Styles of black and white wedding photography
Black and white wedding photography steps away visual distractions like coloured clothing, colour casts from mixed light sources in a church and general background traffic. Taking all of that out of the equation gives the viewer an opportunity to appreciate some finer elements like composition, emotion and light.
Black and White adds drama and narrative
You might be concerned that taking away colour removes the atmosphere in your wedding photos but they actually become dramatic and timeless memories. Composition, light and choice of exposure becomes the elements that the viewer must look deeper at the photograph to read the narrative of the image.
This particularly suits a wedding which is in essence a franticly paced story that plays out in eight or so hours.
Emotion is stronger in Black and White Photographs.
The black and white photograph is succinct in the delivery of it’s message. I love photographing the motions at weddings, the expressions on faces, the spontaneous eruptions of laughter and joy or the little exchanges between excited guests.
I love using Black and White Documentary Wedding Photography to take the viewer to that emotion faster by taking away how we are used to seeing and all the processes that our brain likes to use to scan and consume an image.
Colour or black and white?
The simplest way I choose is to ask myself “is the colour worthy of keeping?” If it’s not or if it’s distracting away from a powerful image I take it out.
Can you have the colour copies of the photos?
My clients get all of their photos in colour and if I make a black and white version they get that as well.
Why Black and White is so popular
Classic and timeless are terms used so much that their meaning can hardly register sometimes. Black and white wedding photographs guarantee that whether you view them the week after your wedding or on your fifty year wedding anniversary they are going to look current and contemporary in style.
Wedding photography can go through fads that are perfectly acceptable at the time and horribly outdated shortly after. Currently photographers are desaturating the colour in their photos and darkening them.
Removing colour and making photos dark seems okay right now but imagine when it’s back to normal brightness and colour, people will wonder whats wrong with your photos.
I do not like the look myself and I do not think it’s fair on my clients to create memories of their wedding day that are dramatically altered and not authentic.
That’s why I choose a consistently popular professional Kodak colour film style to my colour photographs. A professional colour Kodak film designed for wedding and portrait photography that preserves details, colour and flattering skin tones.
Black and white takes away all the concern. Leaving you with the wonderful story of your wedding day to re live and enjoy for many years.