Your wedding day will be one of the greatest days of your life. Think about it. All of your closest loved ones gathered in one place to celebrate you! For many couples, it's the only time this many family and friends will be together to enjoy wonderful food and dance the night away. Sounds amazing, right? It is! And you'll want to capture that extraordinary day as best you can with a great photographer.
Since your photos — and maybe a professional video — will be the best ways to relive that special day years later, be sure to get the photography style you want. Whether it's traditional, photojournalistic, or natural light, there are several styles of wedding photography to choose from.
Traditional
If you're looking for timeless photos like your grandparents had when they married in the 1940s, you may want to find a photographer that specializes in traditional, or classic, wedding photography. When you book a traditional wedding photographer, you can expect to see a portfolio of perfectly posed formal photos that are well lit. Of course, not all your wedding photos will be posed.
Photojournalistic
Photojournalistic wedding photography is the opposite of traditional. You won't necessarily get posed photos of you and all your family members. Instead, the photographer will capture candid moments with you and your loved ones as you interact and enjoy the special day. This style allows you to be yourself and embrace every moment of your day without the trouble of rallying guests to pose for portraits. Photojournalistic photography is all about capturing moments as they happen, which can result in some extraordinarily strong images.
Artistic
Artistic wedding photography is all about being creative and imaginative. Rather than lining up for a formal portrait, your wedding photographer will use unique angles, lighting, distances, frame setup, etc. to capture breathtaking images. They likely won't capture as many candid moments, either. Instead, your photographer will spend time crafting a perfectly composed image.
Commercial
If you dream of having your wedding photos published in a magazine, you might want to consider hiring a commercial photographer who also shoots weddings. These photographers know how to capture the best images of your wedding day details and accentuate your outfit while still capturing beautiful moments shared between one another.
Natural Light
If maintaining true to the moment is a priority for you, you may want to hire a natural light photographer. Natural light photographers use daylight or whatever ambient light is provided rather than flashes. This gives your photos an authentic look because they are not artificially lit. These photographers are also skilled at working with dimly lit rooms and shadows.
Lifestyle
You may have heard about lifestyle photography when it comes to family photos with small kids. You know, those photos of the parents sitting on their sofa, tickling the kids, and laughing? Lifestyle photography captures candid moments in a semi-composed environment. Engagement photos are also a great example of this. Your photographer may ask you to sit on a certain bench in the park. That's the composed part. But then, he asks you to relax and share your most embarrassing moments with one another to capture genuine laughter. This style of photography ensures you're getting a well-composed photo while also capturing your authentic personalities.
Dramatic
If you're a bold couple that loves making a statement, dramatic wedding photography may illustrate you perfectly. When it comes to dramatic wedding photography, lighting is everything. An off-camera flash is typically a photographer's best friend when it comes to composing dramatic images. Since this type of photography can vary so greatly from couple to couple, we recommend browsing the photographer's portfolio in search of a wedding album that fits closely to what you're envisioning for your special day.
Of course, just because you choose to have photojournalistic wedding photos on your big day doesn't mean your photographer can't get creative with a photo or two in a different style. The idea is to pick one main style. If you'd like to branch out from there, ask your photographer. Chances are they can snap some formal portraits of you and family even if they tend to be an artistic wedding photographer.
As you can see, your wedding photos can take on a much different look depending on what style of photography you choose. Take your time, think it over, talk about it with your partner, and browse photographer's portfolios until you find the style you're looking for. Remember, there is no right or wrong style of wedding photography. Pick what you like most. Then, when the day is done, you'll have hundreds of beautiful, unique photos to enjoy for years to come.
Photo by http://www.alohaestudio.com/
