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Different Styles of Wedding Photography

Wedding photographers generally fall into one of three styles, however, it is possible for a photographer to shoot in more than one style.

Traditional wedding photography is the oldest and arguably still the most common style of wedding photography.  The style can generally be summed up in one word – posed.  The images created by photographers using this style are carefully arranged and there is very little effort made at capturing images that portrait the reality of the day.  It could be said that this style of photography doesn’t capture images; it creates them.

Another typical aspect of this style is that by definition, the photographer has to be very vocal and actively orchestrate proceedings.  This can be quite intrusive and is most noticeable during the reception as the cutting of the cake and the first dance are often interrupted by the photographer asking the couple to smile for the camera.

Photojournalistic style wedding photography is characterised by the unobtrusive presence of the photographer and a distinct lack of posed shots.  The photojournalistic photographer does not rearrange anything or ask anyone to do anything such as smile, pose or move to a better location for the photo.  Images are captured without any disturbance from the photographer and this allows the couple and their guests to enjoy the wedding day without worrying about turning it into a photo shoot.

It is perhaps no accident that the growth of this style of wedding photography appears to have  coincided with the development of digital technology, which provides the low expense per shot that the photojournalistic style thrives on.

My own style could be described as portrait journalism which combines the best practices of both the traditional and photojournalistic styles.  This really means that you get the best of both worlds, candid non-intrusive shots when moments are there to be captured and then after the ceremony, or perhaps during a lull in proceedings, the bride and groom can be posed in location for a beautiful portrait.

Although I favour a mixture of the two extreme styles described above, it’s important that we agree beforehand exactly what you want.  Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and it’s equally important that the photographs recording that day reflect your wishes exactly.

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