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Beyond Poses: Exploring Authenticity in Wedding Portraits
Today, most couples want to capture their special wedding day in a way different from traditional wedding portraits. They usually opt for a photography style that focuses on recording their genuine bond and candid moments.
On the other hand, the classic form of traditional wedding photography includes clicking staged pictures of couples, their families, friends, and guests. In such pictures, photographers usually ask each member to look into the lens of the camera and pose in a specific manner.
Traditional photographers generally guide people to sit, pose, or stand at a certain location or against a backdrop for taking pictures. The most common poses that you will find in traditional photography include pictures of important events such as the exchange of rings, cake cutting, couple pictures, kissing, dancing, and so on. Even though classic wedding pictures have their charm, contemporary couples have started to explore creative forms of photography.
In this post, we will discuss why new couples are shifting to a new form of candid photography and explore the advantages of authentic wedding portraiture.
The Shift in Wedding Photography Trends
Traditional wedding photographers follow a fixed set of guidelines and use general poses and regular lighting and editing techniques to create a wedding album. The couples spend some time with their traditional photographer where they pose to get their pictures clicked.
Young couples these days are more into candid and authentic photoshoots, be their wedding, parties, or any other events. Candid photography focuses on both candid and special moments. It is a combined form of photography where photographers look for shots that are spontaneous and reflect the genuine expression of the people involved in the picture. They also don’t miss out on special events that take place during the wedding.
Candid photography is becoming more popular in weddings. Photo from Unsplash.com
Modern couples are more drawn towards pictures that reflect their unique personalities and genuine emotions. Such shots evoke adorable feelings and memories and provide a deeper representation of the special day.
Candid photos often weave an authentic fairy tale that replicates the genuine expression of the couples, their friends, and their families. They don’t look staged or artificial. The smiles are genuine and the expressions are real in authentic wedding portraits.
Watch this video for one wedding photography trend that is getting popular:
Building a Connection with the Couple
Building a connection and trust between the photographer and the couple is essential for creating an ambiance where candid pictures can be taken. A trustworthy relationship can help the photographer capture true moments by making the couple feel comfortable and natural in front of the camera.
When the partners feel at ease with their photographer, they can let their natural personalities and emotions shine through. The first step for the photographer is to meet and communicate with the couple. They can start with a formal chat and then begin a more casual chat to get to know each other. This takes some time, effort, and investment for sure.
Introvert couples may find it a bit difficult to get on terms with their photographers. It takes some time to warm up with a the professional photographer. However, once the bond has been established, the couples will enjoy their wedding photography sessions.
How To Get The Perfect Wedding Portraits? Try These Techniques for Capturing Authentic Moments
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Click wedding pictures in RAW format
Professional photographers should click wedding pictures in RAW format as these files are uncompressed and lack contrast. The benefit of this format is that photographers get more flexibility and range when editing RAW files.
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Adjust the shutter speeds of your camera
You can start by photographing weddings with a fast shutter speed, which allows you to capture a lot of movement. The best suggestion is to set the shutter speed of your equipment to 1/1200 or more. If you want to capture active moments, you can set the shutter speed to 1/500. This setting helps to create special moments such as dancing, smiling, and laughing.
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Take wedding pictures with different ranges of apertures
The aperture determines what part of the image is in focus. You can set the background to focus if you want to click on the picture of the wedding decor. In that case, you can set the aperture of your camera between f/8 and f/16.
The camera’s aperture can be set to a high value of f/2/8 or f/4 when you want to take pictures of people and other minor details. This setting blurs the background and focuses on small details.
If you want to completely focus on the subject, the aperture should be set between f/1.8 and f/2.8 which will provide more light on the subject and remove other distractions. This setting is best for taking portraits of the bride and groom.
Watch this video for some more tips:
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Lighting
The wedding photographer should reach the venue early to navigate through the location in the best lighting. The first tip that every photographer follows is to check the available light source at the venue. Keep a note of the windows for natural lighting.
Using natural light to click photos always gives the best shots, as natural light is warm and soft. Golden hour is the best time to take shots as at this time the sun is low and it creates a mesmerizing look in pictures. You can consider using a flash if the available light is not sufficient.
Technical Toolkit
When planning to take authentic wedding portraiture, learning about the technical aspects of photography, including ISO, is necessary. If you are new to this term, make sure you know what ISO is in photography. The ISO setting on your camera describes how sensitive its sensor is to light. In places with dim lighting, setting the value of the ISO can greatly affect the overall quality of your images.
You must keep the ISO of your camera under 1000 whenever possible, as it gives the best results. When shooting weddings in close venues, you can use an ISO setting of up to 800, as it will give non-grainy pictures. However, if you are in a place with poor lighting, you must increase the ISO value. This will, however, bring more digital noise to the pictures.
The setting of ISO will also depend on the type of camera you are using for authentic wedding photography. Do experiment with different ISO settings to find the one that best suits that ambiance.
Balancing Authenticity with Client Expectations
Photographers can communicate with the couple and explain to them the advantages of authentic wedding portraits. This will help the client understand the significance of both styles of photography. Here are some tips to start with:
- Discuss the expectations of couples during the initial consultation.
- Ask questions regarding their views on traditional and authentic wedding photography. Understand what they prefer and explain why more couples are leaning towards a mix of traditional and candid photography.
- Show them your best work that displays your authentic wedding portrait. Emphasizes how such clicks can reflect their genuine expressions and leave a lifelong impression on them.
- Educate the couples about the whole process of taking candid pictures at weddings. Explain that while traditional pictures are important, authentic pictures often add grace and charm to the pictures.
Conclusion
Authentic wedding portraits bring a fresh and innovative approach to immortalizing the love story of partners in awesome images. This form of photography aims to capture the true personalities of couples and create pictures that reflect the real essence of their relationships.
Photographers must continue pushing their boundaries to explore exciting ways to capture the essence of weddings and celebrations. With authentic photography, photographers can narrate the love story of the couple uniquely!
