Photography Style 101
One of the most creative aspects of photography is being able to use a multitude of photographic styles in the same session. This can help to showcase many different looks, with just one shoot! These two styles are called editorial photography and photojournalistic photography. Even though editorial and photojournalistic photography may seem similar to a lot of people, there are actually some big creative differences between the two.
EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
The best way to think about editorial photography is that the image is set up in a way that is considered “magazine-worthy.” This means it will fit nicely for print or in an online publication. In general, editorial photos are:
- Posed, creative, and dramatic
- Cleaner overall, with less background clutter or excessive people
- Suitable for a magazine spread and full of space that is ideal for layering text directly over images
- Focuses on and showcases the fashion aspects of images
PHOTOJOURNALISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY
Photojournalistic photography gives the photographer and client more room to be themselves with less direction. Using a “fly on the wall” approach will help capture the personality and uniqueness of the people in the images. Some of the main features of photojournalistic images are:
- Completely unposed and undirected (aka, “You just be you!”)
- Unobtrusive and informal, with no agenda or intention
- Full of candid moments to evoke a wide spectrum of feelings and raw emotions
At Jenny Fu Studio, we produce both editorial and photojournalistic photography styles. During a shoot, we make sure to always have a mixture of both styles to share with our clients. We tend to shoot editorial during the portraits of the bride and groom. During the majority of the rest of the day – getting ready, ceremony, dinner, reception – we lean toward a more photojournalistic style. By mixing up the styles, you end up with a nice mixture of magazine-worthy and emotion-evoking images that perfectly complement each other. Having many of both styles also shows my clients how model-worthy they are. And then makes them laugh, cry, and feel all the feels from their wedding day!
