Friday, March 21, 2008

THE EVOLUTION OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Five generations of Americans have revisited special moments in their lives by looking through photographs, most especially of their wedding day. But early to mid-20th-century brides and grooms have only memories of their weddings because their photographers simply weren't there.


Early cameras were large and bulky and portable lighting equipment non-existent, tethering photographers -- and bridal portraits -- to studios. All that changed by World War II when the 35mm camera, roll film and on-camera flash hit the scene, transforming first war photography, then photojournalism and eventually wedding photography. After the war, military-trained photographers and amateurs trolled wedding parties snapping candid photos they'd sell to delighted bridal couples. That flushed wedding photographers out of the studio and onto the wedding day scene. But still, wedding pictures were posed and moments like cake slicing carefully staged.

Leafing through glossy magazines in 1940s and '50s, young couples and photographers began to see something new: candid, intimate photographs of celebrity and royal weddings taken by photojournalists. Sure, there were formal poses, but many photos captured the moment, for better or worse. Like the 1943 Life magazine photograph of 54-year-old, serious-faced Charlie Chaplin fumbling with the wedding ring as he tried to place it on the finger of his 18-year-old fourth wife, Oona O'Neill -- an endearing moment frozen in time.


In 1956 Americans were treated to photographs of a happy-yet-tentative Marilyn Monroe laughing while feeding cake to her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, on their wedding day. Also that year magazines worldwide gave the royal treatment to the grand wedding of actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco, devoting full-page spreads to candid moments, such as a pensive Princess Grace gazing over a balcony before the ceremony and the couple exchanging rings.

It was bound to happen. Invite photojournalists to a wedding and they'll do what they do best: get the story through the most candid, often humorous, touching photo record imaginable. Artful images of unfettered moments have universal appeal, and these early photographs helped spark a new genre of wedding photography. Decades later this documentary approach has evolved to what it is now: a popular option in wedding photography that captures the story behind the ceremony. Today it's available to everyone, not just celebrities, and photographers don't have to be journalists to capture the look.


Miguel Pola primarily photographs weddings and family portraits

For those wedding photographers who are photojournalists, their journalism background often informs choices they make when shooting weddings. 


Capturing ordinary moments on one of the most transforming days in people's lives is what wedding photography.  Miguel Pola's photojournalism background taught him to create images that transcend the specific to become universal, so that anyone looking at his powerful wedding pictures will be moved.

While traditional wedding photography tends to impose order and structure to the day, a photojournalistic style takes advantage of unscripted moments in order to better tell the story. 



Thursday, March 20, 2008

HIRING A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL FOR YOUR WEDDING

Like many brides and grooms, your wedding could be the first time you'll be hiring a creative professional. You might think the ins and outs of working with a wedding photographer are as simple as writing a check. What could be so difficult, right? But just ask any talented pro, and you'll get a grateful explanation of why it's so important to truly understand their creative process.



How you manage your relationship with a wedding photojournalist can have just as profound an impact on the photographs as the day unfolding before the camera. Luckily, you and your photographer both want the same outcome: amazing photos that capture the feeling of the wedding day.

"One of the best things about being a wedding photojournalist is that....one can capture life as it happens without restraint," Miguel A. Pola says. "At a great wedding everyone wants me there, wants me to capture those fleeting moments, and will appreciate them for years to come." Learn how to be one of those couples.  Award-winning wedding photojournalists offer their best advice on getting the most out of your photographer.

FOCUS ON THE CREATIVITY, NOT THE BUSINESS

Miguel A. Pola recommends focusing less on the business process and more on the creative one when you're working with a wedding photojournalist. Of course, you'll both sign a contract, and ultimately there will be details relating to the types of packages purchased, the number and format of proofs, schedule, costs, and possibly album design, but that should all be secondary when it comes to selecting and working with your creative professional.

Miguel advises that when it comes to hiring a wedding photojournalist, one should not get bogged down with comparing the details of various packages. "It doesn't matter how many pictures you're going to get if you don't first understand how he or she is going to capture your wedding day," he states. After all, what difference does it make if you're getting 100 proofs or 500, if you don't love the photographs?

Once you've made your decision, remember to take care of all those pesky business details before the wedding day arrives. Your photographer needs to be truly present, prepared to capture your moments, and not preoccupied with tracking the types of photographs he's taking or worrying about collecting payment.

