Photo Journalistic Wedding Photography

When I am meeting with a bride, I get asked all sorts of questions. But a common one I tend to hear the most is, “What style of photography would you say you do?” My response is simply “Modern/Photo Journalistic.” Some of you knows exactly what that means, but some of you are still curious. Yes you understand modern photography, but where does photo journalism come into play? You also might be thinking, that sounds like what a news photographer does. Let me ask you this, what is the soul purpose of a news photographer? If you are answering in your head “To tell a story,” then you are absolutely right. So does that mean I focus on storytelling? Of course it does.

In my personal and professional opinion, there is more to your day than just documenting the events. It is a story of love and faith that is unfolding beneath all of our eyes. In that one day people will witness months or even years of history in your relationship reach a new milestone. They also witness a promise and a unification between two lovers. Sounds like a good story to me. With that being said, that is what a photo journalistic wedding photographer does. They tell the story of your big day. The image you see blow is an image that I think is a good example of what I am talking about. Yes, it is the bride and groom kissing (pretty normal), but what else is going on? If you really inspect the photograph, just about everyone that was apart of that day is present. You have the wedding party, pastor, and the guests. Its the one moment, when everything is right there.

Maybe to you it seems just like your getting picture made and your being posed. By why are you getting your pictures made? Because you are getting married! Maybe the guys are just lounging around awaiting till its their time to take their places. But that is a highlight of the day. More than likely, you or the groom may not remember much. That is why is important to hold these memories close to you. It is my desire for you to be able to look at your photographs and see your wedding day from a whole new perspective.

I cannot tell you what  photographer to pick. It can be a very tough decision. It should be someone you can connect with, get along with, and feel that they are a good fit for you and your wedding party. However, I will say that how the photographs portray your wedding are important. This is just something that I wanted to share with you and I hope it helps. Good luck planning!

Shawn