To add a unique element to otherwise traditional wedding photos, artistic wedding photography is used. A photographer can create artistic wedding photos that uniquely convey the couple’s style and personality by using techniques like out-of-the-ordinary settings and extreme contrasts. A layer of perspective can be added to the wedding album by taking candid photos from a bird’s-eye view and ground-level angles.
One type of artistic wedding photography that can help convey who the couple is and what their hobbies and interests are is using unusual settings. The wedding couple can be photographed knee-deep in the ocean, a cornfield, or a vat of grapes while dressed up in their finery. Extreme contrast in photographs, such as a bride and groom playing mud volleyball, circling a racetrack, or riding aboard a tractor in their wedding attire, makes them more visually appealing. Brides who don’t want to keep their gowns after the wedding might be willing to go even further for artistic photos, such as rock climbing, surfing, or playing paintball in their gowns.
Another way to achieve artistic wedding photography is to take advantage of natural elements such as sunsets, waterfalls, and other outdoor features at the couple’s wedding venue. Traditional wedding photography, for example, might feature the couple standing in front of a waterfall, whereas artistic wedding photography might feature the couple behind the falls, capturing distorted images through the falls. Another option is to photograph the couple in an embrace, kissing beneath the falling water, to convey the strength of their bond.
Another type of artistic wedding photography is taking candid shots of the bride, groom, and wedding party on the wedding day rather than posed shots. Photos of a bride talking with her father, a flower girl pretending to be a bride, or the bride’s and groom’s mothers hugging before the event provide a behind-the-scenes look at the day’s pageantry. Similarly, photos of the groom and his groomsmen having a good time before the event, assisting each other in getting ready, or decorating the getaway car can add a unique element to the couple’s wedding photos.
The typical straight-on, shoulder-height shots used for traditional photography can be changed. More dramatic angles, such as shooting straight down on the ring bearer and flower girl or the wedding guests, can be used in artistic wedding photography. Using ladders, balconies, and stairwells to capture bird’s-eye views from various angles provides a fresh perspective on the wedding festivities. Views from the side and low angles, such as photographing the guests’ or wedding couple’s feet from ground level, provide artistic flair and subject matter.
Special effects are frequently used in artistic wedding photography, whether in a darkroom, a photo-manipulating program, or while shooting the photos. Different coloring methods, filters, and lenses, such as fish-eye lenses, can produce artistic wedding photography results. Modern-day photos can be given a vintage look by shooting or processing them in black and white or sepia tones.