FEED YOUR WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST WELL

Even the hardest working photographers need to eat. You know that woozy-can't-think-straight-lightheaded feeling you get when you haven't eaten, and you're on your feet all day? One of the last people you want feeling this way at your wedding is the person with the responsibility of capturing your most special moments for posterity.

Of course, you're busy with all of the planning, but remember that your photographer will be with you all day, capturing every graceful move, and unless you think ahead to arrange a hot meal, he or she, or an assistant, may have to physically leave the premises in order to eat. It's just another tiny detail among hundreds, but this one is worth remembering.

Miguel A. Pola  feels so strongly about this point that he designed his contract to clearly state he needs time to eat. "I'm with you all day long," says Miguel. "You might as well give me some food…some good food. Not a croissant sandwich and some chips." (See "How To Starve Your Wedding Photographer: A Field Guide," in the September/October 2006 issue of WedPix.)

DON'T DIRECT

This is the biggest pet peeve of wedding photojournalists far and wide: brides, grooms, parents, reception coordinators, bridesmaids, DJs and various other guests who give constant direction about what, when and how to photograph the wedding. "Of course I'm going to photograph the flowers and capture the beautiful sunset," Miguel says. "It's my job."

No photographer likes to be given constant art direction. Remember: you've hired a wedding photojournalist, because they don't style photographs. Not only is it annoying, but perpetual third-party direction also takes away from the creative element of documentary style wedding photography. Directing is the antithesis of the natural, unscripted moment. And, as Miguel adds, the more art direction brides and grooms are giving, the less they are enjoying their wedding—and the fewer natural moments there are to photograph.

When there is too much direction, Miguel admits to missing moments. "I approach each wedding with no pre-conceived ideas. I let the day unfold before my lens and capture what happens. If I am backed into a portrait-a-thon it never fails that I see real images unfolding out of the corner of my eyes and there is nothing I can do about it. The clients hired me for my ability to capture those honest fleeting moments and I am missing them because I am shooting every possible combination of bride, groom and family," he says.

COORDINATE WITH OTHER CREATIVE VENDORS

Often times, brides and grooms don't think about coordinating the styles of all of the other creative pros they've hired to cover their wedding. "Make sure all the creative individuals you're employing are on the same page. If you like your photographers because they're behind the scenes, and that's why you hired your photographer, then make sure that approach is also going to work with your videographer," Miguel suggests.

If the videographer has a style that involves a lot of direction (like making you put on your dress five times), that may not create the best situation for a wedding photojournalist who doesn't take any staged shots. The creative pros, says Miguel, don't need to be able to work together, per se, but they should all have a shared understanding of how the day is going to unfold. He suggests asking your vendors direct questions about their process, such as "Are you going to ask me to button up my dress three times?

He also recommends letting all of your other vendors know about your photographer's style. That way, they won't be interrupting or trying to pose shots for her.

TRUST YOUR WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST

"We're not selling a product, we're selling a promise," says Miguel, who considers trust the single most important part of wedding photojournalism. "If you don't trust your wedding photojournalist, then why did you hire them?"

If you're constantly worrying about the photographers—are they getting good shots; taking enough pics; Do I look good?—then you're not living in the present. "When you let that go," says Miguel "the imagery is much more confident, because you're not thinking about it the entire time. You can't worry. If you're being primped and prompted at every turn, you're not going to enjoy your day, and the photos will reflect that."

Miguel says you have to be comfortable enough in front of your photographer to cry, and trust them to document that in a beautiful way. After all, he says, you don't have to look good every second of the day. "You just have to trust that wedding photojournalists are artists and thereby trust their vision of your day," Miguel says.

YOU CAN'T CONTROL EVERYTHING: ACCEPT IT

Trust is also closely related to giving up control. Part of trusting your photographer is being able to hand over the reigns. Accept that you cannot control everything; that's why you hire professionals to carry out a shared creative vision. Realize that when you try to control too much, you're actually hijacking the creative process.

For example, Miguel is not a fan of the list. "The family list is fine," he says. "But not the lists of all the moments: the candles, the garter toss, the bride walking down the aisle." Miguel once received a four-page list, down to the silverware on the table. "It was beyond duty," he says, "And I was just going down, checking off the list."

If you give a wedding photojournalist too long of a to-do list, it distracts them from what you hired them to do in the first place: shoot spontaneous, once-in-a-lifetime moments that can't be predicted, and therefore, could never be included on a list.

