Lots of people in the Philadelphia wedding photography industry specialize in candid, journalistic wedding photos. I’d say fine art photos and portraits are more my forte, but candids are nonetheless an important part of capturing the day!
There are so many unplanned moments that absolutely make a wedding. The groom’s face as he sees his bride for the first time. The look in a father’s eyes when he gives his daughter away. Let’s not forget the hilarious moments that can happen on the dance floor! Groomsmen love to let loose and get down, and most of the time those are the funniest photos of the night.
Capturing candids takes a totally different skill set than it takes to photograph formals, details, or portraits. Here are some of the things I’ve picked up during my years in Philadelphia wedding photography:
- Take the camera everywhere. This might seem like a no-brainer, but I mean it literally. You never know what you’ll stumble upon on your way to the bathroom!
- Use a long zoom. I can try to be everywhere at once, but there are always things I’m going to be too far away to capture. My 70-200 lens is my best friend when it comes to catching stuff going on across the room.
- Kill the flash. There are obvious exceptions to this, but flash can wash out a subject–plus, it’s distracting. Candid photos often depend on the subject being unaware they’re being photographed, and flash is a dead giveaway.
- Shoot a lot! The more frames you can get, the more likely it is that everyone’s eyes will be open.
- Photograph activities. There is a lot that happens on a wedding day. Getting candids of everything as it unfolds is essential.
- Photograph people with other people. People smile and laugh more around others. It’s surprisingly common that I’ll capture a photo of people together that they’ll treasure for a lifetime, and they didn’t even know I was taking it.
- Shoot from the hip. This is a phrase photographers use a lot, and it’s particularly useful in candid photography! Shooting from waist-level, without looking through the viewfinder, takes practice. Mastering it can help a photographer capture candid photos where people aren’t even aware they’re being photographed.
- Frame images. Basic principles of image creation apply, even when the photographer doesn’t have complete control over what’s in the shot.
- Go from posed to candid. Some of the most adorable candid moments happen between posed shots, like the groom teasing the bride… or the flower girl with her finger in her nose!
Are candid photos important to your wedding story? Tell me why or why not in the comments!
