Photography

Wedding photography is the art of capturing pictures related to a wedding.

Couples often hire a photographer or a photography studio to take photographs at their wedding.

Contents

[edit] Services

Typically, a wedding photographer offers the following services in exchange for a one-time fee:

  • Wedding day photography
  • Printed or online proofs

The following services may be available as add ons:

[edit] Ownership

Some photographers insist on retaining full copyright to the images, and owning the negatives. This can have significant implications:

  • If the photographer owns the negatives, typically they will only allow couples to print photos through the photographer.
  • If the photographer owns the full copyright, they can use the couples' images on their website without permission (or even sell the photographs).

[edit] Styles

The pictures taken on your wedding day are meant to last a lifetime. Because the contribution of the photographer is so enduring, it's crucial to find one whose vision and style align with your own.

Here are the three main wedding photography styles:

  • Traditional - Traditional wedding photography (also called formal wedding photography or wedding portraiture) refers to the posed pictures, usually comprised of the wedding party and the families of the bride and groom. These are the shots of the bridesmaids with their bouquets, the groom with his parents, the happy couple gazing into each others’ eyes, etc. Most wedding albums incorporate anywhere from just a handful of these portraits to page after page of formal groupings and combinations.
The nice part about traditional photography is that, ultimately, you have a set of professional photos of your family and loved ones. The disadvantage of relying only on traditional portraiture is that your pictures may lack the energy, passion, and raw emotion surrounding your wedding. Another disadvantage to this approach is that the the process of obtaining traditional wedding images can be time consuming and take away from the bride and groom, family and guests interacting naturally, which is often the best subject matter for photos you will cherish.
  • Artistic - Artistic wedding photography includes everything from starry /glittery effects, soft-focus lenses, lens and digital filter effects, and hand-colored images. While these effects can make for a stylish and modern photo ensemble, the drawback is that ten or twenty years from now, your pictures may look dated or trendy.
  • Photojournalism - Photojournalism is the term for one of today's most popular types of wedding photography. And for good reason: The goal of the photojournalist is to tell the unique story of your wedding, from the nervous anticipation before the start of the ceremony to the reception's last round of champagne. Photojournalism captures moments rather than poses.
Advantages: natural looking photographs, low stress, real memories of real moments instead of contrived ones, the photography happens around your event timetable rather than as an interruption of it. Disadvantages: unpredictability, you won't know beforehand what your favorite photo will be or even what will be taken, you may not 'look your best' in every photo.

[edit] Shot Lists

Couples sometimes give their photographer a shot list of photos that they don't want them to miss.

[edit] Hiring

  • If the photographer has a blog, you will be able to view his/her latest work and get a taste of their personality.
  • It is important to meet with a bunch of photographers in person. This way you can see many examples of their work and get a sense of how they will work to capture your day and how you "click."
  • "Clicking" with your photographer is key. It is said that on your wedding day, you might spend more time with your photographer than your own family. Find someone you feel comfortable with, can relax around, can have fun with, and can bring out the best in you.
  • Ask to see full coverage of a wedding, usually in a proof book. Websites and blogs are naturally going to display the photographer's BEST work. Seeing a couple's full day of photography allows you to see the full range of a photographer's abilities.
  • You'll want to pay attention not only to style and personality, but to products. How images and physical photographs are offered back to you vary drastically from photographer to photographer. See what kind of albums they create, how long they hold onto your images, how much it is to "buy your rights" to those images. Ask if they offer any kind of credit towards an album or other printed photographs.

[edit] Tips

  • Make sure to arrange to feed your photographer! A wedding is a long event, and photographers are on their feet for much of the day. It is customary to offer your photographer the same food that your guests are eating.

[edit] Weddingbee Posts

[edit] External Links

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