I went down to the Wedding Expo at The Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg this weekend to have a look at what the new wedding portfolios were looking like. Pick up wedding trends, see what’s selling, check out the new wedding gown designs, that sort of thing.
After wandering about for an hour or so chatting to various photographers, listening to their pitches and looking through the portfolios, one thing struck me. None of the wedding photographers seem to have photographed the wedding. Now I know what you’re thinking, but all they had in their portfolios were portrait photographs, even the one’s billing themselves as documenting the day. I only saw one set of very posed getting ready photos, only one photographer had a shot of the actual ceremony, and one even had a bouquet shot. The rest, posed portraits. Posed portraits are great, some were even very nicely made, but where was the wedding?

There are many articles floating around on how to choose your wedding photographer and many will tell you to find out how many shots they will take, demand to see a wedding album from a full wedding and many other points. I’d like to add one thing. Look at the portfolio to see whether it shows the emotion of the day, the moment when they exchange rings, the trepidation as the bride gets ready, the moment when they walk out as man and wife for the very first time, then ask the photographer, “Where is the wedding?”

These images are protected by copyright, no use of any images shall be granted without the written permission from Dror Eyal Photography.

This entry was posted Sunday, September 4th, 2005 at 10:25 am and is filed under Contains Images, Opinion, Photography.