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The Memory Keepers:
What’s Popular in Wedding Photography & Videography
By Molly Harrison
Wedding days are all about making memories, and it’s essential to preserve those memories for years to come.
Your mind will always contain a stockpile of memories of your wedding day, but over time some of the special little details of the day will begin to fade. You might forget the way your husband’s voice cracked as he said his vows, or how the sky turned purple at sunset, or the look on your friends’ faces as they showered you with birdseed after the reception. You might forget, but your photographs and videos never will. That’s why documenting your wedding day with quality photos and video footage is so important.
Photography and videography constitute a large chunk of the wedding budget, but it’s an area where you should not skimp. Your best bet for guaranteed results is to hire a professional. Weddings are so popular on the Outer Banks that there are a great number of professional photographers from which to choose. You absolutely do not have to incur the extra expenses of importing a photographer from out of town.
If you’re depending on a friend or family member for your wedding day documentation, make sure you choose someone who has good knowledge of photo composition, lighting, timing and equipment.
The important part about choosing a photographer is finding the one whose style meshes with your own. Interview photographers and videographers in person to make sure you have a rapport and to ensure that the person takes the type of photos and videos you have in mind.
Digital photography and videography is a no-brainer these days; it makes everything so much easier. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t shoot digitally. Not only does digital photography allow for faster shooting, it also allows for easier editing and a much easier selection process.
Wedding photography and videography have changed a lot in the past few years. You might be surprised at some of the things couples want these days. We interviewed several Outer Banks photographers and videographers and here’s a sampler of some of the things they said are popular today.
Photojournalism or Artistic Wedding Photography
You might think all photographers are the same, but that’s really not the case anymore. Some take a traditional approach while others take a photojournalistic approach and still others call their style “artistic.”
Photojournalism is a buzzword of wedding photography. But, you may be wondering, what exactly does it mean?
Photojournalism is the craft of telling a story through photographs. Professional newspaper and magazine photographers are photojournalists – they tell a story through images. It is unethical for a news photojournalist to alter images or to “set up” images; they must show the images exactly as they happened in the real setting in real time.
A wedding photojournalist is someone who tells the story of your wedding day by capturing natural moments instead of posed moments. While there are some purist wedding photojournalists out there who take weddings as seriously as news events, usually those with a news photojournalism background, most wedding photographers who advertise a photojournalistic approach offer a mix of photojournalism and traditional wedding photography. Even the purists will let you pose for the camera with your wedding party! But that photographer will probably include a little more creativity to capture the portrait so that they take portraits that fit the style of the other wedding photos.
Wedding photojournalists try to capture mostly unposed, natural moments. They move around a lot in the background, trying not to engage the subjects with the camera so that they can photograph their subjects with their guards down. It’s a documentary approach to the day. Instead of directing people to do certain things, the photographer hangs back and catches what people are naturally doing. They are always looking for interesting moments.
The Wedding Photojournalists Association says, “Photojournalism and shooting candids aren’t the same. Wedding photojournalists don’t go into a situation and randomly photograph things throughout the room. And neither do they follow the machine-gun approach, hoping that out of the myriad of shots a handful of decent pictures will emerge. Wedding photojournalism is applying professional skills and honed talent to tell the story of a wedding.”
That said, most brides and grooms these days want a mix of photojournalism and posed portrait-type shots.
Some photographers prefer not to label themselves as wedding photojournalists because the word is a bit overused and there are some misconceptions about the style. Those photographers prefer to use the term “artistic” to describe their style of capturing natural moments and unique angles.
“Couples today want that artistic style, with more candid shots and artsy angles and less posed shots,” says a local photographer. “They want that more artistic look that they see in magazines.”
To achieve this look, a lot depends on the photographer’s skill. An experienced photographer just knows how to capture moments and he or she knows how to be in the right place at the right time and to find the interesting elements in every shot.
Bye Bye Cliché
Many brides and grooms no longer want only the traditional set of standard images. You know the ones: the walk down the aisle, the father kissing the bride, the first kiss between bride and groom, the walk back down the aisle, the first dance, the cake cutting, etc. Yawn.
These photos are fine, but they can be a little boring because they’ve been overdone to the point of cliché. This is why brides and grooms are trying to mix it up with some more interesting shots.
Portraits have changed completely. Gone is the shot of the bride and groom looking at the camera and smiling. Several photographers mentioned that couples like to get shots of themselves walking away from the camera down the beach and then coming back toward the camera. Also popular are running in the surf, dancing on the beach and other fun-loving photographs.
