So now to the good stuff!  What exactly is wedding photojournalism??? If you were to pick up a copy of National Geographic or the New York Times, you would expect that the images contained within were a true representation of the story they're supposed to tell.  So you wouldn't expect to find out that photos for a story about protecting tiger sharks in the Bahamas were actually photos of sharks taken at the Camden aquarium because well, it was easier.

How does this relate to weddings? It's simple, traditional and/or editorial wedding photography, for the most part, isn't made up of photos of "moments" that would happen if the photographer wasn't there.  For example, would you have had a nice moment with your best friend or mom without a photographer there, 100%.  Would that "moment" have happened with you two perfectly framed in a window and turned slightly to the left to make the light just perfect? Possibly, but the odds of that are about the same as hitting it big in Vegas.  And then the question becomes, is it even a "moment" if you were told where to stand, who to stand with, and what to do with that person? Or is it just a beautiful photograph? 

If you've ever been in a wedding, you know there are 100's of more examples of staged moments done throughout a traditionally photographed wedding day, but I want to keep this relatively short so we will just stick to the one example but you should get the gist.

Now don't get me wrong, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with the scenario above.  It's what the vast majority of couples actually want on their wedding days.  And how the vast majority of photographers actually want to photograph their clients wedding days. That is, once you weed through all the buzz words.  Those photos will make people ooh and ahh on social media and it's what people expect wedding photography to look like.  If that's the style you're looking for awesome!  So are most couples out there.  I'm just probably not your photographer and you need someone with a more editorial/Pinterest board style.

If you're the other 5% of couples out there, now we can dive into the good stuff!  True wedding photojournalism is for couples, like me and my Fiancee (have to remember to update this in 2023 lol), who appreciate photography but don't want to spend the majority of their wedding day being directed and posed.  As mentioned above, we will of course take traditional and posed portraits for you two.  Those are just done during a time we allot to do those and we can take as little, or as much, time as you'd like on them.  During that time you'll be posed and you'll be expecting to be posed.  During the rest of the day though, you'll be living your best life.  However you want and however that may end up looking.  By hiring a true wedding photojournalist, you have a photographer that is there and present in your moments during your entire day.  Someone who is there to capture the REAL "moments", as they happen, without you knowing the photo was even taken.  

Most couples are attracted to my portfolio/true photojournalistic style because it feels real and they can feel the emotions in the images. This comes from the statement above, you two are living your best lives on your wedding day, and I'm just present and aware to capture those moments.  In all the samples below I had ZERO influence on what happened.  No one was told where to stand, what to do, or how to do it.  Even though some of these may look like portraits or staged moments I promise you they ARE NOT.  They are all just real "moments" I put the work in for and was present for. 

I gravitated towards this "fly on the wall" style not just because it's how I would want my own wedding documented, but because I think the photos turn out a million times better than the staged versions.  I've always felt that once I start interjecting myself into a real moment, the actual moment is gone and what I'm left with are people who are camera aware and just performing for the camera.  Instead, by just being present and keeping people as unaware of me as possible, I'm able to capture who people really are and capture the actual joy and happiness they are feeling on such a momentous day.

Ok, enough rambling. Below are samples of how true photojournalism can be translated into wedding photography.