Among the many inquiries that I receive through my web site, the request for “photojournalism” is at the top of the list. Yet, when I ask my clients to elaborate on what they have in mind, their request generally comes down to wanting black and white images and lots of candid shots.
Actually, there is more to the photojournalistic style than that. And, it is especially important that you understand the nature of photojournalism before you apply it to your wedding photography.
The Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism describes it as "Telling a story with a picture, reporting with a camera, recording a moment in time, the fleeting instant when an image sums up a story. " It is what the famous photographer Henry Cartier-Bresson calls the "decisive moment."
Traditionally, photojournalism is associated with news photography or “event-driven” photography where the pictures, more than words, tell the story of an event or situation. Some of the truest examples of photojournalism come from wartime, natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes, and other disasters, like the events that took place on September 11, where no verbal description could convey the harsh reality captured by a camera.
More than just a series of candid shots, photojournalism is an accurate and unsentimental account of your day’s events. The photographer doesn’t optimize the setting; rather, he shoots it just the way it is.
Let’s say your four-year-old nephew sticks his finger into the wedding cake to get an early
taste of the frosting. A seasoned wedding photographer will calmly grab a knife, patch up the bare spot, and twist the cake around so the marred side isn’t visible in the cake-cutting photos. A just-as-seasoned photojournalist will shoot pictures of the little offender with frosting still on his chin, as well as many shots of your now imperfect wedding cake—documenting your day as it really happened. See the difference?
In the early years, grainy black and white pictures on newsprint characterized photojournalism. It’s what we still think of, today, as the “classic” photojournalistic look. It is probably why many people mistakenly believe that photojournalism means black and white film. Increasingly, photojournalism is now executed in color. Think of the vivid record of world events captured in color by magazines such as Life.
Wedding Photojournalism
Photojournalism crept into wedding photography, especially over recent years, as the antidote to the “cookie cutter” approach, which provided the client with a very nice album, but one that hardly conveyed the individuality of the event or the character of the participants. You may have already noticed this as you looked at the several sample albums from a photographer you’re considering—or even a single album from each of several photographers: the participants are different, but the posing is almost identical.
Now let me say, here, that I don’t mean to disparage traditional wedding photography. This still makes up the majority of the wedding photography business. The reason the traditional approach is so common and so popular is that it helps brides, grooms, and their families get the beautiful photos they expect, including all the “important moments” of the day.
Many couples, however, are opting to hire a wedding photojournalist for two reasons: one, its emphasis on the wedding’s and the couple’s uniqueness; and two, to have the opportunity to enjoy the activities of their wedding day, unencumbered by the photographer’s direction. With a wedding photojournalist, you can still expect a few posed shots, but the vast majority of the pictures will be taken as they happen, in a quiet and unobtrusive way.
The Tools of Photojournalism
As with all elements of your wedding, you probably want to know what to expect from your wedding photojournalist. Following is a summary of the equipment and materials I’ll use, which is important to note especially if you have elected to hire me on a “labor plus expenses” basis. Keep in mind that this is only a generality to give you an idea of what to expect. Each wedding event is different—in length, number of participants, type of setting, etc. The beauty of the photojournalistic style and, particularly, my approach is that no two weddings will be shot the same way, so the use of equipment and material will vary.
High Speed Films: The average wedding ceremony/reception event runs between 4 and 6 hours. If you include the time before ceremony, you end up with a 6 to 8 hour event. In practical terms, that means that “available lighting” will vary over the course of the day and the event will require a wide range of lighting situations. (This is especially true for the very popular 4 o'clock wedding.) The “fast” films (a.k.a. “high speed” films) that I use for photojournalistic jobs will accommodate a variety of lighting situations. The advantage is that high-speed film can be used without strobe lights, therefore conveying a truer feeling of the moment. The compromise is that the higher the speed of film, the “grainier” the final print will look. That isn’t a bad thing at all—in fact, it may be just the look you’re going for—but I usually ask couples to look at some high-speed samples to be sure that the final product is not different from what they were expecting.
35mm Camera: Most professional wedding photographers rely primarily on medium format cameras. That is what I use when I shoot a wedding using traditional photography. However, if you select the photojournalistic style, I will shoot most of the event using a 35mm camera. The negatives from a medium-format, 645 camera is 2.7 times larger that the negative from a 35mm camera, which generally results in sharper proofs. However, 35mm cameras have faster lenses—more adaptable to lower available light and catching the action as it happens.
Flash: One of the most appealing aspects of photojournalism is the use of natural, available light. The mood of the setting sun or a shadowy hallway will be captured as you remember it. I will, however, apply selective use of flash lighting when it is necessary to achieve the shot or get sufficient clarity.
Number of Pictures: This is an important area where wedding photojournalism differs from traditional wedding photography. Photojournalism requires the photographer to take significantly more pictures to come up with the number of “keeper” shots similar to a traditional wedding album. Here’s why: in traditional photography, the photographer sets up or even “poses” the key shots, so he can be pretty sure that he got the shot he wanted. The wedding photojournalist, on the other hand, is taking shots as they happen. But, the wedding photojournalist, if experienced, won’t merely be snapping away at random, hoping to get something good. While I will shoot liberally, I use my experience to pick the moments and anticipate the action. I also edit the selection before presenting you with proofs--so you don't waste your time sifting through lots of redundant images and "throwaway" shots.
Color Film: As I mentioned before, because of the long association between press photography and black and white film, some people confuse photojournalistic coverage with a black and white wedding. The reality is that photojournalism can be both… or either. (So, for that matter, can traditional photography.) Some pictures will look better as a black and white images, while the opposite is true for others. I will shoot in color film, unless you very specifically request black and white film only. Please go to the Digital Edge section of my web site for more information about how easy it is to get a black and white print from a color negative—but not the other way around.
Digital Images: I am a big fan of digital photography as a complement to film, rather than a substitute to silver halide photography. Digital photography is an especially useful tool for the wedding photojournalist as digital equipment can be operated in total silence; its zoom capabilities and optics allow for a very discreet coverage of your event. For your wedding, I will shoot a combination of both digital and film images. The most important pictures will be taken with regular film, which can be converted to a digital format as part of the post-production process.