My approach to wedding photography

My methods as an NWA Wedding Photographer

I recently did a short interview with fellow photographer and editor Dan Ginn at The Phoblographer about wedding photography and guests with smartphones and cameras. This post has very little to do with phones (I welcome photographing with and around your photo-snapping guests at all times) and more with Dan’s introduction of me and my work, which made me think about my approach a bit.

Dan said: “To me, his work has a photojournalistic and editorial feel about it, while still holding that special spark needed to tell a story of romance and bonding.”

I really appreciate Dan’s kind words about my work and totally agree that it has photojournalistic and editorial points of view. I come from a photojournalistic and documentary background, which basically means that I photograph non-intrusively and try my hardest to be that unnoticed little fly on the wall.

There have been hundreds of discussions on how the presence of a camera affects people. In my experience — it always changes people’s behavior (think how we tell kids to always smile at the camera.) So staying in the background is usually the truthful thing to do and the best way to capture authentic images.

Because of that, I never spend too much time setting up pictures, I prefer to let things unfold organically.

I was influenced by the fashion photographers I worked for and assisted during my time at Parsons School of Design in New York City. I think in those moments, I really learned the wonders of creating a picture by fully controlling the light. And these two worlds, fashion and documentary photography are quite the opposite.

My method is to bring the lighting techniques of fashion into my candid approach to wedding photography.

This brings me to my point. Fashion and editorial photography have had a big influence on me. I still feel at home when I hang in the background and photograph quietly but I will also set up some pictures if I feel that is needed. Examples would be to ask someone ahead of time who is speaking to stand behind or next to the bride and groom if the shot is impossible where they are. I’ll also step in if I feel like I can enhance the photo if it isn’t too much interruption, recently I asked a flower girl to walk up to the couple and tell them they were beautiful and then photographed their reaction, for example.

So… here’s the conclusion and what you can expect from me on your wedding day.

More than half the time, I’ll be in the background. Capturing moments, quietly.

The other half is then divided into formal portraits and what I call hybrid portraits — where I set up the shot and give you a prompt and let you take from there: candid portraiture if you will.