You may already be aware that there are different styles of wedding photography including the traditional, most often seen within the albums of our parents, and the newer documentary/reportage style that is growing more and more popular. What is the difference between the two styles?
What is the traditional approach to wedding photography?
The traditional approach to wedding photography dates back to when the bride and groom would be photographed within the studio of the photographer, possibly not on the wedding day. As cameras became more advanced photographers were able to photograph the bride and groom at the wedding itself. The bride and groom would be posed and directed by the photographer and the photographer would insure the couple were lit properly by adding flash or by positioning them carefully. This process resulted in very formal, forced photographs can only imply the affection and love between the bride and groom.
What is reportage or documentary wedding photography?
Documentary and reportage wedding photography sets out to capture or to document the day without the photographer intervening. It is common for us, whilst working at weddings to be in the background waiting for beautiful moments to occur naturally. Obviously this takes time, patience and the ability to photograph very quickly. The documentary style of wedding photography can be more personal, as it shows you and your family as they are, their habits and reactions. Sarah and Grant weren’t even aware we were photographing at this point.
Can the two styles be mixed together?
Documentary and traditional wedding photography styles go hand in hand and together can create beautiful albums that show the intimacy of your wedding day and also the seriousness of the devotion between the two of you. As wedding photographers we appreciate the two styles and commit ourselves to delivering both high quality traditional and documentary photographs. Both the traditional and documentary styles of wedding photography can also stand on their own independently. The majority of our wedding clients enjoy and appreciate a mixture of the two popular styles.
