One of the most important things to consider when choosing your wedding photographer is their photography style.
I cannot stress this enough! This is SO SO important! But how are you supposed to know which style you like best? This blog is going to walk you through the major editing and posing styles and by the end you'll know which style is right for you!
Two things to consider when trying to decide which photographer's style you like are -
- how they edit
- how they pose their couples.
My tip for you - Go through your Pinterest Wedding Board or Instagram and look at all the images you have saved. What do they have in common? Is it the editing? Do you like darker or brighter images? Do you like photos that look more edited or less? Is it the posing? Do they look natural and comfortable? Or posed and professional?
EDITING
In my opinion, there are 4 different major styles of editing. Each photographer is going to have a slightly different version of these styles, so that’s why it’s important to look through their photos and make sure you LOVE how they edit.
Typically your photographer is good at one of these styles. Editing in different styles takes practice and time to master, and it isn’t easy to switch between different styles. (In fact, it was incredibly hard to edit my photos in different styles for this guide!)
1. True-to-Color, Bold
The major benefit of a true-to-color photographer is that your photos will look timeless. These photos will stay true to the authenticity of the day and will typically stand the test of time. This editing style is super versatile and can be achievable with both indoor and outdoor weddings.
A downside - this style is not gonna hide anything! If your bridal suite was messy with makeup and clothes strung everywhere, it WILL definitely show up in your photos. Having your space neat and tidied is a MUST if you hire a photographer who edits with this style.
True-to-color
Light and airy
2. Light + Airy
Light and airy photographers typically edit with bright, softer colors. Their photos will typically have muted greens, muted blues, the colors will be cool and desaturated. White, white, white looks great with this style of editing.
This style of editing is super popular with wedding photography and great for outdoor weddings with lots of trees and foliage in the background.
3. Dark and Moody
Dim, moody and dramatic editing is great for indoor weddings. Darker venues with color blocking or brick walls look really nice with this editing style! These photographers edit a little warmer, bring out earthy tones and can achieve a painterly look with their photos.
Dark and moody
Warm, Sepia Toned
4. Warm, Sepia Toned
- Muted tones, orange
This is trendy right now! Trendy is fun, but one thing to consider is that they will definitely age. In 30 years when you’re looking back at your wedding photos with your grandchildren, it might not be the style anymore.
Photographers who edit with muted warm tones also alter a lot of the natural colors in the photos, which can alter your perception of the day and how you remember it.
True to color
Dark and moody
Sepia-toned
Light and airy
POSED VERSUS CANDID
Another thing to consider when hiring a wedding photographer is how they pose their clients.
Most weddings will have a great mixture of both. This is something to look for primarily with the bride and groom portraits.
Posed
If you’ve perfected your smile and want to be told exactly what to do, look for a photographer who is more posed, tidy and orderly. These photographers are typically going to know exactly what to do with everybody part from your head to toe.
If you want to be told EXACTLY how to stand, these photographers are for you.
Candid
Candid photographers will be the ones who will give you a prompt and allow you guys to react. This will play more on the authenticity of your relationship. If you and your partner are goofy and silly, these photographers know how to bring that out of you and showcase that authentically. If you and your partner are super lovey-dovey, your photographer can lean into that and give you emotional, intimate prompts to bring that out of you. These types of photographers rely on you and your reactions and emotions to make the photos!
Posed.
Candid.
So how do I edit?
I love to edit true-to-color, vibrant and bold. I love that you can remember the day exactly as it was when looking at my photos, while still enhancing the beauty of the day.
I pay close attention to skin tones while making the colors look punchy and vibrant. Instead of using a preset, I’ve created my own, to ensure that every photo I edit is unique to my professional style.
Posing with both an even mix of posed and prompting candid photos is really important to me. I love having put-together, professionally-posed portraits to deliver to you after your wedding day. But I also love showcasing the authenticity in your relationships! I want you to laugh at each other and interact and showcase your real, authentic relationship just as it is!
