documentary style or fine art style - which is better?
As you begin your search for a wedding photographer, you will start to see different styles of photography style emerging from different photographer’s websites that you land on. There’s the documentary style, where everything is done naturally with a really interesting composition. Then there’s the fine art style which is a lot more hands on from the photographer, making suggestions on where and how to stand, etc.
An example of the documentary “fly on the wall” style, where everything is captured naturally.
An example of fine art style, where for example a couple may be asked to be in a certain position.
A photographer exclusively having one of these styles is perfectly fine. I have seen many photographers use just one of these styles of photography and the results can be stunning.
Essentially, it is all down to your personal taste as a couple. Some couples prefer the natural side, as they just want photographers to capture themselves and everyone else enjoying themselves naturally. Nothing is staged or posed and the photographer basically acts as a “fly on the wall” for the entire day, moving in a ninja-like fashion! Having said this, some couples want to be directed in some ways as they want to look their absolute best for their photos! I completely understand this, as the budget for weddings is staggering these days for a lot of couples, so they want to show the time, effort, and money they have put into the wedding and themselves by getting the best photos possible. This doesn’t mean every shot is set up perfectly, far from it. It is more what I’d call “making subtle adjustments”, like “try turning your head this way for me” or in a group shot situation “OK, can you try facing this way instead? Perfect!” As long as the photographer is completely respectful, the fine art style works really well.
Fine Art Style Photography
Documentary Styled Photography
So which do you choose? Well, of course, I mentioned that it is down to your personal preference, but my advice would be to select a photographer that does both. I try to blend both styles in my weddings photography, as the clients really do get the best of both worlds. There are times during a wedding, like the bridal prep, speeches, even the bride and groom alone time shots, where things just need to happen naturally. If there are too many adjustments, the interest will be lost by the couple and in the end, may even get frustrated with the photographer, which is a big NO! On the flip side of this, the fine art style still has a strong place in wedding photography, such as with the group shots and with the bride and groom alone time shots. Everyone wants to look their best in photos, so making subtle adjustments can really go a long way to help this. Let’s face it, you are going to want to print some photos and frame them (at least I hope you do!), so of course, you are going to want a picture of you and your partner looking amazing on your wedding day!
A very natural, “fly on the wall”, reaction shot wiping away their tears.
I suggested the couple to position themselves this way, but be themselves.
I like to call myself a Storyteller Wedding Photographer, as it combines both the documentary and fine art style. If you think of the wedding as a story, documentary photography is used as the “background” or “build up” of the story, so the bridal/groom prep, guests arriving, etc. Then, the fine art style is used for the “main event” in the story, like the alone time between the bride and groom, the group shots of the families coming together. I think this is best for couples as they can then look back at this “story” again and again with absolute joy.
I hope this small article has helped you. If you have any questions about this post, just send me an email colin@colinjones.photography. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have for your search. If you want to get in touch about my services, then just head to the contact page, fill in a few details, and I will be in touch soon!
Thanks so much for reading!