An important factor to consider when choosing your wedding photographer is what their particular style of photography is and how it relates to the overall theme or style of your wedding plans.
For many years, there was only the traditional, highly posed form of wedding photography, but today’s modern photographers often specialize in one or two particular approaches to capturing wedding festivities.
Here’s an overview of the different photographic styles available to today’s new couples:
Traditional
Most often characterized by its formal and highly posed imagery, traditional photography involves shots which are “set up” before being taken. The most structured of all photographic styles, this one usually involves a short list of standard poses for the bride and groom to choose from. To learn more about what these poses are, be sure to check out the Country Weddings Printable Pose Checklist.
Illustrative
A fairly contemporary form of wedding photography, illustrative photography is a method by which the photographer thinks of their subjects less as a bride and groom, and more as design elements. The photographer will place his subjects in unusual settings and approach the pictures from different angles. This style is more spontaneous that traditional wedding photography and uses lighting more dramatically.
Photojournalism
Characterized by its story-telling approach, photojournalism is a series of spontaneous, unposed shots that document wedding day events as they happen. Because of its candid approach, this highly spontaneous form of wedding photography is incredibly popular with today’s modern couples.
Fine Art
This method allows the photographer to use full creative expression when capturing your wedding day. Fine art wedding photography is known best for its highly unusual lighting effects and angles. With highly stylized imagery, wedding photographs done in this style will often look more like works of art or paintings, rather than photographs.
High Fashion
Fusing the techniques used by fashion industry photographers with photojournalism, high fashion wedding photography will often depict the bride and groom as if they’ve just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
