Photography Style?

I personally like the more natural light and airy look. I’ve seen wedding photos with that more “creative” lighting kind of style, and although it’s gorgeous, I do not like how dramatic and staged it looks. That’s just my opinion though!

I know I always gravitated toward the more spontaneous pictures that didn’t have any kind of trendy editing, so we went with a husband/wife team who are photojournalistic and who have exceptional abilities to capture natural light. I’m beyond thrilled with how all of our pictures came out, from engagements to wedding to adventure shoots.

View Quoted Comment Ah that’s a good idea! We’re talking to someone like that soon.

I didn't have any idea what style I like until I just started looking at a bunch of photographers' work. Eventually I noticed a pattern in what I liked and didn't like it. Relaxed, natural, true color photos it is!

I absolutely dislike 99% of pictures I see pf myself. I just went with a photographer who was affordable and had all 5 star reviews. I know I'll be unhappy with nearly all of the photos though.

Due to covid restrictions a lot of our family won't be able to attend our wedding in person so we knew we wanted more candid photos versus staged and posed photographs to share with family later on.

We are lucky enough to have a few photographer friends, so instead of a style, we went with someone one of them recommended.

A good photographer will work with you and find the best way to flatter you, no matter their style.

In the end, ours balanced formal, posed photographs with candids, and we have a TON of great pictures.

I say decide on which style best embodies your entire day! These are going to be your memories to look back on for the rest of your lives! Also get to know your photographer personally and their style of shooting. It’s important that they know their style, not just in editing, but how they approach and pose you, light things, etc.

I also personally wanted to stay away from any photography trends as they will go out of style eventually.

I personally love the “light and airy” style but my FH thinks it looks washed out and overexposed, so we compromised and found a photographer that specializes in capturing “true to life” colors in their editing style and I’m so glad we did, every time I tell one of the other vendors who our photographer is they just gush over how great they are. And I’m glad we’ll have photos that look timeless, not trendy!

View Quoted Comment That’s such a good point! Thank you!

Defining the photography "style" you like really isn't important. It IS important to find a photographer whose work resonates with you and whom you feel comfortable working with. Don't worry about having an exact label on what appeals to you.

I'm a photographer, and I wanted a photographer whose processing style had true-to-life colors and would produce images that were an accurate representation of what our day actually looked like. Those realistic tones will always be "in style" and never look trendy or dated, and it is much easier to edit photos with a neutral, color accurate processing style to look like something else than to do the reverse. A skilled photo editor can more easily give a "realistic" photo that whimsical, high key, "light and airy" romantic look later, but it's very difficult to reintroduce accurately saturated colors into an image that is washed out. Same thing with those moody, dramatic shots with warm golden tones that have become increasingly popular.

Also, many brides AGONIZE over the exact color of their bridesmaids dresses and color palette, and I can assure you that those colors will not appear true to life if you use a photographer with a highly stylized processing style. This is also why swatches/real life colors don't always look like the photos/model pics. If precise colors aren't important to you, don't worry about this at all, but definitely ask yourself if you are the bride that ordered 20+ dress swatches to find that perfect shade of sage green before you choose a photographer that has a really distinct "look" that strays from natural colors.

My #1 recommendation when deciding on a photographer's editing style is to look at skin tones. Skin tones should look natural in the photos. A pink dress might look pretty and believable regardless of whether its a warmer coral color or a cool toned rose color, but the photo will always look off if the person's face is a sallow yellow color or blue and pale. Also, if you are a multi-racial couple (or have VIP guests with very different complexions) it can be helpful to see how well the photographer handles really dark skin tones next to really light ones. If the photographer can get skin tones accurate (or at least believable) then the rest is really a matter of preference!

Definitely consider the photographers editing/processing style when picking who you want to work with, but don't forget to look at the different shooting styles as well - do you prefer posed photos, candid and casual ones, a photojournalist approach that tells a story, or a standard checklist of wedding shots? Do you really like out-of-the-box adventurous photos, perhaps with creative lighting effects, or do you prefer something that is a little more natural? Would you feel differently about having a male photographer or a female photographer or does it not matter to you? Are you already comfortable being photographed or do you or your partner tend to get nervous in front of the camera? Will you have any furry friends at your wedding that you need to be sure your photographer can photograph well (and that they don't have any allergies)? You should consider this factors as well when picking out your photographer.