
Because a photographer who uses the photojournalistic style of photography will be more candid, they will also be more casual. They will be sure to include pictures that are of the entire wedding party and they will mix and match to include the same type of bridesmaid’s photo, groomsmen photo, and so on. The difference is that they will not have to take a picture of every single combination that could be taken. They will focus on the most important photos and only take those. They will also take candid photos but the difference here is that these candid moments will not be posed. So they might get a picture of the groom doubled over in laughter. Or they may take a picture of the bridesmaids wiping the bride’s tears of joy away.
The main advantage of a photojournalistic photographer is that they will truly capture the joy and the emotions that you were feeling on your big day. While they may not catch every single shot available, they will catch the important ones. They will also probably be a little more laid-back than a classic photographer and be willing to wait for the rain to blow over if the wedding is outdoors or, they will find amazing photo opportunities in the rain. A photojournalistic photographer generally needs more time than a classic photographer. This is because all of those wonderful moments that they want to get on film don’t all happen within a two hour time period. To get the best shots, they may need to stay for the entire event.
That could be one of the biggest disadvantages of the photojournalistic photographer for you. Because they do need more time, you might be paying more for that time. This isn’t always the case, depending on what your agreement is with the photographer, but many do charge by the hour.
It’s very important that you think about the type of photographs that you want to be looking at not only a month after your wedding but years after your wedding! There is nothing right or wrong about either style, it is completely a matter of personal preference.