“We used to get a list of required photographs,” says one local photographer. “But now people want photography that’s more of an art form. People want an artistic view of their wedding. They want unique angles and fun shots. The unposed shots are always everyone’s favorites.”
Some couples still want the traditional wedding portraits, those good, solid, dependable images that capture the day. If your photographer is adept at capturing emotion and the authenticity of the moment, you’ll have images that are timeless instead of cliché.
Say It in Black and White
Local photographers agree: Brides love black and white. The monochromatic scheme of black and white photography makes the photograph more about the emotion of the moment and the people in it than the distracting scenery or colors. Black-and-white photography is honest and it captures emotion much more than color. Most couples opt for a mix of black-and-white and color photography, and this is so much easier to do in the digital age. Any color photograph can be changed to black and white with a simple click.
Racy Photos
OK, here’s something new for us. One local photographer told us that couples are now booking sexy engagement photos. They’ll take the traditional engagement photos for the newspaper, but then they want some sexy images of themselves as well. For instance, one bride-to-be bought an inexpensive wedding dress, not the one she planned to wear in the wedding, and wore it to her engagement photo session. After the traditional engagement photos were taken, she rolled around in the surf in the dress for some sexy images.
Other things we’ve heard about are brides taking sexy photos as a wedding gift for the groom. The bride will dress up in lingerie for a boudoir-style photo shoot. These photos are for the groom’s eyes only!
Online Proofing
Digital photography means you can view your wedding day photos almost instantly. Many photographers now use an online photo catalogue with an easy ordering system. Not only can the couple easily order the photos they want, but other people can as well. Friends and family can look at your wedding photos online, select and buy the ones they want – without you having to play the middleman!
One local photographer mentioned that he puts a table card on each table at the wedding announcing the website where the photos will be available for viewing and purchasing.
Just the Highlights, Please
As for the video, people love that it captures all of the emotion of the day. As one local videographer says, “They want to see the whole event again, but better.” But most couples don’t want to rehash the entire day in a long video. They want a 20- to 30-minute video of all the highlights. They want something that is fun and exciting to watch, not necessarily long. They also like having their wedding photos interspersed with the video footage.
One of the benefits of digital videography and DVDs is that the wedding video can have chapters. Chapter One might be the highlights of the entire day, while Chapter Two is the entire ceremony and Chapter Three is the first dance, and so on. No more fast-forwarding through a VHS tape! Digital videos can also be webcast to all your friends.
Photography Tips from Local Photographers
A bouquet of white flowers does not show up against a white wedding dress. Consider choosing a more colorful bouquet if it’s important to see your flowers in your pictures.
Do the traditional posed family and wedding party shots before the wedding – the bride and groom on the beach, the whole family gathered together. Then after the ceremony take the candid, spontaneous shots.
For the after-ceremony photos, have the caterer bring champagne or cocktails or a few appetizers to the photo site to help the wedding party loosen up for the photos.
Kids in fancy wedding clothes only last for about an hour. Get photos of them before the wedding, if possible. After the ceremony, they are ready to play, not stand around for endless photos.
Remember, the sun does not set on the ocean. It sets on the sound.
Don’t start too late in the day. Start a beach wedding at least two hours before sunset if you want to have enough light to get good pictures.
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What the Bride Needs to Know: General Information
When you meet with your photographer and videographer, be prepared to ask a few questions.
Will the photographer or videographer I interview be the one who will shoot the wedding? Who will shoot the wedding in case of emergency?
How many assistants will be with you? What will you and they be wearing?
Are you working another wedding the same day as mine?
What packages are available, and how are their prices determined?
Have you shot weddings at this location before?
What is your overtime fee?
How many cameras will you use? Will you be bringing any back-up equipment in case your camera fails?
What the Bride Needs to Know: Photography & Videography
When you meet with your photographer and videographer, be prepared to ask a few questions.
For Photographers:
What is your specialty – photojournalism, traditional (posed) photography or a mix of both?
Do you shoot digital, medium format or 35mm?
Can I flip through some of your sample wedding albums? May
I contact those brides for references?
Do you post your photos online?
What kind of camera will you use, and how many rolls of film will you shoot?
How many proofs will I receive, and when will I see them?
After I place the order, how long will it take to receive my album and prints? How will they be delivered?
Will I be able to keep my negatives?
For Videographers:
Do you need any special lighting equipment? If so, how will that affect the mood lighting?
Will you need to attach a microphone to the groom or the officiant during the ceremony?
Can I request certain songs and pictures to be incorporated in my video?
Can I see sample wedding videos? May I contact those brides for references?
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