The advent of digital technology has meant that photographers are now not limited by the fact that each click costs money. The digital photographer is now less cost conscious with regards to the amount of images taken and therefore many new and different wedding subjects, items, settings and ideas are being shown in the wedding album. Hand-in-hand with this style, is the new wave of wedding storybook albums from manufactures such as Graphistudio which allows far more imagery to be displayed, free from the constraints of page overlays and offers additional creative opportunity in page layout. Often referred to as a magazine style album the images are laid out in design software to fill a double page spread. The result is a perfect bound ‘book’ of images that are designed to be left out on your coffee table for all comers to admire.
So what is reportage photography? This is a journalistic approach to capturing images from your day and the end result is the photographer’s view of the story of your wedding day. Definitions of what this style entails will differ between photographers but for the purists it is a style where the photographer is as unobtrusive as possible and doesn’t intervene in the running of the day. The key is for the photographer to capture the story as it unfolds. The bride getting ready at home, the fun and champagne, the wedding dress hanging up in the corner of the bedroom, the wedding shoes still boxed…. the arrival of the bride’s bouquet, a tear from Dad’s eye as his beloved daughter walks downstairs in the bridal gown. The Groom waiting nervously at the church, he looks at his watch… Family and guests arrive, the hats, the colours, excitement of the bride arriving…. This story captured in photographs is the Reportage Wedding Photography. Then, when the album arrives, as each page is turned the images retell the story… and there isn’t a dry-eye in the house!
The type of shots will vary from the capturing of the smallest details such as table settings, buttonholes, and the bride’s shoes through to wide angle shots gathering in the environment, showing the wedding in the wider context and surroundings in which it occurred.
This type of photography is particularly appealing where the bride or groom is nervous of the camera or where they don’t want the photography to dominate the day. Of course, working without intervention, you have to be very confident that your photographer has a good understanding of what you would like captured and has a track record of working in a style that appeals to you and therefore experience as well as creativity is a must when you review photographer’s offering this style. A key point to remember is that a lot of new wedding photographers will adopt this style as it can allow them to hide when they are not sure what they are doing. They will stay out the way clicking for all they are worth with the hope that given the volume of shots they are taking, some should come out ok!
