Before you begin interviewing potential wedding photographers, it’s important to know which style of photography is best suited to your celebration.
Wedding planning is full of difficult decisions. Two tiers of wedding cake, or three? A ballgown bridal or a slim A-line dress? Pink bridesmaids or no bridesmaids at all?! There are countless things to consider if you want your big day to feel unique. One of the most challenging decisions to make, is deciding on your wedding photographer. Not only because there are so many talented artists and teams out there, but because each person has their own unique style. And knowing which wedding photography style is right for you can be a challenge. Especially if this is your first time choosing a photographer.
Do you prefer a timeless, classic look? Or would you rather the photos look as though they came straight out of the mid-section of Vogue? No idea? Don’t worry, as an experienced wedding photographer in Copenhagen at bryllup fotograf, I would like to offer my guidance. And hopefully set you on the path towards the right wedding photography style for your big day.
What Style of Wedding Photography is Right For You?
When attempting to understand the difference between each wedding photography style, there are 3 main components to consider.
The Approach of the Photographer
Does your wedding photographer prefer taking artistic shots? Do they like to push boundaries? Is their style more traditional and non-trend based? By looking through the galleries of potential photographers, you will start to get a feel for each of these things, and more. But look beyond the first few photos on their site, and actually study the entire gallery of an event they’ve photographed. Seeing a full set of shots will really help you get a sense of their wedding photography style.
The Equipment of the Photographer
This part you may only find out while talking to your potential photographer. But their answer may affect the overall results. Try to find out what type of camera they use? Do they use film, or is everything digitized? These days, there is a trend in wedding photography for going back to the old style of shooting, and using traditional film. If a photographer is choosing this path, they’ll probably make it obvious enough on their website. But beware, this type of processing will likely not give you the type of photo album, or results you would expect. And it’s often very time-consuming, and therefore expensive.
Editing and Post-processing
Wedding photography can be edited in a variety of different ways to create a certain style. The saturation can be lessened to give a more moody look. The photographer could add filters to create a soft, ethereal feel. They can even overlay a design to make your photos appear out of this world, or like abstract art. Again, many of these editing techniques are based on trends that come and go. So think twice before agreeing to have all of your wedding album presented in a certain, or alternative way.
What are the different styles of wedding photography?
There are many wedding photography styles you can choose from. Whether you want a cute, romantic vibe or a more raw look, your photographer will be able to bring your vision to life. Here are a few of the most common styles of wedding photography you’ll come across.
Classic Wedding Photography
Classic, or traditional wedding photography is a timeless style that will never go out of fashion.
Using straightforward photographs, and carefully organized moments, a photographer who shoots in this way will be able to capture the very best of your big day. Most images are shot at eye level and artfully posed. These photos reflect reality, but they’re also infused with the shooter’s own artistic license. On the whole, all wedding photographers will incorporate some level of traditional photography into their style, particularly for family portraits after the ceremony.
If you want images captured of your special day that will never go out of style, 50 or 60 years later – classic wedding photography is for you.
Editorial
Editorial wedding photography mimics the look and style of a fashion magazine shoot. Using posed, statement shots to create a Vogue-esque feel. This approach is fairly rare in the wedding photography world, but this style is very distinctive when you see it. Photographers often grow their business around this look, and specialize solely in it.
If you want to go down the editorial path, know that your big day will feel more like a photoshoot than a wedding. Moving from staged moment to staged moment without any feeling of spontaneity.
Photojournalistic
The very posed nature of editorial, is in stark contrast to the photojournalistic wedding photography style. With this approach, the photographer will intend to capture more candid, spontaneous moments. While also concentrating on decor, and general goings-on during the celebrations.
This style, also known as documentary, is all about those in-between moments. The aim is to tell the true story of your big day, and celebrate those pieces of the day that would otherwise go unnoticed. This, in itself, is the job of any wedding photographer, and most will do this naturally. Without needing to dedicate themselves to this photojournalistic technique.
Be aware when choosing a photographer who solely uses this style, that they need to be well-experienced in it. Otherwise, they may not be capable of finding candid moments that you would like presented in a photo album. Post-wedding, and while looking at the photography, you may also wish that you’d gotten some pictures of everyone together.
Dark and Moody
Unsurprisingly, dark and moody wedding photography uses a certain lighting style to create drama. This light can be natural, or produced using lighting equipment. The photographer will likely play with stark lines created by shadow and light to create unusual patterns. It’s a very cinematic style of wedding photography that has grown popular lately.
These finished photos are often enhanced in the editing process to give them an even more dramatic feel.
As with any strong wedding photography style, or trend, there is no going back. If, in a few years time, you decide that your photos are too dark, too moody, there’s not much you can do about it. So think hard before choosing such a distinctive look.