The “father” of photojournalistic wedding photography, Denis Reggie, nailed the silly history of trends in wedding photography in a recent FB post.
Denis has always been an inspiration for me, and was one of the photographers who showed me that wedding photography was more than just:
“Entire wedding apparently occurs in front of a painted blue canvas backdrop as seen through a softening filter”
or, the outdated double exposures of the Bride and Groom super-imposed in the brandy snifter, or
“father-daughter dance presented with subjects actually superimposed atop the sheet of music from that very tune.”
Somehow Mr. Reggie nails the ongoing trends exactly that have occurred throughout the decades.
I’m guilty myself of falling into some of the traps:
“…head to the streets to stage wedding parties walking in line then jumping simultaneously… some wearing comedic glasses and noses”
(although I haven’t had any with the comedic glasses and noses…)
and the now dated:
“Under the guise of creating art, countless wedding scenes somehow return mostly to black-and-white… except for that colorful bouquet or maybe the bride’s vivid red lips…”
All kidding aside, one of the points Denis makes is uncannily accurate:
“2005: Use of phrase and promise of “wedding photojournalism” on photographers’ websites reaches all-time high. Actual practice of true documentary wedding photography of authentic moments reaches all-time low…“
and
“2006: Death of “capturing the moment” with birth of the digital illusion. Need to become a real photographer seemingly ends with continued explosion of Photoshop® disguising techniques: merged images/moments, Liquify tool body changes, grass turning electric green, skies profoundly blue… and, of course, with each corner and edge of images growing very, dark. With special thanks to widespread excess use of Photoshop®, wedding photography industry transformed from PHOTOgraphic to photoGRAPHIC art. “
I’m committing myself to the following pledge: No matter what the current trend, I will always be true to the documentary style that I know and love. I will always photograph the wedding or commitment day for every one of my clients – as I have been trained to do through my career as a news photographer. I will always provide emotion filled, storytelling, accurate documentary images of the day for the happy couples.
Maybe I’ll start a trend?
Nawwww! There’s more silliness in the wedding photography industry to ensue, I’m sure.
“2012: Wedding photography replaced by fashion photography of the couple in places – and in poses – that have absolutely nothing to do with their real personalities or their wedding.”
