Wedding Photography Styles You Need to Know

Before you start to plan your wedding keep in mind that there are different Wedding Photography Styles. If  you are planning your wedding and you are looking for a wedding photographer keep reading here! You can’t hire anyone to photograph your wedding; you need to find a photographer who is perfectly suited to your needs and style.

Choosing who will photograph your wedding is its own style decision—just like picking your colors or venue! Keep reading our guide on Wedding Photography Styles!

Have you ever noticed that you like certain photos more than others for some reason, which you may or may not understand? Every photographer’s style is different, so you will need to figure out which wedding photography style is the perfect fit for you and your day. Once you’ve found your desired style, choosing the perfect photographer will be easy-peasy, we promise!

Wedding Photography Styles – Composition and poses 

Traditional, Classic

Like the ones in your grandparents or parents’ wedding album, classic images are those that stand the test of time—striking, gorgeous and a bit formal. These photos reflect reality, but they’re infused with the shooter’s artistic license.

The main idea behind this style is to produce timeless photographs for display in a portrait album or in a frame.

If you prefer classic portraits hang on your walls, go with a traditional photographer who specializes in portraiture. These are posed shots of the two of you, your friends and family in front of various backdrops. That’s not to say there isn’t room for creativity in this category. While some photographers will pose subjects in more traditional spots and in more formal poses, others take portraiture further into the creative realm with a more dramatic composition. Traditional wedding photography typically has quite a bit of wedding photographer involvement. The wedding photographer is seen almost as a type of coordinator, and thus, assists in guiding and directing the wedding.

 Photojournalism

Originally favored by the majority of couples, this informal, reality-based approach is the current rage in wedding photography. Rather than posing your pictures, the photographer follows you and your guests throughout the wedding day, capturing events as they unfold in order to tell the story of your wedding. The photographer has to be able to fade into the background and become “invisible” to the crowd in order to get these candid or unposed shots. Since the photojournalist does not give direction, maybe you will not have some traditional photos for your frames.

Instead of a series of posed photos, these are candid or spontaneous pictures of people, décor and the action. With a purely photojournalistic photographer, you’ll very rarely see people staring at the camera—the photos capture the moments exactly as they happened, and together they tell a story.

 Fine Art 

Fine art is a style that gets thrown around quite a bit. A loose interpretation is to say that fine art wedding photography pushes past just documenting. Fine art wedding photographers are actively creating art while capturing the story of your day. Every moment has the potential to turn into a photograph that could be a stand alone piece in an art gallery. Like any other style of photography, there is a wide spectrum of fine art wedding photography out there, and it’s up to you to choose which level fits you best. The photos are dramatic and gorgeous, but are—or look as though they were—shot on film with a grainier, dreamier, more muted appearance. Usually the object is in focus and the background appears to blur. Motion also looks very natural in this style of photography.

 High Fashion

Fashion  and commercial photographers excel at creating striking, simple photographs that dramatize the subject—and, of course, the clothes! Though not a style generally included in wedding photography, you may want to choose a photographer with high fashion experience if looking artsy and glamorous while showing off your dress is important to you…or if you want your wedding photos to end up in a stylish bridal magazine or blog! There are several unique photography techniques that are employed in fashion photography, which photographers borrow in wedding photography style. These techniques include the usage of unique off camera lighting, fashion-esque poses and expressions, along with dramatic backgrounds.

 Techniques and editing

Digital/Film

A big decision you’ll need to make is whether to go with digital or film or a mix of both. Digital is the most common way of shooting. The biggest advantage is the cost and time. Depending on your photographer, we send a sneak peek just after few days. Digital cameras can shoot easily in very low light like adark church or dark reception without using annoying light. With a cheaper cost digital means lots of images to choose from when putting together your album.
Images shot with film have a soft, organic quality to them. Film has a better range, from highlights to shadows and give you a timeless feeling.  But shooting with film is more work and more money too. In addition to purchasing rolls of film, processing and editing images take time.

Natural Light/ Off camera flash

Lighting is everything!!! And artificial light is a key component of dramatic photography. Off-camera-flash photography is something a lot of photographers spend a great deal of time mastering. The photographer need to be able to create his own light in some other way if the sun just isn’t cooperating on the wedding day. When choosing your photographer, look at one or two full weddings similar to the one you’re planning. Anyone can take a great photo here and there, but what separates a true professional is their ability to take amazing photos, consistently, capturing every part of the wedding day.

Rather than using a camera flash, photographers use the natural light found in a setting, usually daylight. The look is warm and, well, natural—yet the photographer must be skilled to deal with shadows and other lighting challenges. Natural light will give you back images that represent reality without alterations.

Moody&Dark

A relatively newer style in the landscape of wedding photography, a moody or VSCO-look. This editing style can lead to rich and dramatic images, that are not for everyone. If you love bright, bold colors and want your photos to look exactly how you remember your wedding day (color-wise), then the moody style may not be for you. However, if you’re looking for an artistic, interesting perspective of your wedding day, then this style might be your new obsession.

Most photographers don’t just shoot one style. In fact, most photographers incorporate all of these styles into their work in some way or other. It makes it more fun for them, and more interesting for their clients. For example, most photojournalists will take beautiful portraits if that’s what you’re wanting and traditional wedding photographers can also create artistic, compelling imagery on top of their standard shots.

When you will chose your wedding photographer think about the future. How will be remember your big day? What’s your favorite Wedding Photography Styles?