Wedding Photojournalism - Capturing the Real Moment Forever.
The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and
wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach a distinctly artistic
vision toward wedding photography. Find
Out More
TOP 20 WPJA PHOTOGRAPHERS
FROM THE LATEST CONTEST
The following 20 wedding photographers earned the highest points in the WPJA Q1 2009 wedding photography contest:
WedPix, the Wedding Photojournalist Association's Magazine, is a complimentary resource for brides and grooms, wedding photographers,
wedding planners and all wedding photojournalism enthusiasts. The wedding
articles featured include wedding photography advice for the
couple, technical discussions, feature articles on WPJA award-winning members, business/marketing discussions, and many others. Go to WedPix: The Online Wedding Photography
Magazine
SAMPLE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY ARTICLES:
HIRING A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL
Like many brides and grooms, your wedding could be the first time you’ll be hiring a creative professional. You might think the ins and outs of working with a wedding
photographer are as simple as writing a check. What could be so difficult, right? But just ask any talented pro, and you’ll get a grateful explanation of why it’s so
important to truly understand their creative process. How you manage your relationship with a wedding photojournalist can have just as profound an impact on the
photographs as the day unfolding before the camera. Luckily, you and your photographer both want the same outcome: amazing photos that capture the feeling of the
wedding day... Go to: Hiring A Creative Professional
IS WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALISM A FAD? We’ve all flipped through well-worn wedding albums of parents, aunts and
uncles, and even grandparents, chuckling at dated hairstyles, handlebar mustaches, peach taffeta bridesmaids dresses, and powder blue tuxes. Wedding photojournalists
might contend that these photos wouldn’t seem so out of style (hideous wedding gowns and bad male perms aside) if more emphasis had been placed on the un-styled,
un-planned moments of the wedding day, rather than the prescribed agenda of highly organized groups of people staring at the camera.
On the contrary, naysayers insist wedding photojournalism is merely a trendy, passing fad that disrespects the venerable traditions of the classic posed shot. They
point out that tradition, and true photographic quality, is often sacrificed "art."... Go
to: Is Wedding Photojournalism
a Fad?
THE ART
OF WORKING WITH ON CAMERA FLASH Most
people equate wedding photojournalism with
ambient light, but the reality is that you
can’t always get what you want at a
wedding. The light you need is often absent,
is the
wrong
kind, or is in the wrong place. That’s
why judicious use of on-camera flash plays
a central role in assuring great shots and
happy clients. “It’s
all about complementing the light that is
there,” says Wedding Photojournalist
Association award-winner Chris Prinos, who
with his wife MaryJo shoots
weddings with a 1DS Mark II, a Canon 5D and
a pair of 10Ds, along with 550EX and 580EX
Speedlites. “When
you have a flash mounted at all times, you
can pretty much address any kind of lighting
situation.”... Go
to: The Art of Working With On-Camera Flash
THE EVOLUTION
OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY Five generations
of Americans have revisited special moments
in their lives by looking through photographs,
most especially of their wedding day. But
early to mid-20th-century brides and grooms
have only memories of their weddings because
their photographers simply weren't there.
Early cameras were large and bulky and portable
lighting equipment non-existent, tethering
photographers -- and bridal portraits --
to studios. All that changed by World War
II when the 35mm camera, roll film and on-camera
flash hit the scene, transforming first war
photography, then photojournalism and eventually
wedding photography. After the war, military-trained
photographers and amateurs trolled wedding
parties snapping candid photos they'd sell
to delighted bridal couples. That flushed
wedding photographers out of the studio and
onto the wedding day scene. But still, wedding
pictures were posed and moments like cake
slicing carefully staged... Go
to: The Evolution of Wedding Photography
JOIN THE WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST ASSOCIATION - WPJA
The WPJA grants membership to the most talented professional candid wedding photographers in the industry. We are looking for those with a solid documentary approach
to weddings. More WPJA Info in English |
Español |
Français |
Italiano |
Deutsch
The WPJA proudly honors Ben Chrisman of California as 2007 Wedding Photographer of the
Year (POY). In addition to this distinguished title, Ben also received a $1,000 grand prize and his name was permanently engraved on the WPJA Traveling Trophy. Each year, the WPJA proudly
recognizes that member holding the most contest points within the wedding photography categories at the end of the year.
Read The POY Photographer Articles Here...
According to Wikipedia, “Photojournalism (sometimes
called photo-journalism) is a particular form of journalism (the
collecting, editing, and presenting of
news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to
tell a news story”. In recent years, this approach to wedding photography
has lent itself to the practice of capturing matrimony by many top wedding
photographers around the world. This artistic, documentary style may
entail
black
and
white or color photos, film or digital wedding photography. Wedding photojournalists
work in a documentary manner, easily replacing the narrative itself.
As defined by Encarta, Photojournalism is “journalism
using mainly photographs: a form of journalism in which photographs play a
more important role than the accompanying text”. Wedding
Photojournalism is
characterized by its candid, creative and natural results spanning serious
to humorous scenes. While traditional wedding photography
dictates the setting, a wedding photojournalist documents the moment as it
naturally happens.