Wedding photography

Interesting thread about the definition of a term. When i was looking for wedding photographer a few years back to cover my wedding (Sorry guys and girls i wasn't a member here then otherwise i would have asked on here first!) i couldn't care if they used the term reportage, documentary, mentalist or triggerhappyshuttersnapper.

What counted most was that my wife and i had a raport with the tog, liked their work, felt confident in their ability and style and, above all, this was all at the right price for our budget.

Its really as simple as that. There may be technical definition differences between styles but within a business it doesnt matter. What matters is client satisfaction. Joe public looks at a website, looks at the pictures and (i read somewhere) makes their mind up within the first 5 seconds as to whether they will enquire further.

just me tuppenth worth!
 
dkh said:
I have only just joined this forum so please go easy. I have noticed a lot of websites list the photography service as one of the following: documentary / reportage / photojournalist.

What, in your mind, defines a documentary photographer and is this any different to a photojournalist / reportage?
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dkh said:
I've always thought that reportage and photojournalism are the same (probably wrong but hey) and definitely documentary is totally different?

To me, documentary is about story telling, capturing images that singularly and in conjunction with others, tell a story. Whereas reportage is about just capturing what you see and photojournalism is like reportage but you are removed and therefore capture anything and everything including not so pleasing imagery.

I got hooked on documentary style photography (mainly because my lecturer was a documentary wedding photographer) at uni and my friends were interested in the reportage / photojournalism styles.
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Spooky said:
Also, I understand why you have used the initials DKH, but are you aware that in some circles - namely my students - those initials are an abbreviation of something quite unpleasant and not something you wish to convey yourself as!?
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Spooky could mean a lot of things but I take it as a nick-name.

I am sorry if I have offended anyone but, I have asked questions not accused. I also apologies if those questions have been asked of 'established' members of this forum, being new I don't know the hierarchy. My questions were not to cause or inflict embarrassment or to somehow make it seem that one type of person is better than another or one style is better than another - I have this discussion all the time with people and usually the outcome is that I learn something and the person/s I'm discussing with have hopefully also learn something or, we agree to disagree. simple. This is what I thought forums are all about.

You are all very right that academia and real life are very different but I got taught to question and ask and not be embarrassed to ask until I understood.

- if the answer is that all these styles are called the same thing then ok.
 
It's not a question of hierarchy Dilip, it's more a question of working out what's going on.

Out of interest, I asked the 75 members of a closed forum I'm on (all very good, full-time wedding pros, invite only) what they thought the difference between the three terms of photojournalist, documentary and reportage was as they relate to wedding photography.

Overwhelming consensus was 'no difference beyond SEO'.
 
Radiohead said:
It's not a question of hierarchy Dilip, it's more a question of working out what's going on.

Out of interest, I asked the 75 members of a closed forum I'm on (all very good, full-time wedding pros, invite only) what they thought the difference between the three terms of photojournalist, documentary and reportage was as they relate to wedding photography.

Overwhelming consensus was 'no difference beyond SEO'.
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Thanks, I will take that on board. just to add, I am a member of a closed board called 'documentary wedding photographers' on Linkdin for over a year now and they say the styles are different. But, like you say, in business it doesn't matter as at the end of the day it's what the client wants.
 
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dkh said:
I got taught to question and ask and not be embarrassed to ask until I understood.
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Gets a bit hot around here sometimes ;). I do rather like a good debate, as long as it remains friendly (y)

I like your comment above....welcome aboard by the way.

Cheers.
 
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