“Candid wedding photography” and “documentary style wedding photographer” are two searches appearing in my Google Ads account over and over again as of late. As a person legitimately trained more as a photojournalist than as an artist, I am here for that. I am naturally in-tuned to find those little moments that make big memories, and record them for you. I live for it.
What I am not here for, however, is 100% candid-only coverage.
Just like other wedding trends (ie: The FujiFilm Instax-only photographers from a few years back), I worry about not only how candid wedding photography will age, but also the sustainability of it. Here’s what I mean regarding a truly 100% candid wedding photography gallery:
1. THE ONUS FOR PHOTOS IS 100% ON THE PERSONALITY OF THE COUPLE AND GUESTS
When asking for 100% candid wedding photography, it is saying hands-off to the wedding photographer. This means no prompting, no posing, no interference. We become a fly on the wall, which means the responsibility on carrying the energy to sustain candid photography is on the people. I’ve worked with the public for a long time, and I can say with great confidence that in all my 41 years of life, I have met like five people who I feel have the personality and energy level to have fully candid wedding photography. Being able to be silly and fun-loving in front of a friend’s iPhone camera is significantly different than in front of a hired professional’s. Keep that in mind.
2. EXPECT LESS PHOTOS, NOT MORE
In my discussions with people who want candid wedding photography, there is a misconception that less posing will mean more photos, but that is simply not the case. Do you know how many photos a journalist needs to take to find “the one” that they will submit for publication or try to sell freelance. It’s a lot. This would be no different. Thinking that a photographer is just going to snap photos and then you will get all of them because they are all candids is not accurate. Someone seeking this would be disappointed with their final gallery, guaranteed.
3. FUTURE YOU WILL WISH FOR MORE
A big part of my marketing is that these photos are part of your legacy–they are your personal history. Wedding photos should never be booked because someone thinks they have to; it should always be because someone wants the memories safe and secure for future enjoyment. Wedding photography isn’t for social media, it is for you. Booking a style, like candid wedding photography, because of one square on Instagram defeats the purpose of my job. That one square is taken out of context, and I would sure be sad for your personal history to be missing important moments and memories because of it.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF YOU WANT CANDID WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
As with most things in wedding world, talk to your photographer. Express that you want a portion of portrait time to be solid candids only. Ask them about their posing–do they do strict posing (a la Gumby) or do they have posing techniques that are more fluid and allow for candid moments to happen. It would also be worth considering a second photographer as well, which would get another set of eyes looking for those raw, real moments.
Wedding photography, in nature, is editorial. There are certain things that couples should always want posed for a perfect shot so they have it for their lifetime. Thankfully, couples don’t need to choose; in my humble, 10+ years-in-the-industry opinion, couples can have both, and pretty seamlessly. That’s why this trend towards candid-only is moderately mind-boggling for me. Editorial photography and candid/documentary wedding photography are not mutually exclusive. They exist together to create a well-rounded, full-bodied gallery.
There is nothing wrong with candid wedding photography–it is a beautiful want that comes from an authentic place. It is the truest truth of your day and the feelings and memories it will always hold. There are ways to achieve it without sacrifice, however, and you deserve the best of both worlds with your wedding photography experience.
Kayla Lee is a Minnesota-based wedding and elopement photographer (and handcrafter and designer on the side). She serves elegant, authentic, sentimental couples who not only choose their own adventures, but also live them to the fullest! See more about the KLP Wedding Experience!
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