3 Most Popular Wedding Photography Styles To Choose From

Photography is no doubt the most crucial aspect of any wedding. This is a once a lifetime event & the only way to treasure it is by capturing the precious moments from a highly, experienced professional wedding photographer. There are different wedding photography styles to choose from for couples, so it’s essential that you’re familiar with them before commissioning a wedding photographer in Birmingham. Let’s talk about the different wedding photography styles a bit elaborately.

Reportage Wedding Photography:

Also known as documentary wedding photography, reportage wedding photography is preferred by many couples out there. If you’re after spontaneous, one of a kind, uncoerced  and  story-telling photography, then reportage wedding photography is perfect for you.

In this form of photography, the photographers blend with the guests & shoot the moments as they unveil. There is very little portraits and planned poses done as pictures are captured in a candid & natural way. A photojournalist who’s able to tell a story from the images he captures depends on his or her experience, awareness, intuitiveness and artistic eye in capturing precious & emotional moments.

If you’re one of those couples who don’t like posing for photos, then visiting the showrooms of reportage/documentary wedding photographers should be your focus.

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Fashion Wedding Photography:

You must have seen those wedding images that whirl around the brides wedding gown, stage the bride or couple in some urban or industrial-like background, and other fashion magazine-like imagery! Well, that’s what we call the fashion wedding photography style. This form of photography emphasizes more on the outfit of the couples. It involves the handling of lights by the photographer to produce a more significant presentation of the photographs. This type of photography is perfect for a bridal & engagement session where the photographer needs to be more involved & there’s more set-up to capture the attire of the couple.

The best thing about this form of photography is that pictures are visually beautiful & high class if the photographer is good at posing and lighting. Just like the ones you have seen on the cover of a fashion magazine. The negative side to this style is that the photos eventually can look dated.  Styles change, fashion trends change, as does fashion photography.  Take, for example, how professional models have posed over the years, how they wear their make-up, how much or little clothing they wear, etc.  If you look back over the last fifty years, there are remarkable changes and shifts in style, not only in the clothing but how the photographer photographs the models.

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Editorial “Hybrid” Wedding Photography:

This form of photography is an attempt to merge both the styles of the reportage and fashion-style photographers. The photographers who do this sort of photography are ultra-concerned with providing realistic looking imagery, but only do so by setting up the scene and the action. The settings chosen are idealistic and perfect in comparison to the limitations a reportage photographer might encounter. For example, when the bride is putting on her dress, the documentary photographer simply photographs the moment without directing or moving the bride to a better location.  An editorial style photographer would not only direct the bride toward a nicer area, like a picturesque window, but would move any clutter and distracting items from the composition, as well as set up additional lighting to give it a fashion-like feel. The mood, lighting, scene and pose needed for this sort of photography is always controlled by the photographer and will happen throughout the day.  Even for some of the ceremonial happenings, like the kiss or candle lighting ceremony. If during the ceremony, the editorial photographer is not satisfied with the images that happened in real time, he might ask the couple to re-create these events after the ceremony for the perfect photo. Couples who are attracted to wanting perfection in their images will be drawn to this style of photographer.  The images produced by this form of photography are visually eye-catching & tend to be more inventive than a typical photojournalistic photography.

The down side to the editorial-style image is that the resulting photos will lack the truth behind the real and spontaneous imagery of the reportage photographer because every image is a recreation and reinterpretation of what happened.  The images lose the honesty and truth captured historically. This may seem like an unimportant concern if all you want are pretty photos! But consider your perspective ten or twenty or fifty years from now. Documentary or reportage-style photos will always endure nostalgically because connected to them is the real history of the moment. Emotions photographed spontaneously, rather than coerced, will make the couple relive those feelings as if they were carried back in time to when the image was captured. How important will this be to you is for you to decide. Thinking into the future, though, might help sway your decision for the kind of photographer you decide upon for your wedding day!

Are you looking for a professional documentary wedding photographer in Birmingham and metro Detroit or anywhere in Michigan? If yes, then look no further than Ray Anthony Photography. Your wedding day is filled with stories, and we make sure these remain fresh and intact forever.  Visit our downtown Birmingham, Michigan boutique photography studio for consultation and loads of insightful advice for your wedding needs. Or email your query us at INFO@RAYANTHONYWEDDINGS.COM. For more information stay social with us Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.

Why Does Documentary Wedding Photography Matter a Lot?

