Documentary Style Wedding Photography: What is it & Why it’s Different from Candid Photography?

Diving deep into what documentary style wedding photography is, how it is distinctively different from storytelling or candid photography, and what you need to know about how that impacts your entire wedding day experience.

The phrase documentary style wedding photography gets casually thrown around a lot these days. As a result, it makes it difficult for you to know what you’re getting from a photographer who describes their style in this way. So let’s get clear on what it really is so you know exactly what you’re getting on your wedding day. To be completely honest, documentary style wedding photography isn’t for everyone. It requires accepting a few harsh truths and letting go of long instilled ideas of what wedding photos should look like. However, for those ultimately ready to embrace these things… it’s the truest representation of just how beautiful this human experience really is.

So what is documentary style wedding photography?

Think of documentary style wedding photography a bit like photojournalism. Much like a photojournalist at the scene of a major event, they leave the moment entirely untouched, documenting exactly what is happening in front of them. Their purpose is to tell the real story that is unfolding directly before their eyes. They do not interfere whatsoever.

Documentary style wedding photography allows whatever is occurring in that moment to happen naturally without the photographer directing any part of it. Every moment captured is unposed and is entirely reflective of what was actually happening on the day. There is no fabrication or recreating of anything. It requires the photographer to constantly be in tune with what is happening around them, learn how to predict human behavior, and anticipate the composition. The photographer will capture the most raw unaltered story of your wedding day. In the end, your images will depict real memories because they reflect what really happened. Your images will tell the real story.

So is documentary style wedding photography then also storytelling wedding photography?

The short answer is yes, but storytelling wedding photography is not necessarily documentary style wedding photography. This is much like every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. Still confused? Hear me out…

How is storytelling or candid wedding photography different?

If a documentary style wedding photographer is a photojournalist, then a storytelling or candid wedding photographer is more like a movie director. They look at a scene as whole accounting for the landscape, various objects, lighting etc. After analyzing the space, they provide you direction on how to move through the scene in a fluid manner just as if you were the lead role in your own film. The movement here is key. It’s what leads to those final images looking effortlessly unposed and giving off that candid feel. These images tend to be very cinematic with perfect lighting and alignment of all the key elements in the photograph ie. composition. Therein lies the major difference…

Since your photographer is directing you through each moment of your day, there is some level of intervention. They are controlling the situation and curating the final product. Your photos will reflect a certain level of finesse and be downright gorgeous, while also lacking some of the realness you receive from a more documentary approach. Since both of these styles have that candid appearance, they’re not necessarily easy to tell apart just by looking at the photographs alone. However, the experience you receive with either of these styles is entirely different.

Because a documentary style approach is completely hands-off, you’re free to just live. It’s almost as if you can simply forget that your photographer is even there. Rather than focusing on “what comes next” or “where does my photographer need me to be” you can purely focus on being with your partner and celebrating with those around you. This isn’t to say that you can’t do this in some aspect with a storytelling or candid photographer, yet you will be diverting far more of your attention to photos. Ultimately, a storytelling approach is performative.

What does it look like when these styles are blended together?

Wait, can these styles be blended together? A purist will probably tell you “no”. I like to think outside the box though and let no constraints confine my own photography style to a single genre. Nevertheless, if you were to ask me my style of photography, I’m most certainly going to tell you that I am a documentary style wedding photographer in Seattle. That is, with the exception of one very key part of your day that you’ve probably been wondering about: portraits.

How does a documentary style wedding photographer take portrait photos?

While I cannot speak for every photographer out there, I approach portrait photographs of you and your partner much like the storytelling photographer we discussed. I will direct you through the moment and bring to life how you want to be represented on your wedding day. By keeping movement in your photographs, they will naturally still have that candid feel to them with a bit more of a cinematic artsy edge. Believe me, I will not let you feel lost during this moment. This is just one of the reasons I take so much time getting to know couples leading up to their wedding day; I want to deeply understand who they are and bring that to life in their images.

As for the rest of your day, I primarily remain in the background constantly watching and navigating. I’m obsessed with the magic of an emotive photograph that required absolutely no interference. It’s more important for you to continue living in all the emotions of the moment than it is for me to orchestrate it into something unnecessarily perfect.

That is how I blend these styles.

Is a documentary style wedding photographer the right choice for you?

Documentary style wedding photography requires you to let go and delivers an honest depiction of your day. For those that feel entirely awkward in front of the camera, this might actually be the best style of photography for you. That probably sounds counterintuitive if you crave direction and posing to account for that awkward feeling, right? I promise it isn’t. Instead you get to free yourself of any restrictions or pressure of being perfect.

Here’s what you should know first:

• You’re photos aren’t going to look anything like what you saw on Pinterest

• You have to allow yourself to be vulnerable; don’t hold back that tear in fear of your make-up, love on your people, feel the moment

• Forget practicing your “soft smile”, let yourself belt out in laughter and get stoked about your day. That means embracing the double chins.

• Allow plenty of time for each phase of your day to happen; you can’t be rushing from one thing to the next

• Leave perfection behind, be 100% yourselves and allow yourself to be in the moment

• You can still ask for posed family portraits if that is important to you

Ask yourself truthfully, is this what you want? If the answer is no, you should absolutely pursue a photographer whose style puts the kind of smile on your face you can’t wipe away. You deserve to be happy with your photos and the entire experience surrounding your wedding day.

Searching for a Seattle documentary wedding photographer?

So you think this is the right style of photography for your day… Here’s what you should ask when interviewing photographers:

• Walk me through your process of how you will photograph our wedding day

• Do you pose or direct the couple? What does that look like?

• What part of the wedding day do you enjoy photographing the most?

The photographer’s answers will be telling signs as to whether they truly embrace the documentary style. Now you know exactly what that is.

People are so unbelievably beautiful just the way they are. The real magic happens when you allow yourselves to be messy. No pose can replicate genuine connections and unbridled emotion. It’s incredibly breathtaking when we choose to celebrate our differences and what sets us apart from everyone else.

That’s exactly what I aim to do through my photography: celebrate you. If you’re planning an intimate wedding, micro wedding, or an elopement here in the Pacific Northwest, I’d love to hear more about what you’re planning. I have a million and one ideas of how you can continue to think outside that box. Please, take one of my hands. Come exactly as you are.

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