Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life – it’s so important that you have photos you can look back on for years to come that authentically capture your day. An important piece of this puzzle is the specific style of wedding photography you get.
In the wedding photography world, there are so many different styles to choose from, so how can you possibly know which one to choose?
Ultimately, it comes down to your own personal preference and the vision you have for your photos. Still, if you know that you want a style that captures all the emotions and joy of your wedding day, has candid moments, and feels genuine, then documentary-style wedding photography sounds like a perfect match.
As a documentary-style wedding photographer in Sydney, I personally love this style because it really allows you to immerse yourself in the moment and enjoy your wedding day.
If this sounds like a style that fits your wedding vision, keep reading for all the details on what you can expect!
What is Documentary Style Photography
At its essence, documentary-style photography (also known as photojournalistic photography) is about telling a story. It’s different from traditional photography in the sense that this style isn’t about everything being perfectly posed and curated; rather, these photos capture raw emotion and everything as it unfolds.
That said, you can still, of course, have posed portraits as part of your wedding day, but with documentary-style photography, you can have so much more! Nothing compares to capturing a real, genuine smile versus a posed one.
With documentary-style photography, you’ll also have more time to spend with your wedding guests without thinking about when you’ll set aside extra time to take photos with everyone. Imagine having a big wedding where you try to take pictures with all of your guests, and how much time that will consume – you probably won’t even remember half of those posed portraits years from now!
Documentary-style photography gives you the freedom to be fully present. You don’t have to worry about following a strict wedding photography timeline, rushing from place to place to find everyone you need for your photos, or feeling pressure to have your photos look a certain way, like they came from an editorial magazine or straight off your Pinterest board.
With this style, you can take a step back and relax, trusting that nothing will be missed, as your photographer will take on the role of a fly-on-the-wall who will blend seamlessly into the background and who will capture all the details and special moments of your day.
Who is Documentary Style Photography For?
Documentary-style wedding photography is for you if you want creative, emotional images that aren’t scripted or directed.
If you know that you prefer candid moments over carefully posed photos, this style will 100% resonate with you. Also, if you and your partner are camera-shy or don’t like being the centre of attention, this style allows you to both be your authentic, amazing selves without having to worry about how you look with each click of the camera button or feel awkward or uncomfortable with the poses given to you.
You can also ask yourself these questions to help you and your partner decide if this is really the right style for you –
- Do you want to be fully present on your wedding day without having to set aside time for couples portraits, family portraits, etc.?
- Does the idea of being completely immersed in your wedding celebration sound appealing to you?
- Are you content with the idea of your wedding photos being unscripted and capturing all the moments of your day (including those little in-between moments)?
- When you picture your wedding day, what does it look like? Does it involve spending time with your guests, enjoying your cocktail hour, and dancing the night away?
If you found yourself answering yes to most of these questions, then documentary-style wedding photography sounds like the right choice for you!
How Can I Find a Documentary Style Wedding Photographer?
Choosing a wedding photographer is a big decision, especially if you’re looking for someone with a distinct style but don’t have any personal recommendations or a shortlist to start with. So, how can you find the right photographer?
Research and explore different options
As you’re looking at different photographers (whether that’s through a Google search or social media), one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you is to make sure that they are mentioning they are a documentary-style wedding photographer. Why? So that you can avoid any miscommunications and make sure that your expectations are met.
Every wedding photographer will capture candid moments, such as your guests dancing at your celebration or your partner’s reaction during your vow exchange, but candid photos are not the same as those taken by a photographer who specializes in documentary-style photography.
Also, it’s good to take a look at a variety of different documentary-style photographers so you can get a better idea of how different documentary photographers edit their photos, how they each capture genuine moments, how they use different lighting styles in their images, and also so you can see how their photos tell you a story.
Not every documentary-style photographer’s work will look the same, so you want to find the style and photos that speak to you the most!
Look at their galleries
With whoever you’re considering, spend some time looking through their galleries. As a photographer, this is some of the best advice I can give you. By doing this, you can also see if their editing style is cohesive and consistent across various weddings and if you’re happy with their work.
Schedule a call with them
If you’ve done your research and looked at different galleries and found some different photographers (or a photographer) that you love, reach out and schedule a call with them. This is a great way to spend some time making sure that you both vibe and to ask them questions such as how they can make your wedding vision come to life or how they like to capture candid moments.
You can also discuss with them how they find time to take some posed portraits – especially if you know you want posed portraits but don’t want them to be your full wedding gallery.
Ask the right questions
Don’t hesitate to ask any and all of your questions! This is your wedding day, and you deserve to have a photographer who can make your wedding vision a reality and give you the documentary-style photos you’re dreaming of!
Some important questions you could ask are –
- How do you work in different lighting conditions?
- What is your process for communicating with me?
- How would you approach my wedding day?
- How do you blend in with the crowd while still capturing natural moments?
Final Thoughts on Documentary-Style Wedding Photography
Hopefully, this blog post gave you a better idea of documentary-style wedding photography and whether it’s the perfect style for your wedding.
At the end of the day, your wedding photos should tell your love story and capture genuine connections and magical moments that you’ll cherish forever, regardless of which photography style you choose.
If documentary wedding-style photography sounds exactly like what you’re looking for, I’d love to chat! You can click here to learn more about my photography services or head over here to get in touch!
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