Photography has long been the visual medium for documenting our lives. The advent of the digital camera and the integration of the camera into our mobile phone has completely changed the landscape of how we use photography and our relationship with photography. The question arises that “if we all have cameras, then do we need a professional wedding photographer, especially a documentary wedding photographer in Michigan? Why not assign a selection of family and friends to capture the event as it unfolds? Or why not, at least, just hire someone from Craigslist or find someone from the local community college who is studying photography?  Surely, that would be the cheapest way to go!

The old adage: “You get what you paid for” is a truism to be heeded. The difference is truly in the skill level, the experience level, and the degree of passion the photographer possesses. Clearly, in a close examination of the artistic and technical fortitude between the novice, less experienced, less passionate photographer compared to the experienced and passionate professional is immense. Do you want masterful, powerful, thorough images that capture the essence of the day, tell the story of your wedding, highlight memorable and truthful imagery of your ceremony and reception, and capture the love you share with your partner and your family and friends? Or will you be happy with, at best, a collection of photographs that lack the skill level of a professional and are mostly bland, lack passion, emotion and creativity? In fact, a lot of professional wedding photographers will tell you that they provide documentary coverage.  Here lies yet another consideration: there is a difference between those photographers who include “some” documentary coverage, and those photographers who make it their complete focus for the day! Maybe it’s not important to have your wedding photographed by a specialist in documentary wedding photography.  If so, at least look for a professional whose style you love, who has a proven history of photographing weddings and has many happy clients in his/her portfolio.  But if your desire is for truly unobtrusive, authentic, creative, truthful and unsurpassed excellence from a documentary wedding photographer, find one who specializes in this approach and does so with passion!


Why Choosing Documentary Style Of Wedding Photography Makes Sense -

There are a handful of photography styles to choose from when considering who to commission as your professional wedding photographer. You can hire a Michigan wedding photographer who is a “jack of all trades” so to speak and provides a variety of styles in his approach:  classic, candid and artistic portraiture throughout the day. The wedding photojournalist, however, concentrates specifically on documentary coverage from the moment he/she arrives until the moment he/she leaves at the end of the evening. The one photographer focuses on making sure his photographs are posed correctly, staged to enhance his artistic interpretation, and technically sound.  The documentary photographer is mostly concerned with letting the true story unfold naturally. Depending on his skill level, to find angles and the best light to capture images without interfering or re-interpreting. Here are some of the best reasons you should understand when hiring a documentary wedding photographer in Michigan:

Minimal Disruptive -

Sometimes a wedding photographer in Michigan will take over a bit! You may find yourself waiting a long time for them to get set up and take the perfect shot. They are re-creating a moment that happened, or inventing and creating a stylized portrait.  To do so, they often need extra assistants and carry extra lighting equipment every where they go. It’s the bride, groom, wedding party and guests who must be patient and endure the photographer’s requirement to take the time for setting up. A documentary photographer is very much the opposite. The documentary photographer is always proactive, prepared and in the background of the scene, using his skill and creativity to capture the moment in a way that is usually unnoticeable and unobtrusive to you and your guests.  

Natural -

When a photograph is made that was staged, you will always know this when you look back and reminisce.  You won’t have any real or emotional memory attached with these photographs. However, a documentary photograph that is truthful to the real moment captured evokes emotions and is powerful! When you view or share these images in the future, the essence of the moment is preserved.  You will have no choice but to re-live and feel the emotions you felt whenever you see the cherished image.

Realistic -

Though a wedding is a expensive, detailed and elaborate, there is a lot involved in making it happen.  Months and months of planning and multiple family and friends are involved! With commissioning a Michigan documentary wedding photographer, you will ensure that all the important moments are captured, imagery that includes your loved ones as they are, and all the details that you dreamt prior to the wedding, now captured in reality. No matter whether it’s big or small event, all the behind the scenes moments and people that make it an unforgettable day will be remembered and cherished forever because your documentary photographer understands, like no other, how to document your day through photographs!

Conclusion -

It’s obvious that a wedding day is filled with stories – stories about the love you share with family, friends and someone special. Ray Anthony Photography will create a collection of documentary style photographs that capture the stories of your love, affection, emotion for your family, friends each time you look at them. Consider hiring a Michigan documentary wedding photographer at Ray Anthony Photography and be sure of commissioning Ray or one of his associates who all share a love and passion for documentary wedding photography!

To schedule an appointment with one of our documentary wedding photographers in Michigan, feel free to contact us over the phone or through Skype or Facetime!

