The most important thing to know is how you want your day captured.
Broadly speaking, there’s three styles of wedding photography so you’ll need to understand what they are in order to get the perfect shots on the day.
Reportage is also called ‘photojournalism’ and is the straightforward (but hopefully artistic) recording of the story of the day in photos. There is no, or minimal, involvement from the photographer and they remain discrete throughout the day.
Often, these photographers resist any requirement for family or group shots but the low-key style does mean camera-shy guests are not intimated by their presence.
Of course, some of the most wonderful photos will come from those unposed, natural moments – but it’s difficult to do well, and comes with the risk of unremarkable family pictures.
Traditional wedding photography is heavily contrived and rather out-of-fashion. It will
consist of minimal coverage (usually, bride’s arrival at the venue through to some family shots after the
ceremony) and consist of formal group shots and set-pieces such as register signing and first kiss.
Nan’s will love it but there’s so much ‘left on the table’ in terms of spontaneous, beautiful moments and it
lacks a degree of art or creativity.
Contemporary wedding photographers combine elements of the two styles we’ve covered. With much of the day shot in a journalistic style, the contemporary photographer will also create images and ‘give reality a nudge’ to make a situation more photogenic.
For instance, signing the register, leaving the church, informal group shots – all can be tweaked without losing the magic to make an even better photo. Overall, this style has evolved because the vast majority of people want what it brings – great storytelling, beautiful images and a modern dynamic look to the album.