WHAT IS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY?
Fine art wedding photography is a style of photography that focuses on capturing the emotions, story and beauty of a wedding day in an artful and intentional way. The photographer approaches the day with a clear vision in mind, and uses their skills and expertise to create a cohesive set of images that tell the story of the day. They pay attention to every detail, carefully considering the composition, lighting and color in each frame. The result is a set of photographs that are not just snapshots of the day, but works of photographic art that are worthy of an art gallery. This style of photography is different from traditional event coverage, as the focus is on producing the most intentional, refined and consistent images possible while also preserving the genuine joy, romance and emotion of the day.
Fine art wedding photographers approach their work with precision, ensuring that nothing is just a quick snap. They capture candid moments with beauty and consistency to the fine art aesthetic. Every element in the frame is carefully considered and adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that it fits the overall story and colour palette. The ultimate goal of their photos is to take what is already beautiful and elevate it to create images that exceed your expectations and are even more stunning than you could have imagined.
Why should you hire a fine art wedding photographer?
Overall artistic vision
When it comes to hiring a fine art wedding photographer, there are many reasons to choose this type of photographer over others. One of the main reasons is that fine art wedding photographers have a clear vision for the photos they want to create for you.
Imagine an artist painting a canvas. Before they even start, they have a rough idea of what the final painting will look like. This is similar to how a fine art wedding photographer approaches your wedding day. They have a vision for your photos before they even arrive, and this vision is shaped by the unique elements of your day like the season, venue, color palette, style and vibe, and your personalities.
This vision becomes a filter that every decision the photographer makes is run through, whether it's choosing colors to incorporate, backgrounds to use, or angles to shoot. This ensures that every image, even the candid moments, are presented beautifully, cohesively, and uniquely for your wedding day.
It's important to note that this approach is different from what is common in the wedding photography world. More often than not, photographers are highly reactive in the moment and they shoot what is presented to them without the same level of vision and artistry. Fine art wedding photographers take it to a whole different level, elevating your photos from simple coverage to intentionally crafted art.
Refined Style
Fine art wedding photography is a style that seeks to capture refined, sophisticated, elegant, timeless, and romantic images on a wedding day. Fine art photographers work to produce photographs that align with this aesthetic. There are several common traits associated with fine art wedding photography, including:
Bright and airy exposures: Fine art wedding photography is characterized by brighter exposures, often referred to as "light and airy", which creates a sense of elegance and refinement.
Soft, pastel coloring and a preference for neutrals: Fine art wedding photographs are often characterized by soft, pastel coloring and a preference for neutral tones, which add to the sophisticated and timeless look.
Timeless, true-to-color edits: Fine art wedding photographers are known to use timeless, true-to-color edits to keep the photographs looking as natural as possible.
Use of natural vs. artificial light: Fine art wedding photographers prefer to use natural light whenever possible, as it creates a more authentic and elegant look.
Romantic posing and moments: Fine art wedding photographers strive to capture romantic posing and moments, which adds to the overall elegance of the photographs.
Shallow depth of field: The use of shallow depth of field is common in fine art wedding photography, where the subject is in focus and the background is nicely out of focus, which creates a sense of depth and softness.
Subjects pulled off the background: Fine art wedding photographers prefer to pull subjects off the background whenever possible to create great depth and softness.
A love of the finer things: Fine art wedding photographers have a love for the finer things in life, such as fashion, florals, minimalism, and tasteful decor, which they incorporate into their photographs.
Stunning imagery
Fine art wedding photographers are dedicated to capturing stunning and elevated images that truly enhance your special day. They understand that every wedding has the potential for amazing photos, but it all depends on their ability to pay attention to detail and make the right decisions. The goal is to present your wedding day in the best possible light, using a fine art aesthetic that is bright, clean, elegant, and refined.
However, creating polished and effortless-looking imagery requires a lot of hard work and effort. These photographers don't simply shoot things as they are presented to them, but instead make adjustments and improvements to make the image even better. They may rearrange decorations, fix and adjust lighting, and even remove items from the frame if they don't match the wedding. They are willing to go above and beyond to capture the perfect shot, doing whatever it takes to make the image flawless.
Fine art wedding photographers are dedicated to this idea of creating "better than presented" images and will put in all their energy, creativity, and effort to make sure your wedding photos are perfect. Trust that no other type of photographer is as committed to this goal as they are.
Styling Details
Fine art wedding photographers are known for going above and beyond to make sure your wedding details are captured in a beautiful, storytelling, artistic, and special way. They pay special attention to all the little things that make your wedding unique, such as your dress and veil, shoes, bouquet, invitation suite, rings, vow books, perfume bottle, and bridal jewelry. These details are often overlooked or rushed by other photographers, but to a fine art photographer, they are extremely important. They are key parts of the story they are trusted to tell, and they help create a sense of anticipation for the day ahead, as well as showcase the wedding style and color palette.
In order to ensure that these details are captured perfectly, fine art wedding photographers schedule enough time for these shots and bring a "styling kit" to each wedding. This kit includes large styling boards in different colors to match any wedding palette, allowing them to create consistent flat lays that match their signature aesthetic no matter the venue. They also bring luxurious silk ribbon on wooden spools, ring dishes, and acrylic riser blocks to place under paper goods, which adds dimension and interest to their flat lays. This allows them to create beautiful and polished images even if the venue doesn't provide a perfect surface.
Natural Portraits
Fine art wedding photographers understand that most of their clients are not professional models and they don't expect them to act like it. They take on the responsibility of making their clients look their best in their photos. With over a decade of experience studying the human form and how it translates into photographs, they have perfected the art of making normal couples look like models.
As artists, they have studied how two people in love translate into photographs. The result of this study is an understanding of how to capture natural and un-posed portraits that don't look stiff. They know how to find flattering angles for all shapes and sizes and they understand how two bodies fit together in a photograph. They provide just the right amount of guidance, enough to make their clients look their best but at the same time leaving room for authentic and candid emotions.
Clients want to look like themselves in their photos, but they appreciate the expert help in making sure they look their best. Fine art wedding photographers are able to provide that expert help and make sure their clients are happy with their final photos.
In Summary
Fine art wedding photography is not just a job, it's a mindset and an approach. I view it as the role you've entrusted to me with is an opportunity to create a unique and beautiful work of art. I see your wedding day as a blank canvas and I use our skills and creativity to paint a story that is unique to your love story. I understand that our clients are not just hiring a vendor, but commissioning a work of art that will be treasured for a lifetime. I take this responsibility very seriously and am fully committed to making sure that my clients love their images.
In short, if you are looking for a fine art wedding photographer who will approach your day with the mindset of an artist, and will create a unique and beautiful work of art that will tell your love story in a unique way, please get in touch with me. I would love to discuss the possibility of capturing your special day!
