Get the Picture?
Debra Deitering Maddox
In the world of wedding photography the good news is that advances in film, equipment, styles, album composition and techniques, offer brides far more options than before. The downside is that it can be confusing and overwhelming.
The wedding day is a one-shot deal. When your wedding day is over, the cake will have been eaten and the decorations dismantled. One of the few lasting reminders of this important day will be your photographs. Knowing what you’re doing ensures you get photographs to treasure for a lifetime. On the technical side, sharper equipment, computers and variations of film have enhanced ways to take pictures. Black & white photography is anything but blasé. Cloudy days have become an opportunity for romantic shots. The importance of properly lit, sharply detailed and meaningful photographs cannot be overemphasized. And for this reason, selecting the right photographer is essential.
A successful wedding photographer is not only a technical master, but has to be artistic and communicative. He or she is actually three photographers in one. The most obvious is the portrait photographer – diligently arranging people, exhorting them to look joyful and then setting off that familiar burst of light. The family photographer should be able to convince people of all persuasions to come together for posterity in the memory book. Finally, the documentary photographer, the “photojournalist,” works to surreptitiously capture cherished, candid moments with friends and relatives.
PHOTOJOURNALISM:
The traditional no longer reigns. By “traditional” we mean the indispensable poses that no album should be without. You know the ones: The bride with her family, and the groom with his; the church steps; the altar; wedding rings; interlocked arms sipping the champagne, and so on. While essential, they are contrived, not “captured moments.” But when we add photojournalism to the mix, we get it the way it really was. This could be the split-second capture of an impulsive moment, the radiance of a soft, fleeting glance, or a tender tear escaping from Daddy’s eye. These precious, irreplaceable moments cannot be set up or posed for. But they happen, and they can be saved.
Photojournalism graphically tells the complete story of a wedding in a fun, reflective new way. It offers you a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s this photojournalism that is the ruling trend in wedding photography. Taking an almost fly-on-the-wall approach to capture wedding activities, from the traditional throwing of the bouquet to the more intimate moments, is how photographers can create enduring albums. One photographer defined as “the documenting of the reality of the wedding day with no interference, staging or direction from the photographer.” Using a completely hands-off approach, the photographer stays in the shadows, always alert and waiting for the right moments. Ideally, people forget the photographer is there. Most use equipment that’s quick, quiet and doesn’t require a flash. A zoom lens allow them to capture tight, close-up shots and help tell the wedding story without manipulation and setup. Because of its spontaneous nature, photojournalism may capture a hair out of place, an open mouth speaking.
To capture the best images takes much more film than other approaches and can involve more expense. Many photographers shoot a minimum of 15 to 30 rolls of film during a wedding. Some take only black & white pictures. Prospective clients should be shown examples of the photojournalism techniques their possible photographers use. You need to understand what it means and what you’ll be getting. Photojournalism isn’t for everyone. Many professionals urge their customers to order a mixture of styles. Often if no traditional photos are taken, the bride regrets she didn’t have a full-length portrait of her in her dress or a formal picture with her groom. Family members want pictures of the family.
EDITORIAL PHOTOS:
Despite its definition, many photojournalists said that minimal direction has its place. They practice “stylized photojournalism,” not posing people or telling them how and where to place hands, but simply putting them in a particular setting and letting the scenes naturally unfold.
Joan Buccina, the internationally renowned photographer, shoots what she calls “editorial.” This practice of photojournalism plus some direction allows her to catch people looking real, yet perfect. “If a shot isn’t orchestrated, it may never happen,” Buccina said. “There may not be that perfect shot of the bride and her mother. The members of a family probably won’t just happen to be in the same place at the same time. Those types of pictures require getting the people together and perfectly posed with correct lighting and backdrop. There is a need for both traditional and photojournalistic styles.” She said that most of her bridal clients choose an album containing 80 percent photojournalistic photos and 20 percent formal portraiture.
Photojournalism is not to be confused with “candids.” The latter is more a generalized shot. While it’s also unposed, candids don’t involve a focus on detail. The bridal couple exiting the church and feeding each other cake are examples of candids, as are most ceremony shots. The “candid” photographer should be able to sit down and plan the final scheduling details with you before the wedding. This will assure that you know what is expected of each other. If you want great candid photos, find a photographer who loves to take picture, after picture, after picture.
