Well, not fake per se like it didn’t happen, it happened and it’s a real photo but it’s probably not a real wedding photo.
Anyone who has been following me for awhile or taken the time to read my FAQ’s, should at this point know that I do my absolute best to “keep it real.” If you’re interested, for the most part, I will show you how the sausage is made. This may make some in my industry mad but unlike our politicians, I believe in transparency.
I’ll explain.
Chris and Becca Photography explains that in the photography world there exists a mythical thing called the “stylized photo shoot.” A stylized photo shoot is everything a regular photo shoot or wedding is not. Everything is controlled, everything. Lighting, props, backgrounds, models, nothing is left to chance, everything is just…. perfect. Photographers like Elizabeth M Photography love these shoots because they know exactly what to expect and we do get some excellent images out of it. Potential clients love these images because, well let’s be real, who doesn’t love a pretty picture?
Here’s the problem with this… it’s not honest. When was the last time everything around you was perfect? Not a perfect moment, perfect for hours. The simple truth is that life is not perfect. When photographers use these stylized shoots to sell their services and they do, heavily, it can leave clients confused, frustrated and angry that their photos don’t look like the photos in the photographer’s “portfolio.” During the course of a wedding anything can, and often does, happen. Things go wrong, lighting changes, guests get in the way of the shot… that’s life. A photographer, a wedding photographer in particular, needs to be able to adjust for these things and the million other things that happen… on the fly and still get the great shot.
Anyone who is looking for a wedding photographer or any photographer for that matter needs to be concerned with the breadth of the photographer’s work. If there are only a few weddings or the pictures look a little too good and there are no other examples, that is a red flag and you might want to ask for more examples. Stylized shoots are not representative of the actual work a photographer can produce under real world, ever changing, conditions. Get ready to swoon as you glance through the amazing images of our Texas Wedding Photographer partners! They have compiled a diverse group of Texas wedding photographers offering unique styles and a variety of price points.
With all of that being said, stylized shoots do have their place. Stylized shoots mainly exist so that the other vendors like a florist, a invitation designer, a hair and make up artist, a dress designer, a cake decorator, a men’s clothing designer, and a venue can all set up like a real wedding and be photographed so that they can show potential brides what they can do. So yes, you need the professional photographer, but then the photographers started using these images as part of their portfolio to show their “weddings.” These shoots are not meant, or should not be meant, for building a photographer’s portfolio as if to say “this is what your wedding pictures will look like if you hire me.”
I have participated in a couple of stylized shoots but honestly I do not emphasize them or really use them in my portfolio. A vast majority of the time, I am too busy to even bother with these types of shoots. All of the work you see on my website was a real, actual, shoot. Someone really got married. Someone really said I do. The bride really did make those centerpieces.
My point to all of this is that when you’re making the decision about who is going to capture some of the most important photos you’ll ever have taken and you see an image that seems just a little too perfect….
Maybe you’re right.
~ Laura
