What is Wedding Photojournalism in Buenos Aires?

As we mentioned in our article HOW TO CHOOSE A PHOTOGRAPHER, there are several alternatives when it comes to wedding photography styles. We specialize in Wedding Photojournalism (or Documentary Wedding Photography), but first, we will attempt to describe the different options that exist; at least the most common and well-known ones.

“Classic” or “Traditional” photography style

As the name implies, it refers to the photos as we have (or had) in our collective imagination: a few years ago, when digital photography wasn’t as popular or accessible, the (brave!) photographers shot everything on film. Of course, this had an impact on many technical aspects and differences, but fundamentally on the number of photos taken during events.

Today, wedding photographers can take thousands of photos, and although that brings different complications, we no longer have the problem of being limited in terms of the number of shots we can take.

While this seems completely unfeasible today, at the time, this technical limitation forced the photographer to ensure and carefully compose each shot. The result is what we already know: photos that are technically super careful, with perfect flash-assisted exposures, and people rigorously looking at the camera.

Nowadays, with the benefits and paradigm shift brought by digital photography, the style has mutated, and this very “classic” approach has fallen into some disuse, though there are still colleagues and studios that follow that line, especially those who come from that old school.

“Lifestyle” or “Editorial” photography style

This is a slightly more modern approach, which shares much with classic photography in that it maintains a general idea of posed photos, but with the added bonus of a very carefully curated aesthetic in all scenes. The so-called “magazine-style photos”.

This style of photography brings the essence of fashion photography into the world of social events.

Normally, in this type of reportage, great importance is given to details (the outfit of the subjects, accessories, etc.), and artificial lighting is often used to achieve an aesthetic similar to studio photography.

Wedding Photojournalism style

There is a lot to say about this approach, and—nobleza obliga (credit where credit is due)—the first thing to clarify is that this term is not at all literal. Photojournalism or documentary photography in general is a very rich branch of photography, full of enormous photographers. This makes the term sound a bit pretentious, but so far, no better definition has appeared that satisfies everyone.

In principle, it involves creating a reportage with a documentary perspective where moments are recorded in a natural and spontaneous way without intervening in the scenes.

In plain English: when a photojournalist covers, let’s say, a public protest, a march, or any event, they don’t have the possibility of “arranging” what happens, or staging the subjects, their poses, etc. So the “wedding photojournalist” has the mission of “mimicking” those working conditions.

Returning to the world of weddings and events in general, the great difference (and complication) of the wedding photojournalist compared to other styles is their skill in capturing what happens as an invisible witness, limiting themselves to photographing the things that happen, and that would happen regardless of whether they were there or not. And above all, their ability to anticipate what will likely happen in order to be in the right moment and place to be able to “hunt the moment”.

The result? Beautiful! Our experience tells us (and shows us) every weekend that people look infinitely better in photos when they don’t realize they are being photographed. On the other hand, what you see in the photos are genuine moments that immediately refer back to the emotions experienced at each time. In the Instagram era, where most of the photos we see are staged and posed, photos resulting from a documentary approach to weddings immediately stand out for their freshness and sincerity.

There is a lot of bibliography (very interesting, by the way 🤓) that talks about the “reality” (or not) that photography can transmit or communicate. It is not the purpose of this post to go into such detail, but conceptually we find the idea of recording real scenes that occur naturally to be super interesting.

Beyond all this, we believe we have a style that, while largely photojournalistic, also takes some traits from classic photography (read more ahead: “What about couple portraits and classic family photos?”) and some touches of lifestyle wedding photography, for example, when we take couple photos and portraits of the bride and groom once they are ready for the ceremony.

The feedback we get from the couples we’ve photographed is truly amazing in that sense: “there are beautiful photos I didn’t even realize were being taken,” or “I can’t believe you were able to capture this moment,” or “you were everywhere, but we didn’t even see you.” These are all responses we have received and continue to receive regularly, and they couldn’t make us happier 😊

Why hire a photographer specialized in wedding photojournalism?

The biggest differentiator of this type of coverage is that it portrays real, spontaneous moments rather than just focusing on “looking good in the photo.”

