What is candid wedding photography?
Wedding clients who place a high value on wedding photos do so because they value their memories.
Having a tactile, visual reminder, like a wedding photo album, takes you right back to the day and helps you relive the emotions of the day.
Traditional wedding photography focuses on posing people formally, i.e., creating a variety of family portrait shots that are fixed, staged and classic.
Although it has a time and a place, it can take away from the more transient, engaging, unscripted parts of the day. If you’re as old as me, your parent’s photo album is probably full of this sort of photography. Wedding photography has evolved…
I love the complete lack of self consciousness in this shot
Today, most couples want something more creative and unique, which captures the moment in its purest form.
Candid photography is a photojournalistic take on wedding photography in which wedding photographers focus on capturing natural, emotional moments. People love being themselves, chilled and relaxed on their wedding day. My goal is to put people at ease and really capture each person at the wedding.
Let’s not get rid of traditional photography too soon, though! Having formal and candid photographs ensures you have a highly polished and raw emotional cross-section of the day.
A good photographer has the experience to capture those natural moments that have a fly-on-the-wall yet artistic feel. These are usually the photos that clients pick as their favourites – those taken when they were unaware.
How do you shoot candid photography?
Shooting candid wedding photography is more art than science but here are a few candid photography tips if you’re looking to get away from traditional photography images.
Always be ready. Be camera-ready to shoot at a moment’s notice with your settings dialled in, in advance.
Know your equipment. Don’t be trying to figure out your exposure settings while the moment is passing by in front of you! Know your equipment and this only comes with practice and experience. This is why we hire professional wedding photographers.
Shoot telephoto. Taking photos from a distance conspicuously without people noticing you is key so using a telephoto lens will help you in this regard.
Do not use flash. Flash is a dead give-away that someone is shooting photos. If you can avoid it, great. That way there’ll be less of the “Who’s doing that?” expressions!
Anticipate the next moment. Foresee what is going to happen. This is also something that comes with experience. When you’ve shot enough weddings, you’ll be able to guess what the bride or groom (or guests) will do next; for example, an emotional hug after speeches.