Things you need to know about Wedding Photojournalism before your wedding day.

Hello – hopefully you’re here because I’ve sent you to this article a few weeks before your wedding day to have a look. If that’s the case I’m really looking forward to your day (that’s really not just a platitude, I really look forwards to the experience of every wedding, and if I find that slipping I’ll pack the cameras up and start working out what I want to be when I grow up.)

If you’ve just stumbled across this, it may give you more of an idea about what to expect of a documentary wedding photographer, and how to prepare for having your wedding photographed in a photojournalistic style.

The good news is there’s actually very little you need to worry about and prepare for. Wedding photojournalism is largely observational and non-intrusive (and sometimes, 100%) so this should be a quick read and you can get back to refining the table plan.

Live for the moment, not the photo.

My utmost wish is that you can relax, experience your wedding day, and create memories with friends and family. I don’t want to control those moments – or BE those moments.

I will be in the thick of it capturing the days events, but it’s far more important to let the atmosphere and emotions roll in real time than to get the perfect photo.

And in my experience, the perfect photos actually come from that trust in the moments presenting themselves for the picking.

Let you’re family and friends know you’re going au naturale

It can really help to let friends and family know that you’ve opted to capture the day in a more observational, natural style, and that they don’t need to worry about posing for the camera. Especially if previous weddings they’ve been to have had a different style of wedding photography.

You and your guests are not in my way.

This relates back to the first point. You are probably not ruining a photo by stepping in front of me. And if something needs to happen, let it happen. Chances are l’m using you as a framing device, or to keep my presence low key until the key moment actually comes along and I can dive in and grab the photo.

(I’m sneaky like that, but it’s one of the reasons why people say they haven’t seen me all day, when I was right there all the time).

Things I’m going to bring to your wedding are.

Curiosity and playfulness.

Quiet observation.

A sense of humour.

A willingness to go with the flow.

& Sensitivity to the stories and emotions unfolding around me.

Probably, also, some camera gear.

Feeding the photographer.

I thought I’d also drop this in here. I don’t insist on being fed. I do love being fed, but please let me know beforehand so I can make sure I have calories.

I’m actually quite introverted, so please don’t seat me with your guests as my brain will be fried by that point of the day.

Phone cameras, guests with cameras, gran with her iPad.

Guests love to document the day and collect memories for themselves and that’s all awesome – I’m not going to pretend that I think my photos of the day actually hold more value than anyone else’s. I will work around it & I’ll often work it into the photos. So please don’t hold an unplugged ceremony on my account. (I also don’t mind if your officiant wants to use me as an excuse for keeping cameras tucked away until after the ceremony)