5 Amazing Facts You Should Know About Documentary Wedding Photography Studio in Michigan

Your Michigan wedding is much more than just a grand affair…it also is a special event perfect for capturing lifetime memories! You may have daydreamed – thinking about the gorgeous wedding dress, the flower bouquet and arrangements, the first dance, the enthusiasm of your friends and family, the magnificently decorated reception and wedding venue, and the professional wedding photography studio in Michigan that you commission to expertly photograph the lovely documentary moments of the day!

It is needless to say, how crucial a professional wedding photography studio in Michigan is for securing the capture of these moments of your special day, guaranteeing the finest quality of photographs.  To photograph everlasting memories of your Michigan wedding, you should never consider anyone less than a photography studio who’s expertise and professional experienceenables him to capture your unique emotions and typical expressions with great attention, precision and amazing technical skill. The services of your Michigan wedding photography studio goes far beyond providing expensive digital cameras on your wedding day. A seasoned and professional Michigan wedding photography studio offers countless hours of experience in photographing weddings. These photographers know how to get the perfect shot of your wedding in Michigan. With their knowledge of finding the proper lighting and angles, exposing and lighting the image properly, and to do so under pressure to deliver perfection with skillfulness and exactness, you can be sure of getting fantastic photographs on the most important day of your life! It is never just the camera that ensures your photos will be great, impactful and at a high artistic level, but the man or woman behind the camera who is operating it and makes adjustments so that his photographs meet and exceed your expectations! So, if you desire to have exceptional wedding photographs of you and your bride or groom that expertly captures your love and emotions, or of your family and friends enjoying the day  with unspeakable emotions, then you can must certainly should only consider commissioning a seasoned wedding photographer with a professional documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan.

How Different does It Feels to be photographed by a Documentary Wedding Photography Studio in Michigan?

A photographer from a documentary wedding photography studio has a different mindset than most other photographers who differ in style. The images a documentary wedding photographer captures are natural, uncontrived and candid. It is the perfect style for capturing raw emotions and expressions of your Michigan wedding. The documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan is completely focused on capturing nothing less than genuine moments. They stay away from any kind of customary poses, other than the standard family formal portraits on the ceremony later.  

5 Amazing Things To Know About Documentary Wedding Photography –

  • When you choose a documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan, you will find the photographer to close to you and the wedding day action. From the start to the end of the wedding day, he or she will become your eyes, constantly on the lookout for spontaneous moments that are natural and without causing a distraction in your interactions.
  • The real advantage of commissioning a documentary wedding photography studio is that you will always connect your memory and feelings, even minor details that might have gone unnoticed otherwise because they will forever be preserved in photographs.
  • The photographer maintains a photojournalistic approach throughout the day so that all of the special moments of your Michigan wedding are natural and spontaneous.
  • The documentary wedding photography studio uses both black and white and color processing of the photographs, providing a timeless appeal. The moments are of real history and nostalgia becomes embedded in the photo forever.
  • Your treasured moments of your wedding in Michigan can only be showcased accurately and filled with emotion when there is a documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan that is dedicated to you for the entirety of the day.

Documentary wedding photographs should be candid and never recreated or posed for the purpose of authenticity.  Your wedding moments are sweet, special and unique to your emotions that will overflow on that day. Ray Anthony Photography is a dedicated documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan looking to provide the art of photojournalism to your Michigan wedding in a seamless manner. In fact, there are only a few you can find who provide such a dedication to this approach! To commission this documentary wedding photography studio in Michigan, Ray Anthony Photography can be contacted via INFO@RAYANTHONYWEDDINGS.COM today!

Things To Know About Documentary Wedding Photography

Your wedding will be one of the most special moments in your life. You’ve possibly replayed it in your mind up to a thousand times – the glittering wedding dress, the attention to detail, the delicious fragrance of food, the excitement of your family and friends, the music on the dance floor, the gorgeous reception venue and ceremony location, and the excellent photography to capture the memories of the day!

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It goes without saying, how important wedding photography is. These days, with the “art” of wedding photography being at its pinnacle in the history of photography due to the digital camera, you will have a choice to make as you consider the various styles that wedding photographers offer. Do you want classic wedding photography that is mostly posed and recreated? Or do you prefer more authentic photos that are documentary in style where the photographer blends into the background with your guests? Gone are the days when wedding photographer is so conservative that he literally counts the number of “clicks” on his camera for fear of running out of film! Because of this limitation, wedding photographers before the digital era were mostly portrait in style. In modern times, wedding photographers can go to the opposite extreme! Because they don’t worry anymore about running out of film, they almost mindlessly photograph anything and everything, hoping for a few good images! The best of the best, however, shoot with a high degree of precision and care, and deliver one amazing photograph after the next! This is where documentary or reportage wedding photography comes into the limelight!

