Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 1/2)

WHAT'S A WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST? (Part 1/2)
Unlike traditional photographers who focus on posed pictures, staged shots, and formal portraits, the wedding photojournalist focuses on capturing the spontaneous, natural moments of the wedding -- capturing the personality of the bride and groom, and the unique story of their wedding

By Larry Brunt

IN SHOTS TAKEN BY A WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST, THE SUBJECT WILL LOOK LIKE THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE CAMERA

ONE of the big buzzwords in wedding photography is "wedding photojournalism." Many photographers claim to have a photojournalistic approach. Surprisingly, real wedding photojournalists are hard to find.

But first, what is a wedding photojournalist?

Unlike traditional wedding photography, which focuses on posed pictures, staged shots, and formal portraits, the wedding photojournalist focuses on capturing the spontaneous, natural moments of the wedding: capturing the personality of the bride and groom, and the unique story of their wedding.

The photojournalist will remain as inconspicuous as possible, and the only time he/she will set up a shot is during the portrait session, which tend to be relaxed and brief (and little as 10 to 15 minutes).

It's an idea that appeals to many, but just because a photographer claims to be a wedding photojournalist doesn't make it so.

So, how can you tell if your photographer really is a wedding photojournalist?

First, a growing number of newspaper photojournalists are leaving their jobs as the newspaper business declines and getting into wedding photography.

If your photographer has been a photojournalist at a newspaper, the chances are good that he/she uses a photojournalistic approach at the wedding: he/she is used to documenting events without interfering.

Second, the pictures themselves will give you a good idea of the approach of the photographer. When looking at a photographer's portfolio or website, what percentage of the pictures are "camera-aware" -- that is, that the person being photographed is aware of the camera?

A guideline is that about 80% of one's images should be spontaneous, natural, un-posed pictures with the subjects unaware of the camera. Keep that guideline in mind when you look at websites. In how many pictures is the person looking at the camera? How many pictures look posed?

Third, the aim of wedding photojournalism is to capture what really happened. It documents the day, rather than creates an illusion of the day. Therefore, wedding photojournalists tend to avoid overly processing the images in Photoshop.

When looking at a portfolio, pay attention to how "natural" the images are. Photojournalistic shots tend to be crisp, clear, well-composed, but above all, natural.

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Source: Why Choose A Wedding Photojournalist? (Part 1/2)