A leading Reportage Wedding Photographer From Essex United Kingdom

Reportage wedding photography is something of an over-used phrase. It implies a photography style that is equivalent to that of a photo-journalist, which is someone who is taking photos of events that take place without their participation or involvement rather than because of it. One of the many problems with this approach is that it is far less likely than posing or directing one’s subject. The photographer needs to rely upon their intuition to anticipate where the subsequent powerful image will form, as it’s generally too late to see it happening before lifting the camera to the eye. In addition, if our subject is unaware of being photographed or calm enough about it so that their conduct is entirely organic then there will inevitably be lots of ‘lost’ frames due to blinking or other uncontrollable elements.

It’s tempting, given these hurdles to conquer, to photograph in such a way as to give the impression that the events seen later in print occurred entirely effortlessly and without any contrived interference from the wedding photographer. But the human eye is surprisingly hard to trick. Even an innocent request of the subject to walk across a room can end up in pictures that don’t appear lifelike, particularly to people who know the subject well. Unless they are professional models (unlikely at a typical wedding) then the truth will get out, and the appearance of the images will often be rigid and unnatural.

It's not the ideal way to begin a relationship between a wedding photographer and couple. The key word here is 'relationship'. But surely if the wedding photographer is supplying a service then it's honest to basically just ask how much? The reply is perhaps a little more complex than does it fit my finances.

How many times have you peered at some wedding photographs and believed though technically excellent, they come across as uninteresting, lifeless, repetitive and flat? what do you think is missing ? How could they have been much better?

Many times photographing a wedding without directing or posing will be frustrating. A amazing picture will present itself, possibly a bridesmaid attaching a veil with the light and composition functioning in ideal harmony. Then, before an image can be taken, somebody will inadvertently walk in front of the lens and the second will be lost. It’s extremely tempting on these occasions to merely request the subject to repeat the sequence, but whilst it’s certainly feasible that the second will be recreated and the image secured, maybe even looking pure, it’s now obvious that the photographer has lost his observer status and has become a participant. It will typically follow that certain key events won’t be permitted to occur by themselves, but with the subjects seeking approval from the photographer before continuing.

Because of this as wedding photographers we attempt hard not to become too involved with the day. Obviously we always remain well mannered and we’re very content to speak with the bridal party and friends. But it is surprisingly simple to allow yourself to become an unwitting conductor of events, and when I look back at my favourite wedding images they are predominantly of natural moments.