"I don't want to think about all these expectations," says Miguel. "I just want to tell the story."


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

How to find the Right Storyteller


Unless Dennis Regie, Mike Colon, or Joe Photo is a relative, you will want to hire a seasoned professional to photograph your wedding event. It takes as much skill to create a high quality wedding photography as it does to make a story telling album. An album design's success is determined by the skill of the storyteller, and the same goes for your wedding photography. Whether you hire a photographer using film, or a photographer using digital gear, you must choose your “storyteller” carefully, just as a producer would choose a director. With so many talented photography companies out there, how do you choose the best wedding photographer for you? There are really only two guidelines: View a lot of wedding photos that you like and ask a lot of questions.
First, familiarize yourself with how the different types of media will look. film and digital, with their old-time nostalgic look and feel, have made a comeback due to their unique warmth and depth. Digital photography can achieve many different looks including replicating film but is mostly recognized for its flawless crystal clear appearance. medium format digital photography takes you even deeper into the world of perfection.
Once you decide on a the format, it’s time to start asking prospective photographers for their websites. After selecting your favorite styles, you can finally begin asking your questions: does the photographer share the same vision for your wedding; what equipment will be used; what will the lighting be like; how long will the end product be; and what locations does he or she have in mind. Ask the various photographers to respond to all of your questions and give you their best quote. Then, just follow your instincts.
Your extraordinary day has begun and the photographer you’ve so carefully selected begins storytelling, capturing the smiles, laughter and tears of you, your family and guests. In a few weeks after your wedding, you and your spouse can re-experience all the joys of your wedding day just as it truly was.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Love of Journalistic Art

   Picture a joyous bride, confident with excitement; a sincere groom, nervously buttoning his shirt; laughing bridesmaids and groomsmen waiting patiently; a tearful mother and proud father. These are the images of love—the moments just waiting to be photographed. 



True love is not just a fairy tale.
    A journalistic approach to wedding photography makes that real experience the most important part of the image. It tells the whole story, creating visually compelling portraits that truthfully convey the love and emotion of the wedding day. These images have lasting meaning because they are inherently intimate. 
     Documenting a wedding is a very specific craft.



Professional wedding photojournalists understand their subject and have the skill and experience to deftly record important moments as well as gently capture the subtleties of the day. Each photographer has a personal and specific style.  
     A journalistic photographer will also take formal portraits of the bride and groom in a relaxed atmosphere. The poses are natural, the compositions creative. The photographer will encourage the couple to laugh, embrace, and enjoy these moments together because this is often the most time the couple has alone together during the entire wedding day
    So much of a couple's style and sensibility are expressed through their wedding. The location, the colors, the clothing, and the ceremony all reflect the couple's personality. The details make up the whole, and in the details a photographer can find inspiration. 
     The candid image can often be elusive. Luckily weddings offer a bounty of emotion, a living tapestry of color and excitement. An experienced image-maker carefully observes the array of light and shadow in order to distill meaningful images that will stand the test of time. The wonderful thing about journalistic photography is that, even though each picture freezes a moment, that same picture remains timeless. 
     While formal portraits are an elegant way to record the important people in your life, candid images express the unplanned; the brilliant action that exemplifies one's mother or the quirky, endearing half-smile of a sibling. Photographs of these moments spark feelings of connection, of family, and weddings are most of all an affirmation of life and relationships. Journalistic photography takes it all in and presents living images—images that reflect the subject's sincere experience and may reveal more than you might expect if you take a moment to look. 
     Photographs take on deeper meaning as time goes by. They grow and change while truthfully remaining the same. Each portrait, each expression, each moment—they look different in the future and gain value in the passing of time. The beauty of romance is an ageless tale that will be told and retold in every generation. But journalistic portraits are not simply about beauty, they are also about substance. They are portraits of expressions, of character. They reveal complexity; they are courageous with simple virtue and lasting impression. They are most of all, yours. 
     For many couples, the wedding day flies by like a dream. So much is happening in so many places. Sometimes the photographs are the only way to experience many parts of the day. The bride and groom can see each other before the ceremony, see their wedding from their families' points of view and enjoy the many moments experienced by their friends. These perspectives add dimension to the wedding day.
     Of the memories that remain with the couple from their wedding day, the images that tell the story. Photography is for love.