Everyone has someone in their family who perpetually has a camera attached to one hand. It doesn't matter the size or type of event, Uncle Lee or cousin Aaron is rapidly snapping images to capture the event, even if it is just the usual standard brunch.
Between the family amateurs and my former news co-workers, Mike and I have several guests who would jump at the chance to capture our wedding moments for prosperity. In fact, I have a feeling they will take on the position and become our personal paparazzi without having to ask them.
Which brings up the question -- why would we even consider hiring a photog with such a talent pool? Glad you asked. There were two main reasons why we decided to go with a photog and skip the family paparazzi.
Living the Moment vs. Capturing the Moment
There are many blog postings, forums and website articles dedicated to discussing the shift in our culture that modern technology has produced. In short, using phone or technology to capture the moment can actually pull you from the experience. A person only has so much attention and if you want the perfect picture or an amazing shot, you are pulling your attention that direction. Which leaves little attention for your family members to appreciate what's happening in front of the lens. They came to see you get married and that's what they should see. They were there in person, but they aren't experiencing in person.
Emotional Filters
I think the best example of this exists in the movie "Love Actually." There is a scene in which the character Juliet, played by Keira Knightley goes to the home of the best man, Mark (Andrew Lincoln) to ask to see his video because she wants "just one shot of me in a wedding dress that isn't bright turquoise." When she pops in the video, it takes just a few moments to realize that ALL of the video is of HER. As it turns out, Mark was in love with Juliet and that was transferred to the filter of his camera.
A less exaggerated example would be one of my friends who, when on vacation, takes a lot of
pictures of flowers and his food. He loves his macro capabilities on
his camera and that is what he loves to document. It's not the architecture or landscape for he doesn't see things through a wide lens
but rather up-close and in detail.
Family and friends have the same emotional filters. While they are there for your big day, they may view the event through different eyes and will have a slightly different focus when it comes to capturing the big day. It can be as small as following either just the bride or groom around to taking close-ups of the wildflower centerpieces.
Choosing a Photog
A photographer is there to work their craft and creatively capture your wedding day. They don't have an emotional filter or tie to the people in the pictures. They aren't there to experience your big day. They are there to capture it. Their position outside of the event and family circle gives them a wider lens to preserve the memories of those inside the moment.
That being said, there are a few key things to keep in mind when picking the photog:
Style
There are essentially three styles of wedding photography:
1) Formal or Traditional
These are color, posed photos of you and your partner, the family along with the typical shots of the cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss.
2) Photojournalistic
Your wedding is shot like a news event, capturing candid moments as they happen on a digital chip.
3) Artistic
The photog uses special effects to create a more dramatic photo. Often times, this may be in the editing process such as borders, tinting, over-exposure, etc.
Work
Do your homework when searching for a photog. Seek out recommendations from friends, family or even online. Many wedding websites have vendor reviews for those in your area. Visit the photogs website and look through their online gallery. However, note that these are often the polished or more artistic captures.
Personalities
This person will be following you around the ENTIRE day, capturing you in candid moments. It is vital to make sure you feel comfortable with the photog or else you will just feel stilted all day -- and that does transfer to the image.
Budget
I have heard it is important to go with a rockstar photog, even if this means adjusting your budget a bit. A rockstar photog can make any wedding look like the event of the century and any bride look glamorous. However, many "packages" include albums, certain amount of hours, etc. Go for the glam, but make sure you are getting what YOU NEED and not some predetermined package that is over-the-top in delivery and price.
In short, find out what matters to you -- be it budget or style -- and find the photog that fits your ideal.
The photog Mike and I choose provided clients with ALL
of the high-res digital photos. This was important to us for we want to
create our own scrapbook about the ENTIRE wedding event. We want to
include the DIY crafting, our history, the story of our rings, etc . . .
not just our big day. That was important to us and we found a photog
who we meshed with, would capture the moments and give them to us in
their entirety.
Happy hunting!
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