Traditional Portrait and Candid Photography vs. Photo-Journalism


Styles and trends in wedding photography have come and gone throughout the years. The current hot trend is the "photojournalism" style where your event is covered from afar from an "observers" perspective. In fact, many photographers advertise that "you will never see them". And with every new style that comes along, there's always an established style which needs to be shot down by those who don't know how to do it and consequently, "portrait posing", whose rules date back to the great Renaissance painters, has become the bad word nowadays. Don't believe it!

The best "people" photographers are paid the big bucks precisely because they know how to "pose" and set-up the body to make people look relaxed and natural. Whether you are shooting a movie star, a S.I. swimsuit model, or a family, these skills are important to be a successful people photographer and shooting weddings is no different. Your photographer need to know how to make you look your best, no matter your facial structure or body type. Surprisingly, it's only in wedding photography, where clients are led to believe (and many do), that by "just standing there" or going about their business, that they will get great pictures.

We're not saying you have to be posed for "everything" but, you do need direction. Even top models need direction from a photographer albeit much less than someone like you or I :), after all they're professionals too! We have heard many times of brides who hired a photographer who literally shot hundreds of photos "from afar" and what they got was a bunch of photos of people standing, talking, eating, walking, and sadly, not one photo worthy of displaying or sending out as a "thank you" or Christmas card!

Hey, if you don't want to be posed OK but, if you're not "feeling it" on wedding day, if things are behind schedule, if your family is pre-occupied, etc., it's good to have a photographer who knows what to do and how to do it vs. someone "walking the edges" photographing your mayhem.

We're going to suggest to you that, while beautiful images can be captured through the lucky happenstance of the photo-journalism style, doing this to the exclusion of more established wedding portrait styles may not be a good idea. Photo-journalism by it's very meaning, leaves everything up to you, with the photographer having no responsibility (nor knowledge necessary) in making you actually look good. Unless you, your bridal party, your family, and guests are very animated and smiley all the time, and more importantly, you are having the kind of event which promotes a candid atmosphere (outside ceremony and reception), it's best not to put all your eggs into "one basket".