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What Is Reportage Wedding Photography: –

Reportage or photojournalistic wedding photography is discreet, unobtrusive and candid. It’s particularly suited for couples who want the authentic emotion and feeling of the special wedding day captured on camera. In short and simple words, the documentary wedding photographer will photograph the wedding day as it unfolds naturally with little to no intervention.

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Things To Know About Reportage Wedding Photography

  • Upon choosing a boutique wedding photographer in Birmingham, it is important to understand how he/she goes about finding documentary photographs during the wedding day. Their approach is to begin early in the day so that you can get used to having a photographer in the room with you. At first it may feel strange, but you will quickly “tune” them out of your mind as you are distracted by the excitement of the day and your family and friends. When this happens, your documentary photographer will capture natural photographs of your once-in-a-lifetime wedding day.

  • The important challenge within documentary wedding photography includes capturing the little events – all the things often go unnoticed or are left out by other styles of photography. It’s a shame because its these photographs that show the real enchantment of a wedding day. If you want spontaneous and natural photos, then commissioning a photographer who specializes in a documentary approach is essential.

  • Reportage style photographs work very well in black and white – no doubt the timeless look will surely compliment captured moments and convert them into something very special. Another reason why documentary images are often made black and white is to emphasize the importance of the moment, especially when the colors in the scene become a distraction. That doesn’t mean that color images are not acceptable for documentary photographs. It’s often a subjective decision.

  • Remember that the photos of your wedding day will last a lifetime and you’ll want to show your children and grandchildren the story of your actual day – not a sequence of formally posed portraits without any intimacy and warmth. It might cost you a bit more than a conventional wedding photographer; but when it comes to preserving your memories of the best day of your life, it will be well worth the cost!

Conclusion

Documentary photographs are candid or spontaneous pictures of people and décor that are not posed or recreated moments by the photographer. The moments are real and historical, unique to only your day! Ray Anthony Photography is known specifically as the premier documentary-style and boutique wedding photography studio in Michigan,

For more information about our boutique photography studio in Birmingham, get in touch with us today and feel free to browse through our website for more complete information!

Looking for a Michigan Wedding Photographer? Here are the Top 3 Reasons to Choose Us

Your wedding day is undeniably one of the most important days of your life. Your family members come in town from many different places. Your best friends stand by your side as you say your vows. And most importantly, you give your heart and devote your life to your one true love. So shouldn’t your wedding day be forever remembered in beautiful photography? At Ray Anthony Photography, we strive to create lasting memories of your wedding day through stunning photos. Why choose us for wedding photography Michigan? Read on to learn the top three reasons.

 


  1. We want to meet you way before your big day to make sure we capture everything you envision. Long before you say “I do” to your spouse, we want you to say “I do” to all we have to offer! That’s why we invite all of our potential clients to come visit us at our studio in downtown Birmingham, Michigan for a personal consultation. We’ll show you many of the wedding albums we’ve done, as well as talk to you about your vision for your wedding and how we can help you achieve it. Can’t meet in person? No problem. We’re happy to meet you over the phone, on Skype or via FaceTime.

  1. We give you unlimited wedding coverage. And when we say “unlimited,” we truly mean it. We are willing to be there from the moment you wake up on your wedding day to the moment you run out the door at midnight to your horse-drawn carriage. Your photos should capture it all, so we’ll be there for everything.

  1. We’re newlyweds ourselves! Our names are Ray Anthony and Beth Ann Iavasile, and we’re the husband and wife team behind Ray Anthony Photography. We just got married in December 2014, so we’re well aware of everything you’re going through as you plan your wedding day. We’ve combined our strengths to bring you Ray’s love for documentary style wedding photography as well as Beth’s unique creative talents that have been nurtured after years of working with Hollywood celebrities. There’s nothing we can’t achieve together!

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    So what do you think? Will you take our hand in this partnership? We’d be thrilled to help you tie the knot with photography.

We promise you that the photographs we capture will be looked back to again and again over the years and make you feel the love, joy and happiness you felt on your wedding day. When you think of best wedding photographers in Michigan, we hope you’ll think of Ray Anthony Photography.

To get in touch with us, call us at 866- 867-6733 or email us at info@rayanthonyweddings.com. We look forward to hearing from you!