Wedding Photography Styles

Unlike the appetizers or the flowers, the pictures taken on your wedding day are meant to last a lifetime. Because the contribution of the photographer is so enduring, it's crucial to find one whose vision and style align with your own. Becoming familiar with the basic types of wedding photography is a great place to begin — here's a look at the main three.

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Photojournalistic Approach

Photojournalism is the term for one of today's most popular types of wedding photography. And for good reason: The goal of the photojournalist is to tell the unique story of your wedding, from the nervous anticipation before the start of the ceremony to the reception's last round of champagne. Photojournalism captures moments rather than poses, documenting the feelings and energy around the entire occasion: The father of the bride's giddiness. The groom's exuberance. The air of excitement as the bride appears for the first time.

Because the photographer doesn't "direct" the participants or guests, the results are candid and spontaneous. The images convey genuine emotion and capture the story of your day as it naturally unfolds.

The downsides to photojournalism are few. You might end up with a few surprising snapshots, but if you'd rather not remember the image of Aunt Claire boogying with the best man, there's no rule that says you have to include it in your wedding album.

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Traditional Approach

Traditional photography (sometimes called formal photography or portraiture) refers to the posed pictures, usually comprised of the wedding party and the families of the bride and groom. These are the shots of the bridesmaids with their bouquets, the groom with his parents, the happy couple gazing into each others' eyes, etc. Most wedding albums incorporate anywhere from just a handful of these portraits to page after page of formal groupings and combinations.

The nice part about traditional photography is that ultimately, you have a set of professional photos of your family and loved ones. The disadvantage of relying only on traditional portraiture is that your pictures may lack the energy, passion, and raw emotion surrounding your wedding.

Artistic Approach

The artistic approach is a sort of catch-all category that includes everything from soft-focus lenses and filters to hand-colored images and unusual camera angles. While these effects can make for a hip and modern photo collection, the drawback is that ten years from now, your pictures may look dated, trendy, or even silly.

The key to artsy photography is to use it sparingly to highlight a particular moment, rather than to create a highly stylized photo display. After all, your album is a visual history of your wedding, not an art exhibit.

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Bella's Style

At Bella, we approach each wedding from a photojournalistic point of view. While traditional portraiture is also well within our area of expertise, and will seamlessly be flowed into your day, ultimately our goal is to tell a story — your story. For a consultation or more information about our services, please call 1.888.556.7590 or complete our appointment form.

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