What makes a good documentary wedding photo?

Great documentary wedding photos are all about the emotion.

How Did It Feel to Be There?

This documentary wedding photo was shot in low light on film with about a one second exposure. I knew it wouldn’t be in sharp focus since I was walking (as was the couple) when I took it. But I also knew that to capture the ethereal, dreamlike feeling of that walk through the woods on the way to the ceremony, pin sharp focus wasn’t required. In fact it would have ruined the emotion. This image is one of the most well-received of any I’ve every shared, and I believe it’s because we are always drawn to those photos that really make us feel.

When looking for a documentary wedding photographer, take a look at the images they’ve shot and ask yourself how they make you feel. What emotions come up, and do you keep coming back to look again? If so, you’re on the right track.

Movement is good

The incredible documentary wedding photographer Zalmy Berkowitz said that when a photo contains movement, like you see below, it keeps the photo in the present. In other words, when we look at this image we think “That couple IS dancing.” If, however, I’d used a flash and/or fast shutter speed to freeze the movement, we would look at it and think, “That couple WAS dancing.” It’s brilliant and so true. I love the idea of wedding moments being captured in the present tense, for all time.

But What About Composition & Light?

Yes, Composition and Light are vital elements of good photos.

Let’s face it, any good professional photographer should be well versed in the three main aspects of photography. If they consistently produce images with crap composition, lighting and subject matter, well, best not to hire them. And if you’re not sure what constitutes good composition, lighting and subject matter, click here for a brief additional tutorial.

But here is the caveat. Good composition, great light and subjects do not, alone, make a great photo. I’ve seen tons of technically perfect images that have no emotion at all. Likewise, sometimes the most moving images are technically imperfect. My friend and brilliant photographer John Dolan has a book of over 30 years of images from weddings he’s shot titled “The Perfect Imperfect”, which pretty much says it all.

Good photographers know all the rules, and then sometimes break them in pursuit of genuine, emotion filled images. When you’re looking for a wedding photographer or a family photographer, or a photographer for any reason, keep this in mind and pay attention to the emotions that come up when you see the images. You’ll know you’re in the right place if you find yourself thinking “I almost feel like I’m there!” and not “Wow that’s a good use of the rule of thirds.”