Natural wedding photography is all about capturing candid moments and real emotions, rather than staged or posed shots. This style of photography focuses on the couple and their guests, rather than props or elaborate set-ups.
A skilled natural wedding photographer is someone who blends into the background while capturing candid interactions between family and friends. They should never interrupt or impact the flow of the day.
Yes to group shots
There will always be some family photographs, every mum/dad/grandparent/best friend requests one even if you try to avoid it. Best to just factor them in and get a few done in the least stressful way possible. But aside from those few pre-planned family pictures, the focus during a wedding day for natural wedding photographer is to capture the heartfelt moments between loved ones. These fleeting moments are what truly embody the essence of a wedding day.
Using techniques borrowed from classic documentary photography, the aim is to take candid pictures of everyone (where they don’t know they’re being photographed) to tell a story.
The fun thing about weddings though is that they are sociable events, so more often than not you find yourself in and amongst the conversation and are invited into the group to take more intimate photographs that are, whilst still unposed, much more immersive than simply trying to capture people unawares. The result? A genuine, authentic, and everlasting record of your wedding day. Natural and sincere, these images will be treasured for years to come.
Making the best use of natural light
One of the key elements of natural wedding photography is the use of natural light. Working with natural light gives the photographer considerably more creative freedom to work their way around a scene, it also means you can work faster and capture more if you’re not tied to waiting for a person to hit the perfect spot for your lighting setup.
Natural light is also much softer and creates a romantic ambiance that can be difficult to replicate with artificial lighting. This style of wedding photography, working with the location and the lighting rather than against it, means the photographs are much truer to your memory of the event.
Consider the time of year you’re planning on getting married
One of the considerations for a client researching the different styles of wedding photography should be how the time of year and the time of day affects your photographs. If you’ve fallen in love with shots with golden summer sunlight, you can’t replicate that in October. Not only that, but in high summer the most beautiful light occurs in the early evening.
This is worth bearing in mind as it’s often right at the same time as you would typically be eating, so you need to factor that in if you want to make time to head outside for some sunset shots.
Photographers refer to this time of day as the golden hour.
It’s roughly an hour before the sun drops below the horizon, but the half an hour after the sun has completely set often gives you just as beautiful light because there are no hard shadows, so you’ve actually got a decent sized time window of about an hour and a half to factor in some beautiful evening portraits.
Equipment
When it comes to equipment, natural photographers will keep things simple and unobtrusive. One, maybe two cameras and a few prime lenses, this allows the photographer to capture beautiful, detailed shots without drawing too much attention to themselves.
About you, the client
The ideal client for natural wedding photography is someone who wants their wedding day to be captured authentically and without feeling like they have to constantly pose for pictures. They want to enjoy their day without feeling stressed or worried about photography, and want a photographer who can blend in and capture genuine moments as they happen.
These clients tend to be laid back and easy-going, with a focus on the people and emotions of the day rather than the details. They prioritize the experience of their wedding day over the aesthetics and want their photos to reflect that. They may also value sustainability and environmental consciousness, and may seek out a photographer who shares these values.
These clients often have a strong connection to nature and the outdoors, and may choose a rustic or outdoor venue for their wedding. They value simplicity and authenticity, and want their photos to reflect their natural surroundings and the true emotions of the day.
Hopefully this article has helped you better understand what is meant by the term natural wedding photography, feel free to reach out to me on my website https://liamsmithphotography.com if you have any more questions!