Words will never do these pictures justice.
Think about photojournalistic wedding photography images that stick in your memory. Most of the time they are going to be powerful, emotional photos that tell a compelling story of someone’s life. Wedding photojournalism is part technique, part creative style that we employ to create your candid photos in the most artistic and truthful way. It is all about preparation, creativity and being able to anticipate moments that we are able to bring your photos to life even as a still image.
I sat down with Michelle, our UI/UX Designer and one of our wedding photographers, to discuss all things photojournalistic wedding photography and show you why it’s such a great way to tell a story of your wedding day:
How do you define “Great Wedding Photography”?
Did it make you cry or feel happy? Did it move you? If yes, than that’s great wedding photography. I believe that photography’s main purpose is to capture emotions and memories associated with them. If a wedding coverage makes someone who hasn’t been to your wedding feel all the emotions that you were feeling on that day, then that’s what I call a great wedding photography.
When you are out on a wedding, what subjects or things do you look for or seek out?
Here at Mango Studios, we truly get to know all of our couples to be able to tell a story that is unique to them. No two weddings are alike, so it’s important for me to get to know my couples, their personality, their beliefs and values, and the memories they want to hold. Whenever I come to photograph a wedding, I look for those things – things that are important to my couples.
One of the most important things that I’d like to achieve with my photography is for them to be honest and true. So I take notice of the surroundings and the overall atmosphere of the day. Is it quiet or busy? Is it fast-paced or peaceful? All of this is going to influence what kind of shots I take because I’d like to express what it felt like to be there at that particular time and space.
What is the difference between traditional and photojournalistic wedding photography?
Photojournalistic wedding photography is not just about the pretty portraits, but also about conveying emotions and capturing the atmosphere of the day. It’s about understanding the space and people that surrounds you and being aware of the things that are happening 360 degrees around you. In addition, photojournalistic wedding photography is not just about capturing things as it is; it also involves anticipating the best moments and knowing when they will happen.
How do MANGO photographers do that? It comes with being present and immersed in your surroundings in order to be able to predict all the little in-between moments. And then it’s all about our craftsmanship as creative photographers that enables us to take photos that move you.
How to find a good balance between traditional (portrait orientated) and photojournalistic wedding coverages?
Both portrait-oriented and photojournalistic coverages are equally important. It has to be 50/50, because if you focus on only one of them, you’re lacking the other. Think about all the photos that appear on social media, that get eventually printed and framed. Most of the time these are the portraits. Photojournalistic wedding photos, however, are the thread that connects all of your memories together. It makes you remember all the moments in between, how you felt, what others felt and how your wedding day unfolded.
For us, we understand the importance of having both and in every single coverage we do we put importance on family photos, guest photos and candid photos because we know it matters.
Mango Studios photographers are storytellers first and foremost. Why photojournalistic wedding photography is one of the best ways to capture a wedding day?
You want to remember your special day the way it was, people that were there and the little moments that happened. Sometimes on a wedding day you are so focused on each other, and things might slip from your attention. That’s totally normal! Having photojournalistic photos will allow you to look back at your wedding day as a whole, thus memories won’t be lost.
Did you love this post? Here are some other photojournalistic wedding photography articles you might like:
Documentary Wedding Photographer – Michelle
25 Wedding Images That Are Sure To Make You Cry or Laugh
Essential Wedding Photography Checklist