Different types of wedding photographers

Gabrielle Steberis
Oct 27, 2017
4 min read

It's difficult when you're planning a wedding, you have down payments coming out of your ears, you have wedding fayres that bombard you with suppliers, and then suppliers who are silently screaming 'PICK ME PICK ME'. However, Im a photographer so I can let you in on a little insight into knowing what your options are out there, and why knowing exactly the type of photographers out there, can help you ultimately choose your perfect tog!

Start with realising who you are as a person, or even better yet, in what way would you like your wedding to be documented? That is what your photographer will be doing for you (in a nutshell) and then hopefully putting their own flare or twist on things, to really make those documentations become a treasured memory that you'll want to proudly display. Knowing what your personal taste and style is, is a great step forward to finding a photographer that shares similar interests; digging deeper and truly finding someone that resonates and clicks with you well will make their service money well spent, rather than just randomly googling the nearest local photographer, or the cheapest package you can find.

The Documentary Photographer

This guy or gal are the ones that blend into the wedding party, sometimes becoming a part of the guests which allows the photographer to capture unique raw moments. They usually attend with as little equipment as possible, allowing them to scope and move around without sticking out like a sore thumb. A documentary photographer mostly work great in low light situations as they are less likely to use any flash, therefore the results usually being black and white and quite 'gritty' . These photographers have to learn to be stealthy and have an intuition for things that are about to happen, e.g. 'That kid doesn't look steady on their feet dancing, I could catch the moment of him falling into that other kid'.

Documentary photographers are not for everybody, because they really do document the day as it is. No filters, no posing, no 'Just title your head up slightly to avoid a double chin'. If the groom is having a drunken pee outside *SNAP* Ugly faces *SNAP* rare public affection towards your partner *SNAP*.

The Traditional Photographer

Although trends come and go, and 2017 has been the year for trends, some people just find that tradition is very important to them. a traditional wedding photographer makes sure that those all time important shots are captured e.g. First Look, Detail shots/ ring shots, bouquet toss, confetti toss, father giving the bride away (you get the jist). These types of photographers most likely have great knowledge on using their lighting equipment, and they use this to their advantage to create stunning works of art. Usually they like to have a larger time slot for the formal/ group photographs, because being a Traditional Wedding Photographer, the formal shots are just as important, in order to get a nice smiley picture with relatives/friends which you will probably treasure in a photo album.

The Fine Art / Contemporary Photographer

This photographer's lighting game is usually off the charts, having a natural eye to spot out amazing contrasting shadows and highlights, and are great at manipulating artificial light. To them their jobs aren't as much of documenting moments, but more of creating a work of art that will stun the clients even years after. It is their knowledge on the technicality, the laws of photography well, and then knowing how to break those rules in order to create something unique. This photographer works similar to the Traditional Photographer in terms of not being afraid to use a variation of equipment.

The Non Invasive Photographer

Now because I'm cool, I decided to create my own genre of wedding photography, because I simply don't fit into any of the above options! I find that a lot of photographers have a very similar approach to photography as me, however they don't quite know how to label themselves, therefore leading them to say that they are all of the above.

A non invasive photographer will have the same approach throughout the day as the documentary photographer, however you shouldn't confuse these photographers, because non invasive photographers usually choose to capture naturally certain aspects of the day. E.g. a documentary photographer wouldn't think twice about clicking the camera when the flower girl is ugly crying, and blowing a snot bubble out of her nose (some nice imagery for you), on the other hand a non invasive photographer would consider more aesthetically pleasing natural occurrences such as Grandma Maureen patting her eyes dry whilst she sobs during the ceremony, and manage to make a natural moment seem posed.

The non invasive photographer does usually keep within some of the traditions of wedding photography, such as the formal photos and group photos, however the duration of this is most likely a lot quicker juxtaposed to a Traditional or Contemporary Photographer. This photographer usually takes a leaf out of a documentary photographers book, and goes through the day carrying little equipment, however they are not against pulling out their flash gun in the evening. The idea for them is to get great photographs without interrupting the flow of the day, and without invading and directing the wedding party.

Coming to realise how you would like your wedding to be photographed is the step forward to knowing what style you would like. If you hire a photographer for a particular style, you are more likely to appreciate the outcome of your wedding album.

If you find that you are interested in hiring a Non invasive wedding photographer, then I am your gal! Visit the 'contact' section to find the details and get in touch!