This post will give you some candid wedding photography tips to help you get even better documentary style photos from your wedding.
Most people seek out candid wedding photography because they appreciate authenticity. Those magic in a bottle moments where you can feel the emotions though the photograph.
Key Takeaways
- Candid wedding photography is best for capturing authentic emotions and storytelling during unscripted moments like the ceremony, speeches, and dancing.
- To enhance the look of candid shots, plan outdoor ceremonies and receptions at times when the sun is lower in they sky for better lighting opportunities.
- Documentary style photography has limitations for formal portraits, especially for shy subjects. Even if you prefer documentary style wedding photography, it’s best to be flexable about being posed for formal wedding portraits and group photos.
- The hybrid method: setting up “candid” moments like the first look captures authentic moments in areas with pleasing backgrounds and better lighting.
- The best wedding albums balance pure candid photojournalism with directed posed portraits and hybrid approaches for a comprehensive, compelling collection like you’ll find in my wedding gallery.
When Candid Wedding Photography Is Most Effective
Segments of the wedding like the ceremony, speeches and dancing are where candid wedding photography is most effective. The reason for this is obvious in that any interruption during these segments would detract from the moment.
Despite capturing photos only as they naturally occur, not all aspects of candid photos are completely left to chance. By planning ahead, you can actually help your photographer capture significantly better candid photos.
Most of how you can help is by selecting a flattering venue for your ceremony and reception. Also having it well decorated will help tremendously for pleasing foregrounds and backgrounds. Timing outdoor ceremonies to happen 45min – 1 hour before sunset can also greatly improve lighting conditions.
A good tip when decorating is to include lots of things that emit light. This will dramatically boost the visual appeal of your photos especially after the sun goes down. Candles, tea lights and string lights on the tables naturally make a huge difference as do up-lights on the surrounding walls.
Another good idea is to spend extra time decorating the areas where the two of you will be. Decorating the alter is an obvious example that will go a long way as most of the photo journalism will happen around that area for the ceremony. The couples table is another good area to focus on as this is where your reactions will be captured during speeches.
When I capture weddings, I find it’s best to get all of the posed portraits captured before guests arrive and then switch to a mostly photojournalistic approach from the ceremony forward. This ensures that the bride and groom get great solo and family portraits with minimal interruption later as the events are captured candidly.
Where Candid Wedding Photography Falls Short
Although photojournalism is crucial for getting the best wedding coverage overall, it also has its limitations. Good formal wedding portraits for instance are generally not captured using a documentary approach. This is especially true for people who feel shy or awkward in front of the camera as most people aren’t models and will look better with some direction.
The important thing to understand is that when posed wedding portraits are done well, the posing is invisible. The benefit is that the pose, light and background are usually significantly better.
Many people hate the idea of posed portraits because when it’s done poorly the photos look awkward and stiff. Posed portraits well directed by a good photographer look candid and natural. It’s for these reasons that setting up formal portraits make more sense. This is especially true when they need to be captured in a timely manner, like on your wedding day.
Other times a hybrid approach by having my couples do what they were already going to do, just over there in good light, is enough to make semi-posed portraits look like candid moments.
Hybrid Posed Candid Photos
As with everything else in life there’s also a grey area where a photographer can actually set up “candid” photos. This might sound like an unholy paradox, however it’s a very effective technique that often yields superior results to pure photojournalism for things like first looks or artistic couples portraits.
Using the first look as an ideal example for hybrid capture, I generally set the groom up in a location with pleasing light and a good background. Next I’ll cue the bride to come in behind the groom and go tap him on the shoulder.
From this point forward I’ll capture the expressions of both of them naturally as the groom see’s his bride for the first time.
In the example below, the moment isn’t truly staged, it’s just captured at a specific location to allow for the best lighting and background. Capturing the moment under higher quality conditions like this naturally allows the photographer to capture better photos because it gives them more control over the lighting and background.
Candid Wedding Photography FAQ
Navigating the nuances of documentary style wedding photography often sparks questions from couples eager to capture authentic moments on their big day. In this FAQ section, I’ll answer some of the most common questions I get about candid wedding photography.
How Do You Capture Candid Wedding Photos?
For candid wedding photography I find that it’s best to use a long telephoto lens to capture moments from a distance.
With this approach you’ll barely notice I’m at the event ensuring that you don’t feel overly observed. This helps create natural looking weeding photos that reflect events as they happen.
Is There A Way To Look More Photogenic in Candid Photos?
No. The whole point of hiring a candid wedding photographer is so that they’ll document your event as it happens as you are. Documentary style wedding photography is more about capturing moments than it is about perfect poses and lighting.
In short, it’s just not practical for you to pose into beautiful light at all times that the camera happens to be pointed at you. If you want to look more photogenic, the best way to do this is to take direction from your photographer during certain points in your wedding, like your formal bridal portraits or couples photos.
Which Type of Photography is Best For a Wedding?
The short answer is, it depends on what part of the wedding you’re talking about.
A candid or documentary style approach is best for key events like your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
Fine art couples photos that you’d want print large and hang on your wall are generally best captured as posed portraits. This approach makes more sense for bridal portraits and couples photos but is impractical for things like speeches and first dances.
A hybrid of these approaches can also work well for bridal portraits, couples photos and first looks. In short, each technique excels for different things, and you’d be wise to hire a photographer who is good at all of these techniques ( not just the candid wedding photography) for a well-rounded wedding album.
Recent Sonoma County Weddings
If you found these candid wedding photography tips helpful, come check out these techniques at work during these recent weddings.
