Photography: Capturing the Moment

Kristin Bates, Wedding Guide writer

Of all the bits and pieces which comprise a wedding ensemble, the one to withstand the test of time is the photography.

Whether you are a traditional bride who wants poses in the church and at the head table or a carefree, anything-goes type couple preferring spontaneous shots, a photographer can capture the essence of your wedding and your personality.

“Make sure you feel comfortable with the photographer and you get a contract. You are going to be sharing your day with this person — probably one of the biggest days of your life. And if you get a bad vibe, even though their price is right and their pictures are good, you should think hard about it,” said Erika Blackwell of Center of Attention Photography in Boyne Falls.

Added Daniel “Yosh” Wilkey, of Photography by Yosh in Petoskey, “Really key here is determining if your photographer is willing to listen to you and find out what it is that you want. Some photographers can get caught up in what it is that they want to achieve photographically in a wedding shoot. We all love making great photos, and that’s good. But that should never get in the way of giving you what you want. The photographer works for you, you don’t work for the photographer. This is your day, you’re the boss.”

Clicking with your style

The next step is determining what type of style you envision.

Wilkey offers this insight into the basic styles of wedding photography, which are: art, portrait and photojournalistic.

The art style produces some stunning photos that can immortalize a couple. However this style doesn’t necessarily lend itself to capturing the spirit of the wedding or the personalities of the couple and the others involved in the wedding.

The portrait style, as the name implies, focuses on getting portraits of the couple, their families and attendants. Even during the ceremony and reception, the photographer looks at a shot similar to how he/she would in a studio. Portraits are important, they are the photos people will frame and display, but they can’t really capture the spirit of the wedding.

To capture the story and spirit of the day, one needs to employ the photojournalistic style. This is what still photographers use when shooting events such as the Olympics or news stories.

“In this style, the photographer has to be in tune with what is happening and anticipate when the shot he wants is going to happen. He actually has to push the shutter button before the shot is there, because if he waits until he sees the shot in his viewfinder, it is too late. By the time the shutter opens, the moment is gone.

It is this style that will capture all of the tender, funny and unique moments during that special event which is a wedding,” explained Wilkey.

Added Blackwell: “At almost every wedding, I get the compliment that someone is impressed at how well I blend in, but somehow I’ve caught so much on camera. I’ve done so many weddings now and I go into each one wanting it to be different from the last. No bride and groom are the same.”

A good photographer will use all three styles to deliver a great all-around package for their clients, but each photographer will have a style that is their forte. Ask the photographer you are interviewing about their strengths.

“The best advice I could give is don’t be afraid of asking questions if you have them. It’s better to have a calm and confident mind when you feel you have all your bases covered,” said Blackwell.

Finding the best

As with the changing times and many advancements, digital photography is a must today. With clients wanting to show their friends and family who couldn’t make the big date the story of the wedding, digital photography makes it possible to enter a Web site and view the experience of the whole event, as well as providing the option of purchasing their own prints.

“This can’t really be done easily with film, mostly due to the expense. Also, being able to produce black and white photos, sepia photos or photos mixing black and white and color easily and affordably is really becoming important,” said Wilkey. There are a number of area photographers available for wedding bookings.

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