Candid or Editorial?
Why I suggest both styles of wedding photography and how to balance out both techniques to make a cohesive collection for my clients.
“What style of wedding photography do you do? Can you create what I want?”
The burning question on every prospective clients lips
Can this photographer see and produce what I want for my big day?
This is often what I get asked, and the answer is always yes. As a photographer, I want to provide the best customer experience and produce photos that each individual client would love, without having to compromise on my creativity. Every photographer is different and so is every client. It’s so important for me to be on the same page as my bride & groom.
But what happens when a client has a specific vision in mind? Does this affect my artistic brand?
The simple answer is, of course not.
When it comes to wedding and portrait photography, there are many styles to choose from. This is usually dependent on the bride and grooms preference for their big day.
To break it down, the wedding photographer’s job is to tell a story of your big day through photos. From the bride getting ready in the morning to the first dance later in the evening. How they do that boils down to the restrictions that are put in place.
So, it’s down to the client to choose how this is documented, right? In my opinion, yes.
Some clients know exactly what they want, but others may not. I believe it falls down to how much interaction they want with the photographer on the day. Is it preferred that the photographer not interact too much with the bridal party and guests? Would I have time to position people for pictures during the celebrations? Ask yourself: “What style of wedding photography will best suit my wedding day?”
This is why communication with the bride & groom is so important. They might not be comfortable with a photographer taking posed photos of them and would prefer a more relaxed and natural reportage style of photography. A style that captures emotion and uninterrupted special moments.
On the other hand, they may prefer to have a more stylised editorial approach, where I give direction throughout the day and people know they are being photographed. This would include group shots, the odd “Look this way for me, please!” and posed bride & groom shots in the best parts of the venue.
Knowing what the clients vision looks like is key. Perhaps the bride has been collecting pinterest ideas this past year and has seen inspiring images she’d like to recreate. All this information is welcome and brings me one step further to understanding what they desire.
In summary, I love to mix it up. I like to capture all the emotion and special moments, whether big or small, in a candid fashion and through editorials when it is convenient, without dampening the celebrations. I personally love capturing a beautiful moment between people, that you might not be able to capture when someone knows a camera is on them. The important take home from this is, whatever style my clients wants, I will happily do.
