Styles of Photography

Choosing a photographer can sometimes feel like trying to find that perfect blue crayon (for that vibrant blue sky) from a 120 count bucket of crayons. It used to be easy, but now the crayons aren't organized anymore and there are tons of blues that could work but may just not be exactly right. (Can you tell I have kids?) I get it. Finding a photographer is hard. In a world where anyone who picks up a camera could call them self a photographer, what really sets a professional photographer apart? Over the next several weeks I'm going to go over a few topics that may make finding the photographer that works for you, a bit easier. I believe that it's important that you find not only a photographer that meshes well with your family, but also a style that expresses your individuality! Today I want to discuss the differences in Styles of Photography.

This is a particularly complex topic since there are so many types of photographers and specialties. I'm going to point out the differences in some of the style colors that are often used and referred to in the photography industry. These next 3 images are my edits on an image I took last fall. I've edited them in 3 of the styles that are pretty popular in my area. I love the way each edit changes the overall feel of the image.

This edit is actually the version that I delivered to the client last year. I tend to edit with a more "true to color" style. I like to add in vibrant oranges and yellow light. I also tend to change the green tones in my images to be a bit more on the blue side.

This type of edit is sometimes referred to as a "Dark and Moody" edit. Dark and Moody usually focuses on warmer skin tones (think dark shades of yellow and orange) and more muted greens. Take a look at the grass in the background, the green is less bright and less saturated. This makes the family really stand out in the front!

This image edit is sometimes referred to as a "Light and Airy". Light and Airy edits usually have more pastel colors and sometimes a matte on top to reduce the shine. I particularly love this editing style in the spring with pretty flowers or on the beach!

Another difference I wanted to point out is these images are all posed. There are several photographers out there whom specialize in posed portraits (in studio or outdoors) as well as several that do a more of a candid style. The candid images are often referred to as Lifestyle or Documentary. With photographers whom specialize in Lifestyle or Documentary you can expect little to no direction on what to do or where to go. This style may be especially useful if you have younger children, since they don't always look at the camera and smile when they are "supposed to".

The galleries that I send my clients are usually a pretty good 50/50 mix of posed and Lifestyle images. I also add the occasional black and white image to galleries. I love the way a good black and white image lets you focus on the details!

As you can tell, photography is my passion. What other photography topics would you like to learn more about?

- Mandi

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