Today's Wedding Photographer
If you understand
how today's professionals approach weddings,
you will have an easier time comparing them.
Keep in mind these four approaches to wedding
photography: traditional, wedding photojournalism,
illustrative and creative.
Traditional
This includes portraits of bridal
party and family, close-up and full length.
It may also include candid photographs that
tell the story of the day. This is the style
that suits most weddings.
Wedding
photojournalism
No posed photographs - all pictures
are taken without any instruction from or awareness
of the photographer.
Illustrative
This type of photography has
drama, grand poses and majestic scenery. Every
detail in the image is carefully arranged to
produce a photograph with impact. Think of this
style as what you would find in high-fashion
photography, where even the candid photos are
the results of precise posing and lighting.
Creative
Also known as impressionistic
photography. This style highlights images with
unusual angle or juxtaposition. The photographer
is creating his or her artistic impression of
your wedding day. The goal is to produce a limited
number of art prints from your wedding.
Most photographers
actually present a mix of all four of these,
with an emphasis on the first (traditional).
This makes sense: even if you love the impressionistic
approach, your mom will surely want a touching
photo of the bride and groom and a smiling picture
of mom and dad with their son or daughter.
When you
visit a photographer, you want to look at sample
albums (the same wedding from first page to
last, not just highlights from a hodgepodge
of events) and see how well the photographer
has created images in each of these four categories.
The formals
(posed) photographs should have the subject
lit with directional and flattering light. You
should see a natural sparkle (catch-light) in
the eyes and the background should not compete
with the subject for attention. Look for a variety
of relaxed and natural expressions. If there
are photojournalistic shots, see if they have
impact and clarity, or are they merely snapshots.
The illustrative
photos (with dramatic posing) should express
your ideas about romance. The subject of the
photograph should be a meaningful part of the
picture, not just a bride plopped down on a
rock in front of a bridge. The creative photographs
should be playful and alive, and complement
the coverage.
Since the
photographer is showing you what he/she thinks
are his/her best work, the focus and exposure
(light/dark balance) should be perfect on just
about every photograph, and there should be
no need for the photographer to apologize for
shortcomings in the photographs or presentation.
The candid photographs should read easily: the
story of the photograph should be apparent,
with few distractions.
Do make sure
that the person you interview, whether at a
store-front studio or working out of a home,
is indeed the photographer, not a sales rep.
You want to see the images and meet the artisan
behind the images before you decide on your
photographer.
As you can
see, you cannot interview your photographer
in depth over the phone. In fact, until you
have visited several photographers you don't
even know the cost of photography that suits
your taste. That's why we recommend that you
not draw up a photography budget until you have
met with a few and looked at samples to determine
your own preferences in photography. Expect
to invest 8% to 13% of your entire wedding budget
in photography.
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