Different Wedding Photography Styles
Selecting a wedding photographer can be overwhelming. With numerous styles, packages, and pricing options available, it’s crucial to choose a photography style that resonates with you. After all, your wedding photos will be the lasting memories of your special day. For couples who aren’t well-versed in photography, understanding the various styles can be a journey of exploration.
We recommend that couples first familiarise themselves with the fundamental principles underlying each photography style. I hope the below helps and gives a understanding on different wedding photography styles.
Discover our Vibrant Documentary Wedding Photography in my portfolio.
Contemporary Wedding Photography:
Natural, Documentary, and Reportage These terms essentially mean the same thing. This style of photography focuses on capturing candid moments, allowing the day to unfold naturally without much posing. Many wedding photographers adopt this style but may also include some posed portraits and group shots.
When meeting a natural, documentary, or reportage wedding photographer, it’s important to inquire about the extent to which they adhere to this style. Some photographers strictly avoid posing, so if you desire portraits of you and your partner, make sure to discuss this with your photographer.
Documentary Wedding Photographers often have a specific vision for capturing the day, so ensure that their style aligns with your vision as well. If you want a significant number of posed pictures, a fully Reportage Wedding Photographer may not be the best fit for you.
Read my guide on capturing the best wedding portraits.
Fine Art Wedding Photography
Think of magazine covers like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Fine art wedding photography entails fashion-forward images that often undergo extensive editing to create filter-style effects. These pictures make stunning statement pieces to adorn the walls of your home. They typically feature traditional images with a heavy use of black and white or brighter images with an airy feel.
If you’re considering this style for your wedding, we recommend requesting full galleries from photographers. Simply seeing an amazing couples portrait isn’t enough to judge a photographer’s style. Consider how you want the more natural aspects of the day to be captured as well. Reviewing a full gallery will provide a better understanding of what to expect from your photographer.
Contemporary Wedding Photography
If you opt for a Contemporary Wedding Photographer, expect images with a modern twist. Traditional set-piece photo opportunities, such as clinking glasses, cutting the cake, and signing the register, are unlikely to be featured. Images in this style are usually more colorful than black and white, with a focus on storytelling and capturing emotions. Photographers may experiment with new techniques, such as shooting through light prisms for stunning effects or using tilt-shift lenses. Often, contemporary photography is combined with natural, documentary, and reportage styles.
Read my tips on selecting a wedding photographer
Creative & Alternative Wedding Photography
With a Creative Wedding Photographer, expect the unexpected. They employ interesting techniques and angles to create unique photos, each with a quirky and captivating appeal. This style doesn’t prioritize traditional photo opportunities, so don’t expect a collection of images that seamlessly tell the story of the day like documentary photography does. Creating quirky photos on a wedding day can take time, so it’s important to ask your photographer how long the photoshoot will be. If you prefer a more relaxed day, natural photography is usually the go-to style.
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Traditional Wedding Photography
This style hasn’t changed much over the past two decades. Most traditional photographers have extensive experience in the industry. Their images revolve around more of a formal approach with a lot more posing and pre planning and understanding.
