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Your photographer’s style will influence the way he or she records your wedding.
Your photographer’s style will influence the way he or she records your wedding. Be sure to ask to look at portfolios, and then decide which of these three styles you prefer:
Traditional
Posed portraits capture the classic components that make up a wedding. A traditional photographer guides you through the day, sometimes asking you to re-create important moments.
Consider:
- Almost all images are posed, prompted or otherwise interfered with in order to get the “perfect picture.”
- You are posed in a way that is most flattering, with the majority of images having you look at the camera.
- A single photographer shoots the wedding; another may be hired to shoot black-and-white and/or candid work.
- Full packages are often available, including thank-you cards and formal albums.
- Traditional portrait photographers are just that: wonderful portrait artists. They know what looks good, and how to perfect an image before it is taken.
Photojournalistic
The photojournalistic style is real; it’s about capturing wedding events as they unfold. It’s unscripted and unposed.
Consider:
- A photojournalist records the day, but doesn’t set up pictures or prompt you to look at the camera.
- The style may include fast formals, which are very minimally posed. If you want classic family pictures, you may need to assign someone else to shoot them.
- A typical freelance photojournalist shoots about 75 to 150 images per hour. Usually, there’s no specific shot list.
- Photojournalists may give clients images on CD; some don’t do wedding albums.
- Your photos may or may not be retouched. Be sure to ask.
Illustrative
This is a slightly prompted style. It tends to be more artistic, natural, relaxed and fun. It’s not quite posed, yet not entirely candid.
Consider:
- This style merges many types of photography—commercial, glamour, fashion, portrait, photojournalism and documentary.
- Photographers (often two of them) will produce lots of unique images—the kind that are seen in beauty and glamour magazines—from 800 to 3,000-plus for the entire day.
- It’s not uncommon for the photographer to retain the rights to the images, as they are perceived as true works of art.
- The post-production process for this style can be very time-consuming. Expect to wait for images (eight weeks or more) as they are individually optimized by the photographer. There is a difference between someone who takes the time to airbrush out any blemishes in your proofs and someone who will print as is.
