What is this Buzz Word "Documentary Style Wedding Photography?"

By Peter Phun

Long before the "photojournalistic style" became the catch-phrase in wedding photography today, newspaper photographers a.k.a. photojournalists have been crafting this approach in their daily work in covering news events with honesty and candor.

The most successful photojournalists have great anticipation which often comes from shooting on the streets, being observant, having good imagination, being vigilant and being ready to react.
So if that's the style of wedding pictures you are looking for, there is no one more uniquely qualified for that task than a photojournalist --- a photographer with a newspaper background.

In a crowded banquet full of guests, how does he pick out the most likely person who is going to be very besides the bride and bride's mother? And when he finds that person, how can he take the picture unobtrusively?

If he reads his subjects right, he would naturally move in or select the right lens and zoom in on his subject all the time watching the background and the lighting.

Whatever he decides he will have to work fast using whatever available light there is because the moment a flash goes off, the subjects will be aware of his presence and all spontaneity will be lost.

So the wedding photojournalist is always on the alert, looking for moments which are real and unrehearsed. His people skills are just as important because he needs to be outgoing and friendly so that he blends in with the guests.

While the guests are standing in line waiting for their food, he is watching the guests, picking out the gregarious and rowdy ones, ones who are drinking a lot and have a tendency to be the live of the party.

Sometimes those are the ones who will break out in impromptu songs.

Children at weddings are always great subjects since you can always count on them to be amusing and cute. Examples that come to mind: the ringboy who suddenly realizes he is shy when he sees the crowd before him or the flowergirl who collapses in mum's arms in exhaustion in the middle of the ceremony.

Peter Phun is an adjunct photography instructor at Riverside City College. He is a freelance photographer, web designer and stay at home dad.

He also photographs weddings and does on-location portraiture. He previously worked as a staff photographer for 18 years at The Press-Enterprise, Southern California's 4th largest daily newspaper.

Peter is the webmaster for the Mac user group in the Inland Empire. For more information about this Riverside based photographer, visit http://www.peterphun.com .

Read this article with accompanying photographs as it appears in his website http://www.peterphun.com/weddings/documentary_style.html