Wedding Photography Styles: How to Choose the Right One?
Planning a wedding is like a journey to making your dreams come true—filled with joyful tasks and important decisions. One of those decisions is choosing your wedding photographer. After all, photos are not just printed pieces of paper but timeless memories of your love story, emotions, and the atmosphere of that unforgettable day. But did you know that there are various wedding photography styles, each with its own unique approach and aesthetics? In this post, we’ll explore the most popular styles and help you choose the one that best reflects your personality and love story.
The Most Popular Wedding Photography Styles:
1. Documentary/Photojournalistic Wedding Photography:
This style focuses on capturing natural, unposed moments. The photographer acts as an invisible observer, capturing genuine emotions, candid laughter, tears of joy, spontaneous dances, and all the important moments. It’s about telling a story through photos—from the morning preparations to the evening’s highlights. This style is perfect for couples who value authenticity and don’t want to feel restricted in front of the camera.
2. Classic/Traditional Wedding Photography:
Emphasizing formal shots, elegant portraits, and precise composition, this style often includes posed photos with family, friends, and, of course, the newlyweds. The goal is to create timeless and elegant images. This style suits couples who appreciate traditions and want to have classic wedding photos to proudly show future generations.
3. Artistic/Creative Wedding Photography:
Known for its original approach, unconventional angles, creative lighting, and artistic editing, this style aims to create not just photos but works of art that reflect the couple’s personality and wedding atmosphere. It’s ideal for couples seeking unique and memorable photos with bold and original ideas.
4. Natural/Light and Airy Wedding Photography:
Focusing on natural light, soft pastels, and gentle tones, this style creates fresh, light, romantic, and aesthetically pleasing photos. The photographer makes the most of natural lighting to craft a soft and cozy atmosphere. This style is perfect for couples who value naturalness, lightness, and a romantic mood.
5. Dark and Moody Wedding Photography:
This style uses darker lighting, deep colors, and strong contrasts to create a dramatic, intimate, and sometimes mysterious atmosphere. The photos often feature rich tones and bold contrasts, giving them a distinct character. It’s a great fit for couples who aren’t afraid to stand out and appreciate drama and strong emotions in their photos.
How to Choose the Right Style?
Before choosing a wedding photographer, take the time to look through as many different photographers’ portfolios as possible and pay attention to which style resonates with you the most. Consider the atmosphere you want to create in your wedding photos. Do you prefer natural and candid shots, or do you lean more towards classic portraits? Or maybe you dream of artistic and original photos that reflect your unique style?
Talk to your potential photographer, share your vision and expectations. A good photographer will help you decide and suggest the best solutions for your wedding.
A Bit About My Style:
I’ve often asked myself: what is my photography style? Fashion? Editorial? Storytelling? The truth is, I can’t fit into just one category—I believe my style is a bit of everything. Even though I’ve tried to convince myself that I wanted to shoot only fashion because it’s “trendy,” I eventually realized that it’s just a part of me. As a person, I am diverse, and so is my photography.
Whether it’s due to the influence of following a wide variety of photographers or simply from gaining more experience, my wedding galleries often feature all kinds of styles. And I love that because it makes them exciting to look through, and the variety of styles helps tell the full story of the day.
I feel liberated by the understanding that I don’t have to fit into just one style, and I no longer intend to try.
I hope this post has helped you better understand wedding photography styles and will be useful when choosing the perfect photographer for your special day. Remember, the most important thing is to choose a style that reflects your love story and creates timeless memories.