Wedding Photos, Engagement Photos, Wedding Photography, Engagement Photography Wedding Photography

Candid Wedding Photography and Documentary Photography is there a difference?

By AM Newsum

All images by Ambrosia Event Services and A. Michaels

A candid photograph is a photograph that is made either without the subject’s knowledge or without their explicit permission, hence they are captured unposed.

Candid photography catches moments of life from immersion in it. Candid photography is opposed to the stalking involved in photographic documentary intrusion,, which all have a focus on getting distant objects photographed, e.g. telephoto lens. Candid photography’s setup includes a photographer who is there with the “subjects” to be photographed, close, and not hidden. People photographed on candid shots either ignore or accept the close presence of the photographer’s camera without posing.

The events documented are often private, they involve people in close relation to something they do, or they involve people’s relation to each other. Candids are the kinds of pictures taken at children’s birthday parties and on Christmas morning, opening the presents; the pictures a wedding photographer takes at the reception, of people dancing, eating, and socializing. The documentary genre has a range of purposes, from the simple selection and recording of events (a snapshot or unedited holiday video) to a polemic text that attempts to persuade the audience into a specific set of opinions. Audiences must identify that purpose early on and will therefore decode documentary texts differently to fictional narratives.

A candid moment.

Category candid

This is a great image in my opinion simply because it represents what I believe is a classic candid image. Why is the groom smiling so broadly? Look closely to his lips and you’ll notice the lipstick.

A great documentary image tells a story of where, what, when and how the image was taken. Here as you see the wedding ceremony is held near a Koi pond.

This image represents the kind of photography that will bring back a poignant moment in time. Three girls working together in preparation of the big day.

This image of a Korean bride being readied is a wonderful example of a candid moment. You can sense the attention to detail as the moms prepare the bride.

A moment in time as the bride and groom exchange a quiet embrace soon after their ceremony. This image illustrates the first and only time they will have any time alone during their wedding day. Touching and the warmth of the lighting leaves you with a feeling love and joy.

Here’s an image I would classify as a candid staged image. The photographer asks the wedding party to jump into the air. The photographers job is to capture the image at just the right time to make the image work. The couple on the right tells you that timing isn’t as easy as you think.

Even though you don’t see the parents faces you can almost sense their eyes and embracing their daughter as she walks towards them soon to become a wife.

A lovely example of a candid image

Like I said knowing where to be at the right moment can make an ordinary image extraordinary. Love the framing, don’t you?

This image needs no explanation a true documentary image. Check grandmas expression as she evaluates the ring her granddaughter has on her finger.

An image that captures a significant moment in time like the grooms first look at his soon to be bride can be both classically candid and documentary

A very comical candid moment

A scene setting image can be great but couple this image with reaction photos are what makes great story telling.

Candid and Documentary images are twined by the timing and good fortune of a photographer.

Telling a story that perhaps defines who, what where and when the image was captured. Or by the skills and creativity of the photographer staging a moment that can be looked upon as either a candid or documentary images. Like these final images below.

Grooms portrait using the reflection of the limos windows as a form of framing. A candid style portrait.