Chapter 10: Developing a Creative Wedding Photography Style
Creating a distinctive photography style is important for you as a professional wedding photographer. It defines your brand, attracts the right clients, and will set you apart from your rivals in a competitive market. By experimenting with techniques, refining post-processing, and consistently applying your preferred aesthetic, you can develop a signature style that reflects your creative vision.
Whether you lean towards light and airy, dark, and moody, or a documentary approach, your style will become a key factor in your success and client satisfaction.
A unique photography style helps define your brand. When potential clients see consistent work that resonates with their vision, they are more likely to connect with your brand and book their services.
Couples often look for photographers whose style aligns with their preferences. By developing a recognizable style, you attract clients who are specifically drawn to your aesthetic, which leads to more satisfied customers and referrals.
Having a defined style ensures that your work is consistent across different weddings. Clients will have a clear idea of what to expect from your portfolio, ensuring that you meet their expectations.
The wedding photography industry is competitive, and having a unique style sets you apart from other photographers. A distinct style gives you a niche and makes your work easily identifiable, allowing you to rise above the competition.
Creating a photography style requires introspection, practice, and experimentation. Here are some steps to help develop your unique style:
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Evaluate Your Preferences
Reflect on the types of images that you enjoy creating the most. Do you prefer bright, airy scenes or dramatic, moody lighting? Determine what draws you to certain images, such as the emotion, lighting, colour palette, or composition.
Look at the work of photographers you admire and identify patterns in the types of photos that appeal to you. This will help you find your stylistic inclinations.
Experiment with Techniques
Try different techniques, such as shooting with various focal lengths, using natural versus artificial light, experimenting with exposure, and using different editing approaches.
Over time, you will develop an instinct for the types of shots and editing choices that you consistently gravitate toward. This experimentation will help solidify your style.
Be Consistent in Post-Processing
Consistency in post-production is key to creating a recognizable style. For example, if you lean toward warm, vibrant colours, apply this colour palette across all your work. Using the same editing techniques, such as contrast adjustments, saturation levels, or film-like effects, will give your portfolio a cohesive look.
Develop or purchase custom presets that reflect your editing style and use them as the foundation for your edits.
Incorporate Storytelling
Your style can be more than just technical—it can also reflect how you capture the emotions and moments of a wedding day. Are your photos more candid, focusing on raw moments, or are they more posed and polished?
Think about how you frame your images to tell a story, whether it is emphasising emotional moments or focusing on intricate details of the wedding.
Create a Signature Look
Pay attention to how you approach lighting, composition, posing, and framing. You may want to develop a signature pose for couples, or a particular way of capturing light (e.g., always including a sun flare in your outdoor shots).
As your style evolves, ensure it is applied consistently throughout your work, so that clients can easily recognise your unique touch.
Light and Airy Wedding Photography Style
This style is known for its soft, bright, and ethereal look. Images have high exposure, soft lighting, and often feature pastel or neutral colour palettes.
Who It Appeals To
Couples who want romantic, whimsical, and fairy-tale-like images.
Example
A bride and groom in a sunlit field, with soft whites and pastel flowers, with a dreamy, light background.
Dark and Moody Wedding Photography Style
This style uses deep shadows, high contrast, and rich moody tones. It often evokes drama and emotion, with an emphasis on dark colour schemes.
Who It Appeals To
Couples looking for artistic, cinematic, and emotional storytelling.
Example
A couple sharing an intimate moment under string lights at dusk, with dramatic shadows and deep, rich colours enhancing the mood.
Candid/Documentary Wedding Photography Style
This style focuses on capturing real, unposed moments as they naturally unfold. It often prioritises emotions and storytelling over perfectly composed shots.
Who It Appeals To
Couples who want authentic, unscripted images that document the genuine emotions and moments of their wedding day.
Example
A groom wiping a tear during the ceremony or a joyful candid of the couple laughing during their first dance.
Fine Art Wedding Photography Style
This style is polished and refined, often resembling editorial or magazine-style images. It emphasizes composition, details, and aesthetics, creating elegant, timeless photos.
Who It Appeals To
Couples who desire artistic, styled images with a focus on beauty and elegance.
Example
A perfectly posed bride in a luxurious dress against a carefully styled backdrop, with attention to the smallest details, such as the lace on her veil.
Classic/Traditional Wedding Photography Style
Traditional wedding photography focuses on timeless, posed portraits, group photos, and key moments. This style is elegant, straightforward, and formal.
Who It Appeals To
Couples who want classic, formal portraits of themselves and their families, with a focus on traditional compositions.
Example
The bride and groom are posed at the altar with their families, with clean lines and symmetry in the composition.
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