What is documentary style photography, and how do you know it’s for you? Documentary or candid, photojournalistic wedding photography is a style of photography that captures how the day felt instead of just how it looked.
As a documentary wedding photographer in Washington D.C. and northern Virginia, I’ve learned this style resonates with couples because it allows them to experience their wedding day instead of being involved in a day-long photoshoot.
Keep reading to learn more about documentary-style photography and whether it’s a good fit for your wedding!
What Is Documentary Style Photography?
Documentary-style wedding photography is all about telling a story, whereas traditional photography captures curated photos that focus on how the day looks. ; Documentary style photography prioritizes capturing genuine emotion, moments, and everything about your day as it unfolds.
What about those posed family photos, couple and wedding party portraits? They absolutely still happen, but with documentary photography, they won’t be the main focus. The posed photos are carefully considered and planned prior to the wedding day, to reduce the amount of time these take, allowing you to focus on spending time with the people you love.
Who Is Documentary Style Photography For?
Documentary style photography works for you if you want to prioritize capturing moments over details, emotions over staged poses, and spending time with your friends and family instead of your photographer. Couples that prefer documentary wedding photography crave photos that highlight unique aspects of their relationship and capture the emotions and feelings of their day authentically with an unscripted approach. You’ll have time to spend with your guests and can be fully immersed in your wedding day from getting ready to when you say your last goodbye – Your photos will have the depth, character, and personality that
Only happens when moments unfold organically. To help guide your decision, here are some questions you and your partner can discuss to decide if this is the right style for your wedding:
- When you picture your wedding day, what does it look like? Does it involve spending lots of time with your guests, enjoying your cocktail hour, lots of laughter, and dancing the night away?
- What parts of your wedding day matter most to you? How do you envision these special moments being photographed? Are you posed or completely immersed in the moment?
- Are you comfortable with your photographer celebrating along with you and your guests, by capturing the big and small moments as they unfold, instead of following a scripted photo must-have “shot” list?
- Do you prioritize being fully present on your wedding day over being pulled away for another set of photos?
If you agree that you want to fully enjoy and be present for your wedding day, it sounds like documentary style photography will complement your need wedding day.
My Approach As A Wedding Photographer To Documentary-style Photography
You’ll notice, as you look at documentary-style photographers’ work, how every photographer’s work looks a little bit different. That’s because even though someone labels themselves as a documentary style photographer, each photographer will have their own approach to this style and their own interpretation of it.
For me, how I photograph is a classic adherence to true documentary photography, meaning I won’t stop to ask you to do something again. I also won’t interrupt your quiet, intimate moments or take over; instead, I’m all about letting your day unfold naturally.
Of course, wedding photography is about storytelling. But what story do you want to tell? That’s not just up to me. (After all, your wedding photos are for you.) When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel.
In viewing your completed gallery of photos, I’ll provide you with photos that chronicle how the day unfolded naturally. My direction to my clients is during family photos, wedding party photos, and couple portraits. The rest of the day, you get to live, experience, and celebrate with all the people you love who have worked really hard to come to your wedding.
Furthermore, instead of being the photographer dressed in all black, I will be embedding myself into your day – capturing the sway to the music, the twists and turns of the day, without stopping you from enjoying every single second for a photo op.
Living and experiencing the day also means you aren’t being pulled in a million directions to do different things; you are present in each moment and what is occurring. You’ve heard the saying that your day goes by so fast that it’s like a blur – but what’s special about this style of photography is that it lets you slow down and reflect on moments and eflect focus in a bit more so that you can actually remember moments of connection with your wedding guests.
Ready To Hire Your Documentary-Style Wedding Photographer?
I hope you found this info on documentary-style photography helpful. At the end of the day, regardless of the photography style you choose, your wedding photos should be a genuine representation of you and your partner and feature the most special moments from your day.
And… if you’re still looking for a Washington DC/Virginia wedding photographer, I’d love to connect! My approach to wedding photography starts with understanding what—and who—matters the most to the two of you.
When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel. Your images will capture your day in its entirety: the spontaneous joy, the precious family photos, the experience you created for your guests.
You can learn more about my wedding photography services here or get in touch with me here!
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