By definition, a photojournalist is supposed to be prepared to take photos in any situation. This presents a major technical advantage over other styles, as events generally last for many hours, during which there are drastic changes in the types of scenes (getting ready at hotels or houses, then ceremonies in different locations, and especially the reception and party in very different and complex lighting conditions). This is where photojournalism wins, by having the ability to resolve each situation in the best possible way in a matter of seconds.

We also always recommend looking at a lot of work from the photographer you are considering for your wedding, to ensure their style is aligned with what you are looking for and your expectations.

Unfortunately, there are many photographers who promise a photojournalistic approach in their pitch, but it has nothing to do with the actual material they produce… that is why we strongly suggest you take the time to study each colleague’s proposal carefully… because at a wedding, there are no second chances! We created an article with tips and recommendations for choosing your ideal photographer, where we dive a little deeper into this topic.

What about couple photos and classic family photos?

That is the question we get asked the most! OF COURSE, there must be photos of the couple and family photos!

In our particular case, the natural and spontaneous style is the central axis upon which we build the coverage; but precisely, thinking about wedding photography from a documentary perspective, we find it extremely important to have those classic family portraits—tidy, well-lit, with everyone looking at the camera, like photos from the old days.

The reality is that having these photos does not detract from the photojournalistic style at all; on the contrary, they are a perfect complement. We always try to coordinate them beforehand to do them as quickly as possible and free the bride and groom and their family to then enjoy the rest of the party along with all the guests! 🙂

What about lighting in Wedding Photojournalism?

Following the same idea of capturing “the essence” of each moment and the people who star in it, part of the idea of wedding photojournalism is to try to capture the environments just as they are. Without lights that interfere with the scenes and the moments as they unfold.

One of the premises we follow is to think of the photographic result in the long term. Our idea is that when every family sees those photos (and videos!) several years from now, they will trigger the memory that transports them back to the very moment everything happened; that they be as faithful a reflection as possible of what was experienced and FELT that day.

Of course, we always have our support lights because it is not always technically possible to record all spaces exactly as they are. But we try to ensure that when we do use them, it is in a creative way and, above all, that they are not invasive, but rather just complement the real atmosphere of each place and situation.

What about videos? Are there wedding documentaries?

But of course! In fact, come to think of it, it is in the wedding video where the documentary style can best be represented!

All the premises and techniques used in photography also apply to making documentary wedding videos: avoiding forced poses, not intervening in scenes with external lights, respecting the atmosphere of each moment, and above all, recording everything as mere witnesses to the events, which forms the practically unique “script” we bring to each of the events we cover. The great difference that documentary wedding videos have over photos is the audio component. In the documentary video, we can record the words of the couple as well as those of the speakers during the ceremony, a fundamental element of documentary filmmaking.

The result of this is very fresh, natural imagery that reflects everything that happened that day as faithfully as possible.

And beyond the documentary record of the party itself, the good thing is that you can make (even more!) documentary videos that tell the story of the couple, or the family, or anything! In this example video, we put together a tour of Ceci and Juan’s story in a classic documentary style (with interviews and everything!), and look how beautiful it turned out!

Some final considerations on Wedding Photojournalism

No style is “better” or “worse” in itself. Each of the options has its own characteristics, and none is right or wrong. It is about finding the type of photography with which you feel most identified.

There are people who see themselves better reflected in images that look more like what we might see in a magazine, and that is perfect!

There are couples with a more “classic” view who prioritize having traditional photos and ensuring, for example, they have a photo with every guest at the party, even following the famous “table-by-table photo” ritual. Of course, that is very good too!

Wedding photojournalism is by no means a style that is “against” any other aesthetic or visual proposal. On the contrary, we believe it has arrived to give a breath of fresh air to the way social events are viewed.

In general, this documentary style usually “appeals more” to couples who seek to organize Alternative Weddings, with different touches, etc., but as we mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with more traditional styles, both in parties and photography styles. The truly important thing—and our final advice/comment—is that, by knowing this information, you can see, think about, and evaluate which style represents you most, and ABOVE ALL, you can browse and consider all the options you find until you can find the style and team that best meets your expectations.

As we mentioned before, it is important that you can verify each photographer’s portfolio and evaluate for yourself how aligned the images are with their value proposition and your personal tastes.

Luckily, there are photographers for every taste!