The term "documentary style wedding photography" is thrown about everywhere these days, and is frequently misunderstood. Let's clear things up.
Documentary wedding photography is a way to capture all the moments of a wedding in a natural and relaxed manner, carefully curated so the final collection tells the authentic story of the day from start to finish. I like to compare it to a comic book without words — the collection contains a number of scenes, each of which delicately tells one chapter of the wedding. It's also known as journalistic or photojournalistic wedding photography.
Documentary vs. Traditional
Now here's where we get a bit subjective, where it comes down to personal taste — and I'll put my cards on the table. I am not a fan of traditional wedding photography. There, I've said it, and here's why.
Traditional wedding photography is largely centred on posed set pieces. I much prefer natural and candid shots, where I can capture the essence of the subjects and authentic images that people can relate to. Basically, I let people alone to enjoy their day, and the photos are all the better because of it.
My Theory
When our eyes see a photograph of a group of people genuinely laughing and having a good time, the brain almost magically draws the viewer into the image. We feel like we're there — almost laughing along with them. An emotional connection is created somewhere deep in our subconscious. The image is real, and the response it provokes is real. Our brains are fantastic at sniffing out and dismissing anything that's fake — two pairs of eyes looking into the lens with painted smiles will never really tug at the viewer's heartstrings.
It has to be said too, most people aren't comfortable standing in front of a lens and posing — many couples have a genuine dread of "the photos," and it's the part of their day that worries them most. In contrast, every single one of my couples has loved my relaxed and natural wedding photography style, and most say either they didn't notice my presence, or that it was like having another guest on the day. Once you're happy and comfortable, your wedding photographs will be stunning.
"He made myself and Daniel feel at ease, and it was like walking around with a friend!"
Hilary, 2021
A Caveat
Fear not, I'm not a die-hard extremist — I know that sometimes a few group shots and some couple shots are required. We do these, and we do them beautifully, with a good bit of craic (even here, there are no fake smiles or "cheese"). Keep it real, keep it relaxed — no awkward nonsense, just beautiful photographs.
If you like the sound of documentary wedding photography, and fancy some relaxed, natural and quirky wedding photography, please get in touch and fill in some details for a quote. No awkward nonsense, simply beautiful photos.
Speak soon,
Stephen.