THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER DEFINED
Wedding Photographer: Miriam Webster defines
a photographer as: “one
who practices photography; especially : one who makes a business
of taking photographs”.
A wedding photographer is a specialized professional who visually
captures the formal matrimonial ceremony. A wedding photographer
uses various tools and techniques including film, chemicals, digital
and mechanical processes to achieve a certain, static visual effect.
Professional wedding photographers must have both creativity and
technical expertise. This involves careful subject and equipment
selection. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than
half of all photographers are
self-employed, thus
must be skilled at operating a business, marketing for and
consulting with customers. In addition to their camera, wedding
photographers depend on supportive equipment including tripods,
lenses, flashes, lighting and filters to garner an intended effect.
Following the shoot, wedding photographers have many choices of
laboratories for processing their film and/or digital files before
turning over the finished photographic prints to their clients.
Many wedding photographers choose to keep all the work in-house
and handle all the post production processing themselves.
THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER PROFILE
The Wedding Photographer - Then and Now
Shortly after Joseph Nicephore, a French physicist, created
the first photograph, called a heliograph, in 1826, brides and
grooms began using this technology to document their nuptials.
Wedding photography began as far back as the early 1840’s,
an art limited to formal studio work and posed shots because
it required heavy, non-portable equipment. At this time, wedding
photographers produced highly detailed daguerreotype portraits
on a miniature sheet of copper. Before the advent of photography
paper, wedding photographers also used glass plates and tin sheets.
With a rising British middle class, their appreciation for the
novelty and their even stronger gratitude for the cost benefits
when compared to a painter’s fee, daguerreotype portraiture
flourished in popularity. Obvious downsides, however, were in
their limitation to black and white imagery and the lengthy exposure
time restricting use to portraiture only.
The Wedding Photographer Realizes Portability:
Though the first form of color photography was introduced in
the early 1900’s, it wasn’t for a full century that
noticeable technological advances were realized. By 1945, the
color processing technique was fine-tuned, so print images faded
or shifted less. More advanced chemical processes further improved
print quality. Color film for transparencies were introduced,
portable lighting equipment was commercialized and the Polaroid
Land camera produced a positive print in mere seconds. The wedding
photographer was still largely restricted to formal, in-studio
portraiture.
Following WWII, the new portable roll film based cameras with
compact flash lighting drew budding new wedding photographers
onto the scene competing with professional studio wedding photographers.
World War II photographers including Edward Steichen, Margaret
Bourke-White and Robert Capa began to document the military conflict,
urgency and devastation of war. This technique began to slowly
influence other forms of photography. Professional studio wedding
photographers expanded their service to also include on-site
coverage, albeit the inconvenience of transporting their heavy
equipment. Traditional wedding photography which included in-studio
or on-site posed shots was the favored option on the market during
this time.
The Advent of Wedding Photojournalism:
Following the introduction of the 35mm camera, wedding photographers
were finally free to capture the candid moments of a wedding,
no longer tied to slow shutter speeds or heavy apparatus. The
art of wedding photojournalism was born, offering a more spontaneous
and documentary approach to wedding
photography. This approach
delivers more human, emotional and artistic results than that
previously possible. Wedding photojournalism has been considered
a product with origins in news photojournalism, differing only
in subject matter.
Wedding photojournalism is a finely practiced craft typically
using a variety of lenses with limited portraiture and posed
shots, camera-aware subjects, image manipulation such as digital
alteration or hand-tinting, extensive detail shots such as flowers,
rings and cakes, wedding photographer prompting or subject interaction.
Wedding photojournalists work best inconspicuously and unnoticed,
watching, observing and freezing found moments in time. Like
news photojournalists, wedding photojournalists carry most of
their equipment on their body at all times. They use both digital
and film processes to capture a true representation of what actually
took place the moment the shutter was released.
Selecting the right Wedding Photographer or Wedding Photojournalist:
Wedding couples now have countless options from which to choose – from
traditional or photojournalistic style to their photographer’s
personal and creative approach. Each individual wedding photographer
has his or her own technique – both in their art and in
their business. While most work as freelancers or sole proprietors,
others conduct business at a studio with multiple photographers
on staff. Similarly, some photographers are willing to
travel to your destination
wedding,
while others are not.
The introduction of the Internet alone means you can now conduct
searches online at your convenience. Shoppers can now browse
online wedding portfolios, avoiding time-consuming face-to-face
meetings. They can request fee and package information, ask questions
and even schedule the event by email, dramatically reducing the
stress involved in wedding planning. Some wedding photographers
even offer secure log-in, so you can review your images after
the event in the privacy of your own home.
When limiting your options, consider the complete package – from
quality to reputation and cost. Many brides and grooms mistakenly
base their choice on price alone. Adherence to a pre-determined
budget is often a crucial part of the decision process, but the
photographer’s portfolio should be a biggest aspect of
your decision.
Because wedding photography has expanded to include a plethora
of artistic styles and approaches, brides and grooms now have
the added advantage of variety. When shopping for a wedding photographer,
choose a style that fits you. For those seeking a more artistic,
spontaneous approach based on documenting, not directing, the
scene, wedding photojournalism is probably the best option. Wedding
photojournalism is able to freeze the emotions of the event and
preserve them for years to come.
When you review various portfolios, pay attention to style, quality,
quantity and consistency. While most every wedding
photographer can show a few good shots,
it’s helpful to see the entire
wedding set. The more images offered both within each wedding
and in all, and the more that meet your standards, the better.
Further, if you’re reviewing the work for a wedding
photography studio, make sure
their portfolio accurately reflects the work of the wedding photographer
that will be assigned to your event.
When benchmarking various wedding photographers, find out how
much experience they have, how long they’ve been in business.
What work did they specialized in prior to their current occupation
(if applicable)? Research their background, education and any
professional affiliations. Do they have a professional website?
What is their personal philosophy? Once you’ve selected
a photographer, be prepared to leave a deposit and sign a contract
to reserve your wedding date.
Wedding photography has come a long way from its modest roots
to the highly competitive, commercial and artistic field it is
today. With this innovation comes a plethora of new choices and
options for today’s bride and groom. With careful planning
and a bit of industry know-how, anyone can find an ideally suited
wedding photographer for their wedding day.
WEDPIX:
The Wedding Photographer Magazine for the Wedding Photojournalist
AGWPJA:
Fine Art Wedding Photographers / Artistic Wedding Photographers
The WPJA grants membership to the most
talented professional wedding
photographers
in
the industry. We are looking for those with a documentary-style
approach to weddings.
Digital
Wedding Photographers and Film Wedding Photographers
Recently there is no topic that creates as much impassioned conversation when
it is discussed among photographers....As a photographer who has used film for
over twenty years and digital for the last six years, I would have to say that,
at the time of this writing, it’s just about a dead heat...
What
is Wedding Photojournalism
There are probably at least twice as many definitions of “What
The PJ Style Is” as there are photographers practicing it.
When asked 'what is photojournalism'? W. Eugene Smith, one of
the 20th century’s greatest photojournalists, replied “Documentary
Photography with a purpose”...
Taking
Care of Wedding Negatives (Film).
If couples do purchase the negatives or have them included
in their wedding package price, the responsibility for preserving
these important originals falls to the couple. Here are some
guidelines that should be followed for the safest storage...
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