Documentary Wedding Photographer Liam Smith: Capturing Authentic Moments

Name: Liam Smith Photography
Price range: $$$

When it comes to choosing a wedding photographer, many couples find themselves faced with a myriad of styles and approaches. New keywords and buzzwords to try and navigate through, a whole new vocabulary to learn just to try and find a photographer who’s style they like! One such approach is documentary wedding photography, which aims to tell the story of your special day through authentic and unposed photographs. In this article, I will introduce you to my world as a documentary wedding photographer, discussing the benefits of the style and what to expect on your day.

What is Documentary Wedding Photography?

Documentary wedding photography, also known as reportage or photojournalistic wedding photography, is a style that focuses on capturing the real emotions and events of your wedding day. I take on an unobtrusive role, blending into the day, talking and interacting with guests like a normal human being, but allowing the day to unfold naturally. This approach results in a series of genuine, candid moments that truly reflect the essence of your celebration.

The essence of documentary style storytelling is producing a series of images that form a cohesive narrative. When you look back at your photographs their should be consistency in the style of the photographs but also a consistency in the subject matter. My work for example focusses more on raw emotion than anything else, so whether the moment is happy or sad, there is a consistent through line of people expressing emotions. This may be through the actions on their faces or what they do with their hands, but my intention is for the emotion to be clear and impactful immediately upon viewing.

Technical Excellence and Emotive Storytelling

The Essence of Documentary Wedding Photography

Authenticity: As a documentary wedding photographer I prioritize capturing authentic emotions, interactions, and moments that occur throughout the day. This approach ensures that your wedding album will be filled with genuine memories of events that you know actually happened and weren’t staged or recreated for the sake of a photograph.

Storytelling: As a documentary wedding photographer my goal is to tell the story of your wedding day. I capture the day’s events in a chronological order, resulting in a cohesive visual narrative that creates a journey of images. Storytelling is a real art and takes a considerable amount of time, consideration and experience to do effectively. It’s why I choose to deliver a slideshow to my clients, it gives me much greater creative control over how the audience experiences the pictures. A combination of movement, sound and the interplay of close ups, wide angles and emotive images create a genuine spectacle.

Unobtrusive: Unlike traditional wedding photographers who may direct and pose their subjects, I take a more discreet approach. I blend in with the guests and observe the day as it unfolds, ensuring that my presence doesn’t distract from the natural flow of events. The result is a series of images taken from the perspective of a guest. The images are immersive and give you the perspective of someone who was actually at your event, not on the outside looking in.

Benefits of Hiring a Documentary Wedding Photographer

Emotion-filled Images

Documentary wedding photographs capture raw emotions. By allowing the day to unfold naturally, I can capture the real joy, laughter, and tears that are missed in posed photographs. Not to worry, I do still take posed family photographs, they are often another opportunity for capturing ‘in-between’ moments!

No Stress or Interruptions

Since documentary wedding photography doesn’t interfere with the day’s events, you can enjoy your wedding without any added stress or interruptions. This approach allows you and your guests to be fully present in the moment, creating a more enjoyable experience for all.

How to Choose the Right Documentary Wedding Photographer

Review Their Portfolio

A photographer’s portfolio is a great indicator of their style and expertise. Look for a documentary wedding photographer with a strong portfolio that showcases their ability to capture candid moments, emotions, and storytelling. The images should be immersive, as if you were actually at the event. If you find yourself looking at a complete strangers wedding and are smiling along with the pictures, you’re on to a good one!

Consider Their Experience

Experience is an important factor when choosing a documentary wedding photographer. An experienced photographer will have honed their skills, developed their own unique approach, and have a proven track record of delivering high-quality images. The best way to ascertain their ability in this regard is firstly to check for Google reviews, that’s a good place to start. Then look at their examples of real weddings. It’s actually fairly simple to get a handful of good pictures from a wedding, what you want to be looking for is consistently very high quality composition across a variety of seasons, in different weather and in different types of venue. If the work is equally excellent in a dimly lit barn as it is on a bright summers outdoor ceremony, then you know they’ve got the skills and experience to deal with pretty much anything.

Meet and Communicate

It’s essential to establish a strong rapport with your wedding photographer. Schedule a meeting or a video call to discuss your vision and expectations for your wedding day. This will help you ensure that your chosen photographer is the right fit for your needs. Not only will this give you an opportunity to ask all the questions you have, but it’s also the only real way you’ll know if your personalities match. This is important and is often overlooked. Your photographer will be with you when you are laughing, crying and cutting rad shapes on the dance floor, if you don’t feel comfortable around them, you’ll never relax and it will show in the pictures. Make sure you do a vibe check, so you know you’re on the same page.

Conclusion

Documentary wedding photography is a unique and authentic approach to capturing the magic and crazy chaos that is a wedding day. By prioritizing genuine emotions, storytelling, and unobtrusive techniques, documentary wedding photographers create timeless memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. When selecting the perfect photographer, be sure to review their portfolio, consider their experience, and establish a strong rapport through in person or video communication. With the right documentary wedding photographer by your side, you can relive the joy, laughter, and tears of your wedding day through their stunning visual narrative.