Wedding Photography Styles
“I don’t want the photos to feel staged, but I also don’t know what to do.”
I know, I know! Your wedding is NOT a portrait session . . . this is such an interesting topic these days, because you want the photos but you also want to just be in the moment! So how do you blend the two? A lot of that comes from the approach of your photographer and what guidance they provide, if any, and how much guidance you want.
As photographers, being able to know when and how to step in is crucial. We need to allow the moments to play out with the emotions that are true to the couple and we want to capture those moments in a traditional sense AND an artistic sense. Emotions vary, why can’t your photos!
How you feel in front of the camera, your ease at being in the moment and how your photographer approaches the moments will play a part in your photos.
We are focused on a documentary approach blended with guidance, artistic flair and personalization. So that your gallery feels like yours!
We like to encourage natural interactions. The ones where you hold hands and bump into each other as you walk, getting those giggles going as you do something completely ordinary for what feels like the very first time.
During portraits on your wedding day, when it’s just the two of you and us (your photographers), the photos that feel the most staged are the ones where the posing is so out of touch with who you are as a couple, and how you would normally interact together.
If you’re not a couple who dances or gets touchy feely, then those photos where you’re spinning in your gown or being dipped for a kiss will absolutely feel staged because it will have been forced out of you.
You often want the photos that are effortless but maybe don’t know exactly how to achieve them. This is where gentle guidance comes into play. Will they just yell at you from behind the camera to kiss (I’ve seen it, it hurts my heart) or will they ask you to interact in such a way where kissing your partner seems like the only thing you want to do?
How the photographer approaches your day will make all the difference, and ultimately if you don’t vibe with them before your wedding day it’s most likely that won’t change. And you do want to feel comfortable with the person capturing all the moments throughout your wedding day.
Laughing with your new spouse in a beautiful setting. We are so accustomed to “cheesing” for the camera that it’s often incredibly helpful for us to let you know that you don’t need to. Get the ‘mom and pop’ where you’re looking into the camera together and move on, to the movement photos, the ones where you get to soak each other in.
And those cherished but often fretted family formals; the ones where all your family members or wedding party are together in the same photo, this is where you want to understand what role your photographer takes in helping these happen. Not all photographers will adjust posing, call groups to the photo or talk before the wedding about what you want from this portion of the day.
Coming from a big family where the siblings want a photo together but don’t want to spend a lot of time doing it is what inspired me to take a hands-on approach to family photos. Because while we love these photos with our families, we also don’t want them to take forever and we don’t want them to feel like a total annoyance.
Family formals will feel staged, it’s just the natural way of things when you have a group of people for a photo. You want everyone to be seen and feel part of the moment. Snap, snap looking into the camera, then we’ll let you know to look at each other and share a smile as you look at each other, snap, snap, snap!! A simple moment but highly treasured.
With a little pre planning, thoughtfulness and guidance we can orchestrate family photos and wedding party photos with efficiency and get y’all to the party.
Pair the approach above with the observant one and your photographer is creating a gallery of photos full of variety for you. We’re capturing candids and raw emotions, the details and the things you may not be seeing.
For us a successful wedding day is one in which YOU get to be IN YOUR moments.
And sometimes all you need is a gentle reminder from your photographer of, “Hey, forget I’m here”, because it’s common for you to want to stop what you’re doing and give us a smile, but often you need to do just the opposite and that’s ok with us!
We’re capturing how you spend your day, how you are feeling, and how those feelings are transferring into the world around you. We’re there, but we’re not at the same time!
