You know the differences between restaurants in your area after living there for a couple of years.  Someone might ask about a good mexican place for dinner, and your answer would reveal what matters to you.  For me it’s a mixture of the type of food they serve, the quality of the food, and the dining experience.  I know a few restaurants where the food is amazing but the customer service is non-existent or pretty poor, and that alone keeps me from going there.  Some people have very specific food preferences and that alone drives their decision where to dine out.  I don’t love places that feel snobby or too cool, so the experience matters a lot to me.  This is so much like looking for a wedding photographer.  All wedding photographers have a particular style, whether they know it or not, and it’s helpful to know what you’re looking for in order to make your decision.  And, just like a restaurant, wedding photographer’s style refers not only to the final images but the entire experience the business provides.

There are three major components in understanding wedding photography styles: the specific shooting style, the editing style, and the photographer’s style in relating with the clients.  The shooting style refers to the type of images that are made and how they are made.  There are whole books written on this, but to give you a brief idea think about the angles a photograph can be taken, the use of light and shadows in a shot, how blurry or in focus the background is, whether the image was shot on film or with a digital camera.  Are the images taken close up or farther away; do you feel a personal connection to the image or as if you’re looking on from a distance?  Granted a photographer’s portfolio is full of so many of these different elements, but in general you will see a specific style stand out through their images.  Some photographers are known for their beautiful panoramic shots of couples in a field with a gorgeous sunset, while others for their ability to capture real emotions in their images.  Photographs can be dramatic in the way the light is captured, with interesting shadows across someone’s face or dark backgrounds, or some photographers specialize in more light and airy photos.

Editing is another major factor that makes up a photographer’s style.  Editing includes how light or dark the photo is, how bright or faded the colors are, how much contrast is in the image, etc.  If I were to go through 5 photography websites I would see … Keep Reading