BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALISM

The modern-day wedding photographer is a completely new breed of photographer. Not too many years ago, wedding photographers used to be known as “weekend warriors,” being wedding photographers only on wedding days and working at another full-time job for the rest of the week. The status of the wedding photographer among other photographers and with the public in general was very low. They were often insufficiently equipped to provide first-rate photographs of the wedding and almost everything was photographed with straight (on-camera) flash. Not only was their photographic technique suspect, so were their business practices. The phrase, “fly by night” often described the struggling weekend warrior.

Of course, there existed the reputable studio photographers who also offered expert wedding coverage, but it was markedly different than the wedding coverage one sees today. These photos, ninety percent of them anyway, were posed and if they weren’t posed, the people in the photos were aware of the presence of the photographer and often “mugged” for the camera.

In 1981 an organization was formed (coincidentally, an organization I currently work for) to upgrade the techniques and business practices of the wedding photographer. WPI, Wedding Photographers International, as it was known then, brought together these photographers for an annual convention, which provided excellent networking opportunities and speakers from all over the world to educate them on the art and technique of wedding photography. It was an organization that came along at the right time as it was instantly accepted and gave a home and status never experienced before by the disenfranchised weekend wedding photographers.

WPI, and subsequently WPPI (portrait photographers were added to the organization’s fold) was a turning point in the evolution of wedding photography. Another was the emergence of a former sports photographer named Denis Reggie, who proclaimed himself a wedding photojournalist. Like WPI, Reggie’s words and images were well received by photographers and brides both. He was like a breath of fresh air, instantly giving this brand of photography credibility and salability and gradually enhancing the status of those whom practiced this unique brand of documentary photography. Reggie’s theme was and is to provide brides with their own unique and personal story, not a generic version of someone else’s wedding.

The 35mm format has revolutionized wedding photography. In this image by Mike Colón, the eye and reflexes of a sports photographer helped capture this bride in the midst of a joyous moment, dress in full swirl and ribbons flying. This is an image that would be almost impossible to capture without the flexibility of 35mm.

Regardless of whether a photographer shoots weddings digitally or with film, the impact of Adobe Photoshop has also permanently changed the style of wedding imagery. The photographer in the comfort of his home or studio can now routinely accomplish special effects that could only be achieved by the trained darkroom technician in years past. Photoshop and its many plug-ins has made wedding photography the most creative venue in all of photography. And brides love it. Digital albums, assembled with desktop publishing hardware and software, are quickly becoming the preferred album type of brides and the style and uniqueness these albums bring to the wedding experience make every bride and groom a celebrity.

Today’s wedding photojournalism is as much about style and mood as it is about capturing an image with technical perfection. This image by Jerry D might have been deemed unacceptable to the bride and groom only a few years ago. Spotty lighting and slight subject movement only serve to enhance a spur of the moment portrait such as this, which captures eloquently the love between husband and wife.

There is no doubt that times have changed and there is no doubt that they will change again. But for now, the wedding photojournalist is among the highest paid and most well respected photographers on earth. And the incredible images these photographers are producing have permanently changed the face of wedding photography forever.

This award-winning image by Dennis Orchard is entitled, “My Boys” and it reveals the pride and love a mother has for her two sons. The image is a wonderful example of a photojournalist at work—the subjects unaware of the photographer and the emotion of the scene preserved for all time. Dennis captured the scene at the peak of its action with a relatively slow shutter speed when the subjects were relatively still. Look, however, at the motion in the background.