Traditional Photographers

There are several styles of photographers, and many photographers shoot in a mix of styles. It's important to consider which style of photographer best matches your particular style preference. I'm going to describe what might be considered a traditional wedding photographer in this post.

A traditional style photographer will typically spend most of their time on posed photos and formal portraits. You'll get formal portraits of the bride alone, possibly the groom alone, and the bride and groom together. There will also be formals of the wedding party and families. The traditional photographer will of course also cover all the typical "events" that take place at a wedding: wedding party walking down the aisle (often after having instructed them to stop and pose for a moment until their photos is taken), the actual wedding itself, bride and groom exiting the church (again, often after having given instructions for them to stop for a photo), the bouquet toss, garter toss, first dance, cake cutting, photos of guests posed around their tables, and the bride & groom's "getaway" (usually also posed).

If you're getting the idea that almost every shot is posed, you're getting the right idea. The advantage to traditional wedding photography is that you're very likely to capture all the important "events" of a wedding under controlled circumstances. This means that the photos are very likely to be technically correct, and also that none of the "events" are missed. It's very straightforward, and usually everyone gets exactly what they expect. The disadvantage is pretty much the same thing -- almost every shot is posed, and there's nothing unexpected. You may wish you had more of the "extra" fun or unusual shots if those types of shots are important to you.

© 2004-2008 Jacqueline L. Beck. All rights reserved.