Hooray! You’re engaged and are now entering your wedding planning era! It’s all going great and you’re seeing all these videos and posts about documentary photography – that sounds amazing! Capturing moments as they happen? Seeing all the little moments you missed on the wedding day? It sounds like a dream… right?
To many people this is absolutely perfect. No poses, no awkward repeats of staged moments – but there are a few things I always want my couples to know about documentary photography. Let’s go over a few of the pros and cons so you can decide if 100% documentary style is for you.
What is documentary style photography?
Unlike traditional posed portraits, documentary wedding photography focuses on capturing candid moments as they unfold. Think spontaneous laughter, heartfelt tears, and the intimate interactions between you, your partner, and your loved ones. The photographer essentially disappears into the background, observing and documenting the story of your wedding as it naturally progresses.
The Pros
- Authenticity – obviously this is going to be a big draw towards documentary photography. Your photographer is going to capture the actual essence of your day. No staged moments means that you can be fully present, not worrying about the camera and relaxing into the vibes of your surroundings. You’ll see natural reactions from your friends and family as you interact with them.
- Timelessness – I talk a lot of timelessness on my social media, mostly telling people not to worry too much about it. But timelessness is something that’s important to think about when choosing a wedding photography style, and what’s more timeless than candid laughter and beautiful memories?
- Unique storytelling – Choosing a documentary style photographer means you’re able to allow your them to tell your story in their own way. Curating a wedding gallery is such a personal and intimate thing for us, and being able to tell your story exactly as it happened is truly an exercise in trust.
- Relaxed atmosphere – as I mentioned before, choosing a fully documentary style photographer ensures you don’t have to worry about the camera at all. You can fully relax knowing your photographer will capture all the major moments of your day exactly as they happened.
Cons
- Less control – documentary style photography means you’re trusting your photographer 100% with every aspect of your day. While this may seem like a dream for some, I see you type A brides out there cringing. Choosing a more posed approach to your wedding may calm some nerves about getting all the memories you’d like.
- RBF is a thing – with documentary style photography you need to remember that your natural resting face will show up in photos. So if you’re like me and struggle with looking a little, well, angry at times maybe a documentary photographer isn’t for you.
- Potential for missed moments – there’s always a chance that while your photographer is capturing some small detail in another part of the venue they may miss a bigger moment.
- Disappointment in reactions – I think every bride dreams of the moment their partner (or parent or best friend) sees them and the tears start flowing. But if your crew is more emotionally reserved sometimes reactions can be disappointing. Seeing other documentary style photos can create false expectations of how your day will look.
Documentary photography may be right for you if:
- you prioritize authentic moments and genuine reactions
- you want a natural and relaxed vibe on your wedding day
- you appreciate the storytelling aspect of photography
- you are comfortable with a less structured approach.
What’s my style?
While we prioritize authentic moments and will never stage a reaction, we also won’t leave you wondering what to do with your hands. If the lighting where you’re getting ready isn’t the most prime for photos we may guide you into an area that’s a bit more aesthetic. In short, we’re not full documentary and not fully posed. I like to think we’re the best of both worlds!
Are you ready to hear more about how we can best capture your day? Click here to reach out and tell us more!
