What Are The Biggest wedding photography trends Of 2017?
4 Biggest Wedding Photography Trends For 2017
What do you imagine when you think about your wedding photography?
Do you envision a specific style? Do you see your photographs in color or black and white?
In this article, we are going to share 4 of the biggest wedding photography trends for 2017. We're also going to include some "Pro Tips" to help you with your wedding!
4 Biggest Wedding Photography Trends Of 2017
1. Genuine Photographs
The landscape of wedding photography is always changing and always evolving.
If you've ever been lucky enough to see wedding pictures from the 80's and 90's, you'll know exactly what I mean. Wedding photography during these era's was awkward and it didn't have much artistic value.
Wedding photographers pointed the flash directly at their subject causing very harsh shadows and unflattering light. They had a handful of "poses" that just looked weird - "look at your watch," or "tie your shoes."
Modern day wedding photography is much different. It's much more artistic and much more focused on creating images that look natural. And today, couples want those genuine looking photographs.
Pro Tip
One of the most debated topics in wedding photography is "posing."
Should or shouldn't you pose your subjects?
When it comes to posing, we personally take a minimalist approach - the least amount of posing, the better.
The word "posing" comes with a negative connotation. I believe it's because we envision those awkward pictures - like those from the 90's. But posing doesn't need to be that crude and modern posing has evolved - it's much more subtle and authentic.
Sure, there are still those photographers out there trying to pose every single moment of the wedding day - obviously, you don't want to hire this type of photographer if you want to avoid a lot of posed photographs.
I do believe that some posing will always be necessary at weddings. 99% of couples getting married aren't models and don't have modeling experience.
Have you ever noticed what people do when you go to take their picture, even casually?
They usually stand with their feet perfectly together, arms straight down by their sides, and they look incredibly rigid. It's human nature because we've never been taught what to do with our bodies, hands, etc.
So posing, just to enhance the aesthetics of wedding photographs, will most likely always play at least a small role in professional photography.
Bottom line - genuine photographs is not a new concept. Wedding photography has been moving in this direction for quite some time. When choosing your wedding photographer, it will be critical to ask them a lot of questions regarding their work style. This should give you great insight on their beliefs and approach when it comes to posing, and creating natural looking images.
2. Black & White Photographs
Black and white photographs have always played a significant role in wedding photography.
As a matter of fact, it's been said that, "when you photograph someone in color, you're photographing their shirt, pants, shoes, hair, etc., but when you photograph someone in black and white, you're photographing their soul."
So, what's so special about black and white photographs in 2017?
More and more couples want to pass on having color images - they want all of their photographs in black and white.
Pro Tip
I absolutely adore black and white imagery and when it's applied to the right image, it creates a very classic, mysterious, and elegant photographs.
However, I've also worked with images that only looked so-so in black and white, but it looked amazing in color.
While black and white photographs are some of my favorites, choosing to get all of your wedding pictures in black and white is a big decision. Of course, you could choose to get your photographs in both color, and black and white, but you should expect to see increased costs as it will require additional editing time.
Yes, with everything being digital these days it's pretty simple to convert color images to black and white, but your photographer will still need to make individual adjustments to each image to ensure the black and white processing is properly applied.
3. Vintage
Vintage images have been a popular look for several years and it's going to continue in 2017!
If you're new to vintage photography, it creates photographs with washed out or faded looks. It gives your images and "old time" feel that are soft and romantic. It's a great look especially if you're using classic cars, burlap, lace or delicate flowers.
Pro Tip
Many couples are choosing to have all of their photographs processed in a vintage style. While its a beautiful look, it's also a more specialized approach, so it won't work well for all weddings.
Before you decide to go vintage, make sure your wedding will lend itself to this particular style. If you're unsure, be sure to share your vision with your photographer and get their professional opinion.
This image works well with in a vintage style, especially with the naval uniform
4. Classic Film Looks
The classic film look is expected to be one of the biggest trends for 2017.
It creates a very retro look and the images tend to have character by adding depth, and interest. And with the advancements in digital processing, you don't even need to hire a film photographer to achieve this look.
Like black and white and vintage, this style may not work well for all weddings or all photographs. So, you will need to give serious consideration to whether you want all your pictures or some of your pictures with this processing.
So, there you have it. The 4 biggest trends we can expect to see in 2017.
I personally think 2017 is going to create some very interesting wedding photography, and we may see many couples building their weddings around one of these trends.