Documentary wedding photography or reportage wedding photography is capturing and telling the story as it happens. No staging of photos, photographing those fleeting moments that are gone in an instant. So many things happen on a wedding day so it is up to the photographer to be aware of everything going on around them. Keeping an eye and listening out for those magic moments.
Like a ninja I like to blend in with the guests and capture them unaware in throws of laughter, tears of joy or dancing like it was going out of fashion. Your documentary wedding photographer should have the experience and technical ability to use the available light so that they do not need to use flash thus being able to capture natural moments without being intrusive.
“Good documentary photography results from telling a story and not just by recording events as they unfold, but by conveying a sense of how it felt to be there when they happened.”
I feel the key to capturing natural moments at a wedding is to build a good rapport with all the guests and wedding party. This starts at the beginning of the day right through to the end of the night. Nobody likes having a camera pointed at them all day but if you get everyone to trust you, then by the end of the day they won’t even realise you’re there.
Yes I love to create beautiful couple portraits but that is only 30 minutes of your day. The rest of the day entails photographing natural human interactions of love and friendship between yourselves, your friends and your family. The photographs you will end up with will be a complete story of your day, natural moments, creative & unique portraits and memories that will last a lifetime.
