Traditional wedding coverage would feature dozens of posed pictures pulled from a shot list that was often passed down by generations of other traditional wedding photographers. There may have been as many as seventy five scripted shots from cutting the cake, to tossing the garter, to the father of the bride walking his daughter down the aisle. In addition to the scripted moments, traditional photographers filled in the album with “candids,” many of which were staged (or at least made with the subjects aware of the camera).
The contemporary wedding photographer’s approach is quite different. Instead of being a part of every event, moving people around and staging the action, the photographer tends to be quietly invisible, fading into the background so the subjects are not aware of the photographer’s presence. Rather than intruding on the scene, the photographer documents it from a distance—usually with longer lenses and natural light. When people are not aware they are being photographed, they are more likely to act like themselves.Moving quietly through the event, you should be listening and watching, sensitive to what is happening and ready to react.
Of course, flying under the radar doesn’t have to mean remaining totally aloof. Describing his brand of wedding photojournalism, Greg Gibson says, “I’m not a true fly on the wall. I interact with the client. There are two camps of photojournalists. There are the ones who want to be totally invisible, the one who won’t talk or interact. I’m definitely in the other camp. I laugh and joke with the client, get them to relax with my presence. We’re going to spend a lot of time together and I don’t want them to feel like there’s a stranger in the room. If I find myself constantly in conversations with the bride and family members, then I withdraw a bit. I don’t want to be talking and not taking photos.”
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