Like all genres and sub-genres of photography, wedding photography goes through various stages, phases and fads. Identifying the true innovators can become challenging as photography styles are borrowed, adapted and evolve as numerous photographers put their own personal touches on a theme. In the end it comes down to personal taste and making sure that a photographer’s style is consistent with how the bride and groom want to remember their wedding day.

I’m a big fan of utilizing a photojournalistic style when it comes to wedding photography. there’s a number of reasons for this. But first, full disclaimer, I do indeed capture my fair share of posed and “formal” wedding images (any quick review of my wedding portfolio reveals this). I have found that no matter how hip and edgy the bride and groom, they have a parent or other family member that would really like to have some photo prints from the wedding day, so it is inevitable that some formal and kinda posed images will be desired in addition to the obligatory group and family images. And yet, almost invariably, the images that capture people when they are relaxed and natural are most frequently the “best” images from the day.

I tend to shoot the wedding ceremony and reception with two cameras (a future article will get into more of the specific details of how I approach shooting a wedding) so that I can capture multiple views of what is happening both close and further away. The amazing advantage of this is that I can capture all kinds of fascinating moments without interfering with what is happening. I feel that many of my most “magical” images are catching people in those in-between moments at a wedding. Shooting these from a non-interfering distance allows the beauty of the wedding to unfold free of the un-natural posing induced by a camera being right up in one’s face. Using a photojournalistic style can be a great tool for wedding photography.