Wedding Photography is full of jargon and acronyms, so much so that its unsurprising anyone without a deep understanding of photography can feel confused. The ‘Reportage Wedding Photographer’ is one such term, that is not only potentially unclear but also the most misused and abused in the whole of the wedding photography industry.

 

For those of you who are interested, I would like to take a little to clarify what it means, what it isn't and how the true meaning fits within my approach to photographing your wedding.

 

I specialise in photographing reportage weddings right across the UK and internationally although the majority of my work takes place in Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire

Black and white photo of groom getting ready at wedding in Wales
Black and white image of church wedding service in Manchester

“An image paints 1000 words” and my style of photography is about telling stories. So, before we get technical, head over to my wedding photography portfolio page and check out some examples of my work. Here you will be able to see photos from weddings photographed in a reportage (aka documentary) style and decide if it’s a style you love as much as I do.

 

So, how is reportage used incorrectly? Most often the description is used to describe a photographer, or photographers focused on 'sniping' headshots of people from a distance with long lenses (aka paparazzi). There basic misconception being, that if someone isn’t looking at the camera, it’s a reportage photograph and that’s just plain wrong!

What is Reportage Wedding Photography?


Ultimately, it’s about telling a story, and because it’s your wedding photography the story of your wedding.

 

Isolated images of shoes, portraits with no context or overly posed photographs, can create beautiful images, do not tell a story. Without depth or meaning, there is no spark, and without this little to trigger emotion or memories. Reportage Wedding Photography is about telling the authentic, genuine story of your wedding. It is about capturing the atmosphere, the actions and reactions that bring those images to life. More often than not, it is about photographing a subject within a context.

 

For couples and guests, it is a hands-off approach, that allows them to forget about the photographer and relax, enjoy the day and create amazing moments to be photographed. With skill, it is possible to catch these fleeting moments and creating emotive and powerful images which will evoke memories for years to come.

Bride and guest sharing a joke at evening wedding reception in Wales
Black and white candid photo of quite conversation