Wedding photography – Styles and trends

June 11, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Photographers

Wedding Photography

Image via Wikipedia

According to many wedding industry sources, when couples are putting together their budget, they plan on spending the most on the reception and venue and second most on their photographer. This is how important photography is important to them, because for most people preserving the memories is a close second to creating them.

When you are evaluating a photographer for your big day, there are tons of things to consider. How much experience do they have? What does their portfolio look like? How much do they cost? Will they be able to capture what you’re looking for? Do they use photography studio software that enables them to stay better organized? And what styles of photography are they proficient in?

As far as this last question goes, here are a few of the current styles and trends in wedding photography so you can decide what suits you the best so you can prepare for your conversations with prospective photographers.

1. Photojournalism style – This style is completely candid and is more of a documentary way of shooting a wedding. Few (if any) photos are staged and everything is shot in the moment, where the photographer roams around the ceremony and reception and captures the event as it’s happening. This style is very in vogue and popular among couples.

2. Traditional posed photography – This is the style of photography that your parents probably used in which most photos are staged, with participants facing the camera and smiling or otherwise posing for the photos. This is akin to traditional portrait style and is sometimes used in combination with the photojournalism style.

3. Fashion-shoot style – For brides who can’t get enough of Vogue or Cosmo, this style is for you. It is a much more modern style of shooting, with different camera angles and closeups, fashion-forward poses, unique lighting and lots of finishing touches with photography studio software.

4. Vintage contemporary – Vintage clothing is back in style, and thus the demand for vintage contemporary photography, which is often staged with vintage or throwback props and attire. In addition, photos can be given an antique treatment with photography studio software.

5. Pre-wedding photo shoots – Because the big day can get so jam-packed with events, sometimes it’s a better idea to get some of the photography out of the way early. Because of this, some couples are choosing to have a photo session with their photographer a day or two before the wedding. This is an opportunity to get more causal photos of the couple as well as family members who have arrived for the wedding.

Hopefully this gives you a start on some of the current trends when you’re meeting with photographers.