Documentary Wedding Photography Style Essentials
There are many styles of wedding photography out there. My specific San Francisco photography wedding style is eclectic – using all styles to get the necessary photograph. I use documentary style wedding photography during the ceremony, reception, and “getting ready”. My goal is to photograph a wedding that tells a story but still utilizing all styles to get the picture that I think you want. However, there are times when I do ask the bride and the groom to hold it for 2 seconds or so during the bouquet toss / garter toss and cake cutting. Other than that, I think that hiring a wedding photographer claiming to have only one type of style will not get you that photo that you normally see on magazines or what you deserve. Just my two cents.
What exactly does documentary wedding photography stand for? Wedding photography, generally speaking, is a type of photography that deals specifically with weddings and oftentimes, pre-wedding events such as wedding announcements or engagement parties. Documentary wedding photography is a mixture of traditional wedding photography and documentary filmmaking. Documentaries allow the San Francisco wedding photographers to immerse themselves in the culture or the milieu of their subject. Some documentary wedding photographers apply the same principle to the wedding and reception coverage. They take photographs from the day the wedding was announced until the time the wedding reception ends.
Documentary wedding photography can involve fashion photography or black and white photography. But most documentary wedding photographers prefer taking candid photos, because these make the subjects and the scenes look more “natural.” Such images also allow the photographer to create a story about the bride and groom. Simple and small details, like a child hiding under the table or an aunt perusing the menu, can contribute to that story and make the wedding album (or video) so much more interesting. Capturing such moments also give the impression that the photographer knows what he’s doing. It also shows that he is creative enough to tell a story based on those few details from the wedding and reception. In addition, such scenes allow the guests to get to know the couple more and make them look at the wedding as something more than just an event that they had to join.
A talented and reliable San Jose – San Francisco wedding photographers will be able to document a wedding through a series of images. Such images would convey the necessary emotions and be powerful enough that the photos speak for themselves. Any individual who looks at the photos will be immediately introduced to the bride and the groom. As he goes over the rest of the wedding album, he will know how the bride and groom met, how the groom proposed, and what transpired during the wedding day. He will also be introduced to all family members who attended the wedding, as well as the friends of the couple. Any quirky character or eccentric family member will probably have an entire page or two devoted to him.
These are the photos that the couple can go back to when they get older. They will remember when they first met, up to the day that they got engaged, and until that fateful day when they finally get married. Such are the moments that a good documentary wedding photographer will be able to record.
san jose photographers
Michael Benipayo
Benipayo Photography
email: michael@benipayo.com
San Jose | Wedding | Photographer | San Francisco
Text By: Dan Coyle
Dan is a journalist who writes for websites on a variety of topics.
