So...the planning is in full swing. You've seen umpteen photographs, by another umpteen amount of photographers. But how do you choose? How do you find what's right for you? This is a very personal choice and your final decision will involve many factors personal to you. In a nutshell, there is no wrong or right choice, there is only the choice that you feel happy in.
Photography is very much a subjective form. What you like may not be what another person likes. What you feel will best showcase your day in photos may not be what another person is looking for. So always follow your intuition. Do you like the person(s) behind the camera? They're gonna be with you for the longest part of the day. What are they looking to get from you during the day? Some photographers will need to get their money shot from the day, to showcase their excellence. Is this something you are willing to do? Others may just want you to do what you want all day, and their photography will be fulfilled by catching you at your most candid and funniest!
What style of photographer are you looking for? When I say style, this is different from the 'Editing' style that becomes a photographers signature look. Their editing style will stand them out from others (generally speaking, although many photographers do follow editing trends in order to keep them up to date and 'in' with their photography circles and peers) The editing style can take on many forms, such as being bright & airy, or have a more desaturated colour look. It may be punchy and gritty looking, grungy and funky or vibrant, dark & moody, or clean and safe......the list is endless.
When I talk about a photographers style, I am referring to the style that they like to work to. The ethos to their photography.
Are you looking for a Classic Photographer?- These types of photos reflect reality but the photographer will take a bit more artistic licence. A scene will present itself, but the photographer will like to fine tune it by placing 'Aunty' somewhere else in the scene. Or maybe will ask grandma to sit and hold an item while looking in a certain direction. These are images that will stand the test of time. Striking, gorgeous and a bit more formal looking. The photographer will be looking to create something out of ordinary moments.
Maybe you are looking for a bit more of an Artistic Photographer. Someone who is a bit more adventurous and likes their couple to be a lot less traditional and more willing to get involved in the creating of an image. That classic scene where a bride and groom are pushing the wedding car as it appears to have broken down. Or the newer scenic ones where the wedding party are running from pending disaster. The photographer will later artistically photoshop a dinosaur into the scene that is chasing the deserting party. All good fun.
What about a Lifestyle photographer? This type will like to set up a stories in a curated way as opposed to letting it unfold naturally. They will look for moments, but then create a scene and make it appear a more natural moment. Think of walking past a historic building that has a pretty window with wooden shutters. A natural moment presents itself. The lifestyle photographer will then pay attention to the scene by placing the couple at a certain point in relation to where the window is, so as to evenly balance the shot. The couple may be asked to look at a certain point to convey a stronger meaning to the image created. Looking strikingly better than than just a couple walking naturally past the same window.
Perhaps a Dramatic style is more your thing. Here the photographer will be using more lighting to gain the results, particularly off camera flash. It usually involves the couple being available for photos at varying time throughout the day to satisfy the photographers vision. The dramatic sunset shot with couple lit by strobe. The Couple silhouetted under the white umbrella with flash lighting them up from behind. You know the photos.
The last type of photographer is the Documentary photographer. This style leans towards the more candid type of photos. The moments are more natural and authentic. Nothing is posed or styled. The day is documented in photographs in a 'as it is, and as it was' approach. People, décor, action and emotion all as it played out. The documentary wedding photographer will continue to record the day in all it's glory, with a warts and all approach. They are the more unnoticeable kind, and their photos present the more honest angle to your wedding day.
Our personal approach is that of the Documentary style. As a Shropshire documentary wedding photographer duo, we aim to record your wedding day in an authentic, simple, and natural way with a photojournalistic twist - that being and honest and impartial telling of a story, your story, in a series of photos that are also entertaining.
