Photojournalistic Weddings

A Documentary Approach that Will Be Cherished by All

Jun 13, 2007 Shuva Rahim

Photographing weddings in a journalistic fashion documents moments that are more precious than candid images will ever do.

When looking through a wedding album the first images you expect to see are the formal shots - the bride and groom, the couple with his family, the couple with her family and the couple with numerous staged photos of the wedding party.

While those are important images for many families, chances are those aren't what make a wedding album memorable.

Instead it is a series of candid shots taken in a way that the bride, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't know the photographer was there. They are images of laughter, tears, getting ready, details like the flowers and decorations, guests and the environment.

Many wedding photographers nowadays make these candid images the bulk of the shots they take at weddings. Wedding photojournalism is not a new concept. But it is one that many families have yet to accept as the new fad in wedding photography.

Photographers who do shoot in a photojournalistic style do cost more, sometimes by several hundred dollars. But if cost is not a factor in hiring a photographer, choosing someone who is experienced and specializes in more candid images is well worth the price.

A good place to look at the work of such photographers is the Wedding Photojournalist Association. They have listings of top-notch, experienced photographers from each state. But not every photographer is listed on the site, so it is also good to check out local listings of photographers and see what they offer, perhaps at a cheaper price. Many photographers also have their own Web sites, and so an in-person visit could be determined on your thoughts of the professional's work.

Here are a few other things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer - especially one you want to shoot in a journalistic style - partly taken from www.frugalbride.com

• Photographic Style. Does the photographer do color, black-and-white or other styles? Can they blend the more than one style together?
• Samples of work. Does the photographer have recent samples of work or other samples not displayed on his or her Web site?
• Who is the photographer? Will the photographer you meet with shoot the wedding or someone else?
• Personality. Is the photographer easy to get along with?
• Time frame. How long will it take to get proofs or an album?
• Contract. Make sure there's a contract involved that spells out everything in writing, including things like who gets to keep the proofs/negatives and how long the photographer will stay.

Finally, if you are a bride, it might not be a bad idea to have a list of the formal shots you want taken for the photographer on the big day. After all, the bride is more familiar with the family and wedding party than the photographer. As far as everything else, it is best for a bride to focus on herself, the ceremony and, of course, the groom. Everything else in terms of candid shots experienced photographers will be able to capture without the bride or anyone else knowing.

In other words, ignore the photographer on your wedding day.

The copyright of the article Photojournalistic Weddings in Photography is owned by Shuva Rahim. Permission to republish Photojournalistic Weddings in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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