While you put thought and care into selecting each one of your wedding vendors, did you also think about how well they’d all work together? Of all these relationships, your photographer and cinematographer are pretty key – they’re the gatekeepers to those post-vows very important items. So who better to get insight on this important partnership than Love by Serena and Josh Gooden, who often work together (as Josh & Serena) as a team, delivering the best possible finished results for their couples.
When it comes to hiring both a photographer and cinematographer for your wedding day, there’s a lot to consider. Every artist has their own unique style and approach to creating visual imagery, so making sure these vendors are a cohesive, collaborative, and professional team is vital to receiving the best quality end product.
The main benefit to hiring an all-inclusive photo and cinema vendor team is that you’ll have one main point of contact and they will already know how to work seamlessly to capture your day in both mediums. However, we understand this isn’t always an option, based on the vendor of your choosing, style of work or availability.
If you plan to hire separate photo and cinema teams, we recommend you ask your first-hired vendor for suggestions for the other half of the team. Experienced wedding photographers and cinematographers will typically have a recommendation for someone who they know works well with their own style of shooting. If your photographer and cinematographer team’s styles are not cohesive, it not only affects the final photo and video products, but can also create tension or conflict between the photographer and cinematographer on your wedding day.
There are many approaches to documenting a wedding, but the majority of modern day professional photographers fall into the categories of editorial, photojournalist or a blend of the two. Editorial style photographers are typically detail-oriented and prep their clients in advance for clean images. This may include tidying up a room before getting dressed into wedding attire. Photojournalist style photographers may make several suggestions leading up to the day, but will typically capture moments as they happen.
Likewise, there are a variety of approaches and styles of filming a wedding day as a cinematographer. Some cinematographers film in high-definition, 4K, Super 8mm, Super 16mm or a blend of analog film and digital cameras. Some cinematographers prep their clients with creative direction for artistic shots, while others document the day as an event. Being on the same page for these various styles helps to achieve a cohesive final product all around.
In addition to shooting style, the editing style plays a key role on the wedding day. Some cinematographers build their films to music (without any spoken audio), while other cinematographers are audio-driven. Audio driven cinematographers typically tell the story of the day through a narrative – such as audio from dinner toasts, ceremony vows and written letters. Clean audio is also important to the quality of an audio-driven film. If you are choosing an audio-driven cinematographer to document your wedding day, make sure to consult with both your photographer and cinematographer regarding their individual needs for receiving the highest quality photo and video products.
There are many different styles of photography, but the majority of photographers are either primarily natural light based or artificial light based. Natural light based photographers typically shoot with no artificial lighting – unless deemed necessary. They may use artificial lighting for parts of the wedding day, but typically only for indoor, dark or late night portrait photographs. Artificial light based photographers will typically set up off-camera lighting for both indoor and outdoor photographs.
The majority of cinematographers rely on consistent lighting conditions for a beautiful end product, whether that be consistent natural light or a video light.
Regardless of the style you choose for your wedding day, hiring an experienced wedding photography and cinematography team is a one of the best decisions that can be made when planning your day! Most seasoned professionals have worked together with a variety of wedding vendors. Having the skill and knowledge of working weddings is key to anticipating and capturing moments on one of the most important days of your life!
ONGOING GIVEAWAYS + DISCOUNTS…
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We’re excited to share that Shine invitations is currently offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $500 (US orders only) as well as a free sample kit featuring the invitation of your choice, color charts, paper samples, and an example Save the Date! Don’t miss out!
THIS WEEK’S DISCOUNTS…
For our California Brides… Discounts from The Ranch at Laguna Beach and Weddings by Susan Dunne
For our Destination Brides… Discount from Hitch’d Weddings & Events
For our Tri-state Brides… Discount from Femina Photo + Design, giveaway from OLLI STUDIO, and don’t miss the Lela Rose Trunk Show at Gabriella New York (June 23 – 26)!
Cinematography Advice: Josh Gooden Cinematography | Photography + Cinematography Team: Josh & Serena | Photography Advice: Love by Serena