Rhiannon Hendricks
Wedding photography is an art that requires skill, stamina, creativity, and experience. There are several wedding photography styles, and choosing the right one is one of the most important stylistic decisions a couple has to make. The most popular styles include fine art, classic, traditional, editorial, photojournalistic, documentary, lifestyle, dark and moody, blurred, vintage, film, and aerial. Each style has distinct characteristics and appeals to different couples based on their preferences and personalities. This article will provide an overview of the different wedding photography styles to help couples find the one that best suits their vision for their special day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | Editorial |
| Photojournalistic/Documentary | |
| Traditional/Classic | |
| Fine Art | |
| Lifestyle | |
| Flash | |
| Dark and Moody | |
| Blurred | |
| Vintage | |
| Film | |
| Aerial | |
| Editing Style | True to life |
| Light and airy | |
| Bold and dramatic | |
| Capturing Style | Candid |
| Natural | |
| Spontaneous |
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What You'll Learn
- Traditional photography: formal, posed portraits of the couple, family, and wedding party
- Photojournalistic/documentary photography: candid, spontaneous, capturing raw emotion
- Fine art photography: aesthetically beautiful, heavily orchestrated, focusing on the couple and details
- Editorial photography: creative, compelling, visually driven, often fashion-focused
- Dark and moody photography: true-to-life, timeless, with deep tones
Traditional photography: formal, posed portraits of the couple, family, and wedding party
Traditional wedding photography is a classic and timeless approach, often similar to the style of photographs from your parents' or grandparents' weddings. It typically involves formal, posed portraits of the couple, family, and wedding party, capturing key moments from the ceremony and reception.
Traditional photography is a popular choice for couples who want a straightforward, structured, and posed photo session, ensuring that all crucial moments are meticulously captured. These photographs are often shot at eye level and are typically less creative than other styles. However, they stand the test of time and remain a classic, providing a clear and curated picture of the day.
Traditional wedding photography is often favoured by couples who want to include formal family portraits in their wedding album. These arranged shots are a way to create a lasting memory of the special day, with the photographer's artistic license infusing reality with a unique touch. While traditional photography may not be as creative as other styles, it offers a sense of permanence and familiarity.
This style of photography is a safe choice for couples who want to ensure they capture all the important moments and create a comprehensive visual narrative of their wedding day. Traditional photography is a classic for a reason—its simplicity and timelessness ensure that the photographs remain cherished for generations.
While traditional photography focuses on posed portraits, it can also include some candid shots, capturing the spontaneous laughter, tears, and special moments that occur throughout the day. By incorporating a mix of posed and candid photography, traditional wedding photographers can provide a well-rounded collection of images that tell the story of the wedding celebration.
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Photojournalistic/documentary photography: candid, spontaneous, capturing raw emotion
Photojournalistic or documentary wedding photography is all about capturing candid, spontaneous moments and raw emotions. This style is perfect for couples who want their wedding day to be documented as it unfolds, without too much interference from the photographer.
The photographer acts as a fly on the wall, capturing the magic as it happens. They let the moments unfold naturally and snap away, recording the laughter, the tears, and all the little details that make the day special. It's about telling the story of the wedding day through images that capture the mood and emotions of the couple and their guests.
This style of photography is less focused on posed shots and more on capturing the genuine moments that happen spontaneously. It requires a skilled photographer who can anticipate decisive moments and capture them discreetly. The photographer becomes an impartial observer, documenting the day with integrity, honesty, and artistic creativity.
The result is a collection of heartfelt and memorable images that truly capture the essence of the wedding day. These photos are often more powerful than posed photographs because they capture genuine emotions and moments that the couple and their guests were focused on, rather than posing for the camera.
When choosing a photojournalistic or documentary wedding photographer, it's important to find someone who has a good instinct for anticipating moments and the skill to capture them discreetly. It's also crucial to ensure that the photographer understands your vision and can tell the story of your wedding day through their images.
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Fine art photography: aesthetically beautiful, heavily orchestrated, focusing on the couple and details
Fine art wedding photography is a style that focuses on aesthetically beautiful images that are heavily orchestrated and centred around the couple and the details of their wedding. This style is typically defined by soft, natural images that emphasise the beauty of the subjects and their surroundings.
Fine art wedding photography is often characterised by its use of soft, natural light, pastel colours, and shallow depth of field. The images are usually aesthetically pleasing and may convey a sense of drama, passion, and romance. This style tends to focus on the couple and their portraits, pulling away from traditional family line-ups. The photographs may also highlight unique and thoughtful details, such as the dress, shoes, flowers, and rings, but with a creative twist.
