Wedding Photography Styles that You Must Know

 Favorite

Photography is an important aspect of every wedding. We go through the moment only once a lifetime and the only way to relieve it is by capturing the moments. There are different wedding photography styles available for couples to choose from today and it is important to know more about them before choosing your wedding photographer.

Reportage Wedding Photography Style

1

Reportage wedding photography is also known as photo-journalistic (or simply journalistic) or documentary wedding photography. If you like contemporary and spontaneous photography, then this is the wedding photography style for you.

The photographer blends with the guests and captures the moments as they unfold. There are no predetermined poses as photos are taken in a candid and spontaneous way. A photojournalist photographer who is able to tell a story from the shots he takes relies on his experience in capturing priceless and emotional moment.

2

Advantages

  • If you are one who hates posing for pictures, then this style of wedding photography will favor you greatly as you will only be required to enjoy the moment and not try to pull off an intricate pose on the big day.

  • Reportage wedding photography, differs with other wedding photography styles, captures sincere moments of tears and joy and allows you to replay your wedding by going through photos.

3

Disadvantages

  • One major setback of this style is you cannot tell what to expect especially if the photographer is not experienced in this field.

  • You may not get the standard wedding portrait from a photojournalist photographer, so if that is what you seek, this style of photography is not your best bet.

Traditional Wedding Photography Style

1

Remember the wedding portraits of your parents that had all their relatives? That’s what traditional wedding photography style is all about. The poses of the couples and relatives are organized by the photographer and shot in static locations. This is the oldest form of wedding photography that has been around for quite some time. It is very easy to find a photographer that does this kind of photography.

2

Advantages

  • One good side of this sort of photography is that you get what you pay for. The same photos you saw in the sample are what you get. The photographers work with a list and take shots based on the arrangements on the list.

  • Unlike reportage wedding photography, you have all your relatives in the shot and no one complains of being left out of the picture.

3

Disadvantages

  • The major disadvantage of traditional wedding photography is consistency. Sure this could be an advantage but having the same kind of pictures similar to other clients and closely related to your parents' wedding portrait gets boring. There is no uniqueness and wow factor to this kind of shot.

  • If you are going all out for your wedding then this kind of photography should not be your first option.

Contemporary Wedding Photography Style

This kind of wedding photography is being adopted by many photographers to create high-fashion images characterized by intricate backgrounds, controlled lighting and exquisite makeup. There are three different wedding photography styles under this category:
1

Illustrative Wedding Photography Style

Illustrative wedding photography encompasses elements of both traditional and photojournalistic wedding photography. The photographer takes candid shots but manipulates the situation when he can. He can alter the lighting, background and suggest actions for the couples to carry out.

Advantages:

  • One advantage of this kind of photography is that the shots taken are always unique and look artistic. The perfect kind of picture you see on the cover of BRIDES.

Disadvantages:

  • A drawback of this photography style is that sometimes when the photographer tries to manipulate the picture either by changing scenes or lighting, the candid moments is lost and the couples tend to pose for a shot rather than flow with the moment.

2

Fashion Wedding Photography Style

You see those wedding shots that revolve around the brides wedding dress and other fashion items at the wedding? That is a fashion wedding photography style. Fashion wedding photography focuses more on the attire of the couples. It involves the manipulation of lighting by the photographer to create a more dramatic presentation in the photograph. This kind of photography is ideal for a bridal and engagement sessions where the photographer is more involved and there is more set-up to capture the couple’s attire.

Advantages:

  • An advantage of this kind of photography is that the images are visually stunning and high-class. Just like the ones you find on the cover of vogue.

Disadvantages:

  • The disadvantage of this is that not all wedding photographers are able to capture these kinds of shots and getting the required model expression needed from the couples is not an easy feat given that the couples are not supermodels.

3

Editorial Wedding Photography Style

Editorial wedding photography is similar to the type of photography you would find in a glossy magazine: clean, smooth, with attention to details of the day. The photographers who do this kind of shoot might have had experience working for a high-fashion magazine as they create images similar to what’s obtainable there. The lighting, mood, scene and pose required for this kind of photography is always regulated by the photographer. It varies from traditional wedding photography or reportage Wedding and focuses on creating an exquisite reflection of the wedding using soft light.

Advantages:

  • The images are visually appealing and tend to be more creative than a regular photojournalistic photography.

Disadvantages:

  • It requires a lot of posing, and if you are one who does not enjoy posing, this may not be your thing.

  • Editorial photography may not give you that family traditional wedding portrait you seek.