FORMAL PORTRAITURE
Formal photography has long been a part of weddings: Families aesthetically grouped and uniformly posed. Perfect portraits of the bride and groom smiling into the camera. Once shot on black & white film, today’s traditional photographs are usually color. It’s much easier to get a good formal photograph because the wedding photographer controls nearly every aspect. Advances in film also allow greater latitude for error in judgment. When you look at a photographer’s formal pictures, look at positioning, posing and lighting.
Photographers can incorporate double lighting in formal portraits to add depth and dimension to the photographs. Double lighting creates interesting shadows, giving a photograph perspective and more realistic coloring. Formal photographs should also have a classic quality so they won’t be dated. The lighting a photographer uses affects whether the photographs will appear three dimensional or flat. Using natural lighting provides many possibilities. If you thought only a sunny, so-called perfect day was ideal for outdoor photographs, professionals will disagree. Some photographers specialize in sunset and night weddings, which allow dramatic photos.
AGED PHOTOGRAPHS
Before color film became available in the 1950s, there was only black & white. Recently, it has enjoyed revived popularity, and almost every bride and groom have some black & white pictures taken.
Photographs with a light brown tint are known as sepia-toned pictures. Popularly used in the Western photographs found in amusement parks, sepia tones render a timeless ambiance to a wedding photograph. Only about 5 percent of brides ask for sepia, in large part because they don’t know it’s an option.
Tinted black & white photographs were popular in the 1930s and ‘40s as a means of adding color. Transparent color is today added to a photograph either through hand-tinting or by computer. The result is a very subtle addition of color in selected areas such as flowers, the bride’s cheeks or her hair.
MIXTURE OF STYLES
In and across the country, wedding photographers now offer a balanced blend of the traditional and photojournalistic styles. And this combination is becoming increasingly popular with couples seeking new dimensions in wedding keepsakes. The photojournalism approach is generally done in a candid, unposed way. The photographer will even shoot events like the rehearsal dinner and trips to the bridal salon. Family members, friends and guests are all prospective subjects. Many wedding photographers offer the option of having the wedding covered both ways. They use two photographers to record the event from different perspectives. There are no rules for the type of wedding photographs or the quantity taken. Among the numerous possibilities are:
• Arranging a mixture of black & white and color photographs into one comprehensive album.
• Use color photos for the main wedding album and black & white in a smaller one.
• Shoot photojournalistic pictures in black & white and formals in color.
To enhance wedding photos, many couples consider digital technology that allows adjustments to highlight special wedding day images. With new technology, a bride should make an extra effort to find a photographer who can work well with digital imaging. The same is true for black & white photography. Current technology allows a color photograph to be made into a black & white photo. The reverse process also is possible. Some photographers recommend going to a black & white image from a color photograph because it’s an easier and less-expensive process.
CHOOSE A PHOTOGRAPHER
Once you are satisfied with a photographer’s style, check out his personality and communication. You should feel comfortable with your photographer, and shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions to find out how professional he is. A photographer who is personable and becomes involved with the family and wedding will likely find better photo opportunities. If you want a particular photographic style, you should select a photographer who is a master of that art.
• Ask to see samples of specific styles: traditional, photojournalistic, candids, infrared, hand-tinted, sepia-toned.
• To get a clear vision of the photographer’s ability, look at entire albums from the last three or four weddings, not just selected shots from different events or sample albums.
• Compare wedding album photos to pictures displayed on the studio walls.
• Ask for a list of references, including names of recent bridal customers.
• Don’t shop by phone. Meet personally with the photographer. Get to know them. You’re going to spend the entire day with this person. Rapport is important.
• It’s a great mistake to select by price alone.
• Don’t procrastinate. The best photographers are booked first, some more than a year in advance. But don’t commit until you’ve found the right one.
• Ask your photographer where your photographs will be processed. The best quality is obtained at either a professional laboratory or by the photographer himself.
• Question the photographer’s education, professional affiliations and possible awards earned in photographic contests.
• Hire the photographer whose work makes you go “Wow.” There is a difference between excellent and great.
• Ask the photographer their time frames in photographing formal portraits.
• Go prepared with pictures from any kind of magazine. It’s then possible to isolate elements you like so they can be replicated in your wedding photographs.
• There are many types of photographers. Hire a wedding photographer for his or her expertise and experience.
• Cut out the middleman. Meet with the photographer, not the receptionist or salesperson.
• Distinguish between quality and quantity. Don’t ask how many photos will be taken, but how many good photographs you’ll receive.
• Ask about auxiliary services that can include anything from album consultation to a tips worksheet on how to make things go more smoothly on the wedding day.