What is a fine art wedding photographer?
When looking for a wedding photographer, one of the first things that you will notice is that there is a vast multitude of photography styles. Some are super edited, some are lightly edited. Some are dark and dramatic, some are white and bright, some are true to life and look exactly how you see it with your eye. Some have filters slapped on them.
In this post I am digging into a very specific style of photography, the style that I would say is my style of photography: fine art wedding photography. I am going to explain what fine art photography is, how to recognize it, and why, in my humble opinion, it is the best route to take when hiring a wedding photographer.
What is a fine art photographer?
This definition can be tricky, because technically speaking there are a lot of ways to interpret ‘fine art’. In general, a fine art photographer is not simply taking run of the mill portraits- a fine art photographer sees their medium as an art form, and therefore considers their photographs works of art. There is usually a specific style that photographer is known for, and people booking with that photographer hire them not just because they are a photographer in their local area, but because they want their wedding day to be styled and captured by them.
Broadly speaking, in the wedding world, fine art photography is associated with the film “bright and airy” style of photography. Some photographers actually use old fashioned film for weddings, other photographers shoot digital and edit in a style that mimics that style of photography. It is very hard to define or explain without photography knowledge, so let’s jump into some ways to know what fine art wedding photography is.
How to identify the fine art photography style.
It’s very focused on storytelling. The photos will be a mix of details, candids, posed photos, but shot in such a way that tells the story of the wedding day. From the very beginning of the day with photos of perfume bottles, candids of putting on lipstick, slipping into the dress, all the way to the post-ceremony drink ‘cheers!’ and hugging grandma at the reception, a fine art photographer captures all these “small” moments throughout the day and the overall wedding gallery adds up to this beautiful, detail rich collection of wedding photos that make you feel like you are there. Fine art photography is about how you feel when you look at the photos- it should make you feel raw emotion and help tell the story again and again.
There are a lot of details. Fine art photographers love details. They do flat lays of invites, jewelry, shoes, lipstick- everything. They get lots of scenery photos and detailed photos of the venue. They get ceremony photos of the arch and details of the reception space before anyone is in there- focusing on the plates, the menu, the forks, all the little details. This is mostly because this is a part of the story telling component listed above, but it’s also because all those little details matter and are pieces of art in and of themselves.
Bright and airy editing. This one is, again, open to some interpretation, but in general, fine art photography is brighter, whimsical and airy. There are a lot of neutral backgrounds and soft romantic colors such as pastels, greens, pinks, and whites. All the photos tie in together and have a very bright and romantic effect to them.
The film effect. The bright and airy film has a very distinct look. In the modern era, many people flip through magazines and instagram and see beautiful images of weddings and are able to articulate that there is something magic about them but are not sure what it is.The magic they are seeing is film. Film is still widely used by fine art photographers in weddings today. It is an older art form that is difficult to learn, but there is no other way of totally faking the film look other than to shoot with film. It is extremely difficult to describe- the greens are lusher, the skin tones are more flattering, and it interacts with light differently than a digital image. It has that bright and airy look to it but with a little bit of grain that just makes you feel like it is a work of art, not just a photograph. Again, not all fine art photographers shoot film. Some shoot digitally and have developed a style that mimics the film look very closely, some photographers shoot hybrid digital and film for a wedding day and put it all together, and some purely shoot film. Each photographer is different in their approach and their overall style, but in general look out for really good colors and for photos that make you feel like they have magic.
Aesthetic. A fine art photographer will have a pronounced aesthetic that you can see and feel within their portfolio. It is a consistent style of editing, shooting, and storytelling that makes them unique and stand out. You should make sure that the aesthetic of the wedding photographer is exactly what you are looking for because they don’t often deviate from their aesthetic.
Why should I hire a fine art wedding photographer?
Fine art photographers are masters of their craft. It has taken years of hard work and practice to evolve into this higher-end of photography, and they will bring their artistry to your wedding and capture it unlike anyone else.
Fine art photographers are for people who value storytelling, art, details and who want to have their wedding captured in a very specific way. People who hire fine art photographers want their photos to stand the test of time. 50 years from their wedding when they show their grandkids their wedding album, the photos should hold up as timeless and romantic due to the film effect style of shooting.
Fine art photography meshes extremely well with weddings. It is a very special day in the couple's life and they should have extraordinarily beautiful photos of them that are works of art, not just standard, run of the mill photos.
What is my style of photography over here at Kristen Bowen Photography?
I definitely classify myself as a fine art photographer. I usually shoot the bright and airy aesthetic, but a little less bright than some people. I’m okay having some different tones depending on the venue I’m in. But generally, I am attracted to whites and neutrals and very lovely movement based photos. I love old architecture and romantic details. I shoot digitally, but as of the time of writing this post I am developing my film skill set and will hopefully begin incorporating film into my wedding photography soon!
I love helping my couples explore what style of photography they are interested in. If the fine art style of photography sounds interesting to you, click below to fill out an inquiry form, and we can set up a no pressure consultation where I dive deeper into this style of photography and walk you through your wedding day!!