Photojournalistic Wedding Photography

So what exactly is this ‘Photojournalistic’ photography you hear so much about and should you be requesting it for your wedding?

The last few years have seen a marked change in wedding photography styles. Bridal magazines have often highlighted this new trend in photojournalistic or fashion style wedding coverage as the coolest & best way to have your event photographed. Done well, it can wonderfully captures the emotions, relationships and events, planned or unplanned, of your wedding day as they unfold that the traditional photographic approach would often miss. This makes for a more emotional, realistic reliving of your wedding day when you look through your album, even years later. Done poorly, your photojournalistic (or “PJ” as it is referred to in the industry) images may be indistinguishtable from the snapshots your guests took with their point & shoot cameras!

Have you looked at the work of some photographers who claim to offer ‘PJ’ that made you wonder what the difference was between PJ and ‘candids’ that wedding photographers have always done? Unfortunately, a lot of photographer have not learned this new art form so they pretty much just do the candids they have always done and call it PJ. They sound up to date but haven’t made the investment in education & equipment necessary to produce professional level photojournalistic images.

To dispel the confusion, here are the correct descriptions of each:

Candid: Not posed, subject may or may not be looking at the camera but is aware of photographers presence. May be engaged in an activity that the photographer is giving some direction to; i.e., first dance, cake cutting, garter & bouquet toss, etc.

PJ: Photographer becomes a “fly on the wall”. Subject is minimally or unaware of his presence and of being photographed. Photographer gives no direction to subjects or events, he simply captures what is naturally happening in front of him. Photographer has little or no interaction with subjects. Must have well developed intuitive skills to anticipate action & reactions, to be where the action is before it happens and be ready for the unexpected. Must be skilled in working with difficult, available light situations as he captures the action with whatever light is naturally available; on camera flash used as little as possible; high speed telephoto lens a must.

Then there is Traditional style where the photographer takes full control of location, lighting and poses for elegant portraits that take full advantage of your stunning dress, hair, vail and the facility or outdoor location you‘ve carefully chosen for your wedding.

So which style is right for you?

Fortunately, you don’t have to choose just one. Virtually every wedding we do is a blend of these styles. Even the most ardent PJ style couple will have family members who expect some traditional posed images of the couple with parents and other family members while you’re all together and decently dressed! And a few elegantly posed, beautifully lit romantic portraits of the Bride & Groom are hard to pass up, especially as beautiful as you‘ll be on your wedding day!

When we meet, we’ll discuss your style preferences and vision for your day as how you want your album too look. You may need 50% traditional and 50% PJ or maybe 80/20. I’ll adjust my photographic style to your needs and liking, moving back and forth as needed. For larger events where both styles are wanted, having a second photographer (Victoria) is recommended.