Do you want DC wedding photographers who will play an active role in your nuptial event? Are you comfortable with someone interrupting the flow of the proceedings to pose you or stage elaborate set-piece photography? Or would you prefer to hire a Washington DC wedding photographer who keeps to the background? Do you want a professional whose presence will not interfere with the sanctity of the moments that will play out on your wedding day?
As it is with any choice you will make regarding the service providers you hire for your nuptials, there is no right answer. Or perhaps it is more correct to say that the right answer depends on you. Your beloved and you should pick the Washington DC wedding photographer whose style best suits your personal preferences. If you want images that have been meticulously planned out and staged, then you should go with a professional with a history of creating shots like that. They will undoubtedly give you photos that look like they could be featured on the pages of a fashion magazine.
If, however, you want wedding pictures with greater emotional depth and impact, you would be better off choosing documentary DC wedding photographers. As stylish and stunning as carefully planned images can be, they will naturally lack spontaneity and authenticity. There will be a certain stiffness in the subjects’ body language. Their faces and eyes will not display particularly genuine emotions. The scenes depicted will not have that special sparkle or dynamism that a candid photo would.
This is not a criticism of what is a perfectly valid approach to wedding photography, of course. We are simply pointing out that it is impossible to give equal weight to every aspect of our art. Any photographer will have to prioritize some elements over others. Some will opt to exercise more control over the scene so that they can create shots that could not come together spontaneously. Others are willing to live with unpredictability because it leads to moments that are more genuine and unforgettable. And you ought to choose professionals who specialize in creating the kinds of images that you love.
As we mentioned above, photojournalistic wedding photographers like us will focus on capturing the emotional feel of your wedding day. Instead of giving you photos of expertly crafted set pieces, we will give you a visual storybook that narrates what will have happened on your wedding day. Not just a chronicle of the events, of course, but a collection of pictures that allows you to relive what you felt when you got married.
To do that, we must take a very hands-off approach to the way we photograph weddings. As we alluded to previously, we have to fade into the background. For you to feel relaxed and free to fully experience all the emotions of your wedding day, we cannot be right up in your faces or trying to control the course of events. We must be as close to invisible as possible.
For this reason, we will photograph a lot of your wedding ceremony from a distance, if possible. Yes, we will take some pictures from the front rows. But we do not want to be an intrusive or interrupting presence. So we will also put a longer focal length lens on one of our cameras and photograph from a distance.
As you can see from the image posted here, the quality of the work we produce from the margins of a wedding ceremony can still be stunning. We took this photo at a lovely outdoor marriage celebration in the Maryland suburbs of the Nation’s Capital. As the groom read his wedding vows, his soon-to-be spouse started crying tears of joy. Using a long focal length lens, we zoomed in on her face and captured a moment that they will treasure forever. A moment that showed the kind of real, unscripted, genuine feelings that a photojournalistic wedding photographer seeks to preserve on film for you.
Location: Cedar Ridge Farm (The Linde Farm), 723 Streaker Rd, Sykesville, MD 21784.
Keywords: Maryland Weddings (3).© 2023 Potok's World Photography - Husband & Wife Washington DC Wedding Photographers
