The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

digitally, has described this as “being in the moment,” a
Zen-like state that at least for him is physically and emotionally
exhausting. Buissink stays in the moment from the
time he begins shooting and will stay in that mode for six
to eight hours.
UNIQUENESS
While they may contain similar features, no two weddings
are ever the same—and it is the photographer’s responsibility
to show what is unique about each wedding. Greg
Gibson, a two-time Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist
turned wedding photographer says, “All weddings are
alike, there’s a man and a woman in love, they’re going to
have this big party, there’s the anticipation,
the preparation, the ceremony, the
party. It’s like the movie Groundhog
Day. But the challenge is to find the nuances
in each one.” That challenge is
what keeps Gibson fresh—he does fifty
weddings a year and says it’s fun. “Yes,
it’s fun. When I go to a wedding people
are always glad to see me. I’m welcomed
in. As a journalist that isn’t always the
case. Monica [Lewinsky] wasn’t happy
to see me when I showed up at the
Mayflower Hotel.”
STYLE
Today’s wedding coverage reflects an
editorial style, pulled from the pages of
bridal magazines. Noted Australian
wedding photographer Martin Schembri
calls the style of the contemporary
wedding coverage a “magazine style”
with a “clean, straight look.” If you
study these magazines you will notice
that there is often very little difference
between the advertising photographs
and the editorial ones used to illustrate
articles. The style may be natural or chic,
Yervant Zanazanian created this fabulous portrait
of bride and groom in the shade of a house.
Notice the beautifully content glow in the bride’s
expression. Yervant’s skills, both as a photographer
and with people, are evident in every frame
of his wedding coverage.
high energy or laid-back, but uniqueness is critical—it’s
the real product people are buying.
PEOPLE SKILLS
While wedding photojournalists are generally more reactive
than proactive, they cannot be flies on the wall for the
entire day. Interaction with the participants is crucial, so
you need to be a people person, capable of inspiring trust
in the bride and groom.
Joe Buissink has been labeled a “salt of the earth” personality
who makes his clients instantly like and trust him.
That trust leads to complete freedom to capture the event
as he sees it. He advises, “You must hone your communi-
THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER’S MINDSET 23