Selecting your photographer is more than finding someone who can take pretty pictures. Knowing the basics of wedding photography will help you search for, interview and select the right photographer for you. Here are a few things you should know, compliments of Shutterfly:
The two basic styles of wedding photography are photojournalism and traditional.
Photojournalism: The focus is on action and spontaneity. This style has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years, and gives weddings a visual authenticity by capturing activity as it happens.
Traditional: It’s exactly as it sounds-posed, formal portraits. Pre-defined moments during the wedding are photographed to ensure the essence of the day is captured.
Combinations: Many wedding photographers are now offering a mix of styles, including photojournalism, relaxed traditional, high fashion and fine art.
Here are a few ways to get started:
- Explore online photo galleries and wedding photographer sites. Save photos that you really love.
- Combine these pictures with ideas from wedding magazines to form a visual collage. Print out online pages and paste them together with pages you’ve ripped from magazines.
- You can even create a personal wedding site, blog, or public photo gallery to post your bookmarked images and get friends’ and family’s feedback.
Once you have a good sense of the way you want your photos to look, you'[ll be able to communicate that to potential photographers, and allow you to start establishing a relationship with the person you choose.
You should feel comfortable bringing informed opinions to your wedding photographer. It’s OK if you are not exactly sure what style you want or are unfamiliar with the technical terms. But if you can discuss these things with a photographer and feel like he understands your needs and vision, that is a good start.
More photography advice from Shutterfly:
Part 1: Choosing your wedding photographer
Part 2: Planning with your wedding photographer
Part 3: Creating your wedding shot list
Part 4: Creating your keepsakes