Wedding

Documentary Wedding Photography

Wedding

My Documentary Wedding Photography

– Authentic Moments Preserved Forever

I think you’d rather look at my pictures than read what I’ve written here. At least, I prefer photography. Therefore, in order not to bore you with my texts, I will try to briefly write a few words about documentary wedding photography.

What is this kind of wedding photography?

You can read about this on Wikipedia in the Approaches paragraph, where it mentions the Photojournalist style of wedding photography.

I will write about how I understand this kind of photography. Documentary wedding photography and reportage or journalistic wedding photography are synonymous to me.

When documenting the events of the wedding day, I take photos that will tell a story. Some use the term contemporary wedding photography here, which emphasizes capturing the history and atmosphere of the wedding day.

Without going into the terminological intricacies and what a given word means, I will say this: I photograph reality the way I see it.

My photos are natural and not posed. The exception, however, is group photos and photos taken during the mini-session with the bride and groom. I’m interfering a bit here. But just a bit. The pictures must be as natural as possible.

Very often a person doesn’t know at all that I photograph them. Looking through the lens, I look for interesting moments or wait for what will happen in a moment. These are both funny moments, unexpected twists in the plot and moments full of emotions.

The shortest definition of documentary wedding photography

The story of the wedding day told with candid pictures.
Tom Zelinsky – Your Wedding Photographer

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The goal of documentary wedding photography is to create a visual narrative of the day, capturing real emotions and candid moments as they happen. The photographer will usually be unobtrusive, blending in with the guests and capturing candid shots of the wedding party and guests throughout the day.

Unlike traditional wedding photography, which typically involves posing and staged shots, documentary photography captures the wedding as it happens, without interfering with the natural flow of events. The resulting images are authentic and tell a story, capturing the essence of the wedding day.

When you are looking for a documentary wedding photographer, it’s important to find someone with a portfolio that showcases their ability to capture candid moments and tell a visual story.

Example of documentary wedding photography

The photos in the gallery below were taken at the Swinfen Hall Hotel in Lichfield during the ceremony and family celebration. It was my great pleasure documenting Dorina and Lee’s wedding.

Author of photos and text: Tom Zelinsky – Your Wedding Photographer