One of the most important questions you’ll have to answer besides who you should hire as our wedding photographer is what style of wedding photography you want for your celebration. Tip from a wedding photographer: I would actually encourage you to decide on your wedding photography style first before you reach out to potential photographers.
If you’ve found your way here, it likely means you’re considering documentary-style fine art wedding photography as your chosen style — but perhaps you’re not entirely sure what this style entails. If that’s the case, you’re in the right place to find answers.
As a traveling wedding photographer, I want you to find the style of wedding photography that best aligns with your wedding vision and that you love.
Let’s dive into more about documentary-style fine art wedding photography so you can decide if it’s the perfect photography style for you.
What is Documentary-Style Fine Art Wedding Photography?
This style combines the candid nature of documentary-style photography with the tastefulness of fine art. At its essence, documentary-style fine art wedding photography is about capturing raw and authentic moments on your wedding day and transforming them into art.
Also, this style of photography is dedicated to storytelling and embracing imperfections.
My wedding photography style is documentary with a fine art flair, but I incorporate many different elements into my photos. Your photos will have a bit of a modern and cinematic feel, but they will still tell the authentic story of your day.
Alongside the word photographer, I also classify myself as an artist. Because I first learned this art through film and then refined it with documentary work, my style is a careful balance of candid techniques and fine art influences.
When we work together, you’ll receive a wedding gallery of stunning documentary-style photos that truly capture the essence of being in that moment, as well as images that feel like beautiful and dynamic masterpieces.
The core of my work is about creating photographs that make you feel so connected to the moment that you start to miss it and crave it (because the images are just that immersive). The result is a mosaic of your life that reminds you and your partner of your best memories together.
Why You Should Hire a Documentary-Style Fine Art Wedding Photographer
There are sooo many great reasons to hire a documentary-style fine art documentary photographer, but here are my top reasons to work with one for your wedding:
You want to embrace the authenticity and artistry of your wedding day
This style of photography promises that every authentic, raw moment is captured and preserved in your images.
You won’t have a gallery full of forced smiles or staged poses; rather, your images will reflect your personality and love story in a real, genuine way. You and your partner will look at your photos and both say, “That is so us.”
Your photos will tell a story
At the core of my work, I’m continually inspired by the stories passed down, the real folklore of our lives. Contributing to these stories is what I love most.
If you want your wedding photos to feel like you’re reliving your wedding day over and over and to recall exactly how your day unfolded, then this is the style for you.
Rather than having a gallery and being reminded of everything your photographer had told you to do, your photos will be the most intimate, beautiful moments of your day and remind you of exactly how it felt to be in the moment.
You will be fully present on your wedding day
One of the best things about this style of photography is that it allows you to be fully present in the moment and be your authentic self, whether that is silly, adventurous, witty, passionate, extraverted, introverted or anything in between. Simply, yourself.
You’ll get to look back at your album and see parts of your wedding that you didn’t even know happened because your photographer will be there to capture all of the little, meaningful moments in between while you weren’t looking.
Also, you won’t have to worry about being posed all the time — especially if posing makes you feel awkward or uncomfortable. How many times have you been posed for photos and told to smile but then felt like the photos you actually received back didn’t feel “like you.”
Perhaps the photos felt a bit stiff or you didn’t like the angle or pose that you were directed to do. With this style of photography, you don’t have to worry about any of that happening. And with a photographer who has a fine-art element, when it comes to portraits, your photographer can also easily pose you and help family photos go by in a flash.
This isn’t to say that your wedding album won’t have any formal, posed photos taken throughout the day — that’s entirely up to you and your partner if that’s something you want to include… or not. But, the majority of your photos will be unposed and in the moment.
You want a photographer who is unobtrusive and blends into the background
The great thing about this style of photography is that your photographer will be like a “fly on the wall.”
We will naturally blend into the background and not interrupt the flow of events on your wedding day. You won’t have to add dedicated time to your wedding timeline to capture photos—unless you want to.
Everything works together seamlessly, and you can enjoy the unexpected, fleeting moments that your photographer captures. Something else to know – this style of photography isn’t about capturing a bunch of random moments.
Rather, you’ll have a wedding gallery where your photographer is carefully observing what is unfolding around them and capturing the best moments of your day.
Is Documentary-Style Fine Art Wedding Photography for You?
I know that there are many different wedding photography styles you could choose from. My hope is that this guide gave you a clearer picture (pun intended) of what documentary-style fine art wedding photography is and whether it’s the style you want for your wedding.
And…if you love this post and you want the perfect documentary-style fine art wedding photographer to capture your celebration and help bring your vision to life, reach out here. I’m all about capturing breathtaking images unique to you and your story. You can learn more about the Fatima Izzat Photography experience here!
Check out these posts next:
