Just as the term "Google it" and Facebook have become common household phrases in today's world, wedding photojournalism is becoming the same way. Over the years, photography has evolved and changed, moving away from the more traditional style photos to a candid unposed style of shooting that catches the individuals in action, living life, and experiencing reality.
Photojournalism Defined
To understand what wedding photojournalism is, it is better to explain what photojournalism is in general. With photojournalistic photography, it is almost as if you can feel the breath that the person is breathing. You can see the flicker in his or her eyes. The laughter looks as if you can actually hear it ringing in your ears.The style of photojournalism tells the story through the images, unposed and unplanned. The pictures are raw, real, and natural. It is almost as if you are watching a documentary where a specific tone is set and the events are relatable to the person looking at the images.
Evolution of Wedding Photojournalism
Over the years, people began to waiver from the traditional direction from the photographers. Instead, the moments were allowed to unfold as natural and organically as possible. The term "wedding photojournalism" was actually penned by Denis Reggie, a former sports photographer, in 1980. He, along with others in the genre felt that this style of photography was more memorable and precious. However, each photographer has his or her own opinion of photojournalism and looks at the style very objectively. Although content is the most important element in shooting in a wedding photojournalistic style, choosing what to take pictures of, how to correctly expose it, the way the image should be cropped, and editing techniques are always debated. Because in the photojournalistic photography style the interpretation is up to the viewer, it is rare that two photographers will ever interpret the same scene or the same photo the same way.
Wedding Photojournalism Techniques
Photojournalistic wedding photographers always do their best to somewhat melt into the background when shooting a wedding. The goal is to stay unnoticed and be as inconspicuous as possible. While photographers do put together and gather groups for wedding group photos and formal portraits, the main style centers around the photojournalistic feel. The key method of delivering wedding and engagement photos to the clients is in chronological order - with wedding photojournalism and engagement photojournalism, it is very important that the images be viewed in order. Photojournalism embodies the telling of a story and this way, the viewer can see and experience the day moment to moment.
The Standard of Wedding Photojournalism
Shooting in a photojournalistic style requires the skill, talent, and experience necessary to view a scene and interpret it in a photojournalistic and creative way. While many amateur and professional photographers can shoot a wedding in a semi-photojournalistic style, the experience increases the value of your photography, assuring clients that in this genre, you truly have the training and background to portray this style of wedding photojournalism. I encourage ambitious and motivated photographers to apply to shoot with a photojournalistic wedding photographer and shadow photographers working out in the field. Photojournalistic photographers have worked hard to hone their skills over the years and are most are more than willing to share their knowledge of photojournalism with others who desire to learn!
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