Fine art photographers thoughtfully compose each frame, paying attention to lighting and posing to create editorial-style imagery. They may utilise backlighting and natural light to create ethereal settings, such as placing the couple in shade with light coming from behind them, resulting in flattering and dynamic photographs.
While fine art wedding photography has been criticised for being overly styled and promoting style over substance, it still remains a popular choice for couples. This style is often chosen for smaller, destination weddings in beautiful locations, both overseas and in scenic settings closer to home. Fine art wedding photography appeals to couples who appreciate artistic vision and are willing to invest in visually pleasing and meaningful images that stand the test of time.
When considering fine art wedding photography, it is essential to review the photographer's portfolio and ensure their style aligns with your vision. Discuss your expectations and desired outcomes to ensure the photographer can capture the unique story of your wedding day, focusing on both the big picture and the small, meaningful moments.
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Editorial photography: creative, compelling, visually driven, often fashion-focused
Editorial wedding photography is a style that is often likened to magazine photoshoots. It is more structured and posed than other styles, with photographers giving more direction to the couple to capture their day with beautiful lighting and angles. Editorial photography is creative, compelling, and visually driven, and it often has a fashion focus.
Editorial photography is rooted in journalism and fashion. It is a prevalent and well-known form of art, and one of the most popular niches in the industry. These images are used to help tell a story or support the narrative in the text, with a focus on creating a specific mood or tone for the piece. Editorial photography gives photographers the creative freedom to present clothing or models using their own style and taste.
Editorial wedding photography is rarer in the wedding photography industry, but many photographers have perfected this style. It is more technical than other wedding photography styles, with a focus on lighting and posing. Editorial photographers will often treat the wedding day like a feature or news story, capturing the magic as it happens.
To create editorial wedding photography, photographers will need to adapt to their surroundings and position themselves to capture stunning shots. They will need to be creative and compelling, telling a story in a creative way. Editorial photography often requires more time, trust, and preparation, so it is important for photographers to reflect on what matters to the couple and share ideas with them.
Editorial photography is not just for weddings, it is also a popular choice for fashion spreads in magazines. This type of photography gives a lot of freedom to the publication and photographer, allowing them to use their creativity and interpretation to visually represent the story. Editorial fashion photography combines a few areas of photography, including editorial, fashion, and commercial photography. It is a powerful tool for businesses to boost their profile and increase sales.
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Dark and moody photography: true-to-life, timeless, with deep tones
Dark and moody wedding photography is a unique style that captures the special moments of a wedding with a dramatic and evocative edge. This style is perfect for adventurous couples who want their wedding album to showcase a warm, organic, boho, and cinematic feel.
The dark and moody aesthetic is achieved through a combination of shooting techniques and editing choices. Photographers using this style embrace the shadows and warm colours of the setting sun, creating images with deep shadows, rich colours, and dramatic contrasts between light and dark. This style often features chiaroscuro, a technique that uses highly contrasted light and shade to create a distinctive atmosphere.
The golden hour, the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset, is an ideal time to capture these shadowy and evocative images. During this time, the softer light casts longer shadows, creating the perfect conditions for dark and moody photography. The style is further enhanced by the use of natural light, with candlelit rooms or indoor receptions providing the ideal setting for these dramatic shots.
Dark and moody photography is about capturing the true-to-life moments of the wedding day, embracing the full range of emotions and moods experienced. While these images may only represent a small percentage of the final album, they offer a unique perspective and a chance to celebrate the darker, more intimate moments of the celebration.
When choosing a photographer for this style, it is essential to find someone who understands your vision and can adapt their skills to match the atmosphere and lighting of your wedding. By embracing the dark and moody style, you will create a timeless wedding album that showcases the depth and richness of your special day.
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Frequently asked questions
Wedding photography styles include traditional, classic, photojournalistic/documentary, editorial, fine art, lifestyle, flash, dark and moody, blurred, vintage, film, and aerial.
Think about the types of images that you like and are attracted to. Consider the vibe of your wedding and what style of photography would best convey that. Look at your social media saves and pins on Pinterest to see if there's a pattern.
Traditional wedding photography focuses on posed and formal portraits of the couple, their families, and the wedding party. The photographer will direct the group to specific poses and positions to capture traditional moments such as the first kiss, the cutting of the cake, and the first dance.
Fine art wedding photography focuses on aesthetic beauty and carefully turns every moment and photo into a piece of art. The images are typically heavily orchestrated, posed, and beautiful. They focus mostly on the couple and details of the day, shot to make everything look as beautiful as possible.
