Wedding Photography Styles Explained

Wedding photography styles have changed so much in the last 10-15 years. Photographers are now much more creative and take their work seriously.

Here are the styles you're likely to come across in your research.

It started with traditional wedding photography, which is a very conventional in its approach. You probably know the drill - the photographer sets up his camera on a tripod and works his way through a long list of requested group shots (which in fairness the bride probably gave him!).

In the last decade or so, wedding photographers were becoming increasingly frustrated by the formulaic routine of formal group photography and started to take photos either side of shooting the group shots. This was the beginning of reportage photography a.k.a. documentary photography or photojournalism.

The last few years has seen another style emerge.

Contemporary wedding photography is a more fashion-based approach, taking inspiration from editorial fashion photography as used in magazines like Vogue or Vanity Fair.

Black and white wedding photography isn't really a style in its own right, well it kind of is.

That's the beauty of black and white photos - they're magical, timeless, ambiguous, but you can't really put your finger on why! (Well, click on the link to see why some photos work in black and white and some don't!).

Informal Wedding Photography is my pet name for photos that don't fit into the previous categories.

It's a cross between reportage and traditional wedding photography, in that they're posed photos taken quickly in a snapshot sort of way. Very technical I know! This method works particularly well after the ceremony when everyone's a bit more relaxed!

I hope some light has been shed on the different phrases wedding photographers use, and that you're now in a better position to choose the best wedding photographer for you.

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