In the last few years, weddings have become much more relaxed and documentary wedding photography is taking over. How can minimizing our need for selection when shooting help our realistic game?
I want to make things clear: documentary wedding photography isn’t just about photographing people when they don’t know it. For me, it’s capturing the story of the day. Think of the terms we’re using: documentary, reportage, photojournalism. Basically, they all mean the same thing. They take reality and create a true story and story to entertain us.
Weddings have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The story reveals people to be who they are, the events of the day unraveled, and perhaps most importantly, the connections and emotions people share.
Light, Composition and Moment
A good friend and great mentor once told me that great photos have three essentials. These are pleasant or interesting lighting, good composition, and a compelling moment. I agree 100%. We have more control over the layout than the other two, but we can help with the other two – to make our luck, if you will.
Personal choice means I don’t add any light until I push what my camera can do, preferring to use the available light. Therefore, I need to position so that the best light can shine on what I want to capture. Of course, this is not always possible, but predicting what will happen next helps us decide where to place the camera. This prediction will also help capture great moments.
When shooting a wedding, I like to hold about 10 seconds ahead of what I think will be a beautiful moment. Ten seconds doesn’t sound like a lot of time to take an important photo, and it’s not, but that’s why we need to keep things simple.
Let’s take an example of a moment in progress. Capture the typical “just-married” moment at most weddings (where the ceremony is not a church) and discuss how we can capture it. The happy couple would walk down the aisle like newlyweds; I’ll position myself to capture it, usually about halfway along the walkway so I can walk backwards with them. The pair will walk past me, and I will have my shot. Great!
Is it time to look at the back of the camera and admire your work? Oh no! There’s another moment going on. The newlyweds were walking towards an employee of the venue, who was offering them some drinks. Then they have their first moment alone.
Their personalities will now shine, because they can finally breathe. And that’s where I’m at, taking pictures of this beautiful and intimate moment. I was there for about 10 seconds. I was thinking about the moment for about 10 seconds when the important people would also walk up the aisle and give the bride a congratulatory hug. For this, I will think about getting behind the bride.
My day unravels this way, and that’s how we capture moments, in good light, with thoughtful composition.
Keep it simple
For me, the way I work is a balance between efficiency and freedom. The freedom that comes from keeping the whole process as uncomplicated as possible while still delivering great quality to my couples. I try to minimize the need to make decisions on my wedding days so that what’s happening around me gets full attention.
Why do they need it? As documentary photographers, it’s our job to watch and then shoot. Sometimes this happens in a second or two and we need to be able to react. If you add one more decision, like changing lenses, for example, we miss the moment and the moment is gone forever.
I want to be free to record what my eyes see. So my only decision should be my composition. What the camera is doing must be second nature rather than a conscious thought process.
Wedding photography equipment
Every brand makes excellent cameras, but Fujifilm gear is just right for me. I love the way the camera works, the flickering dial, and the vintage vibe. They have a body that fits my (strange, tiny) hand. I also like the files that I get from my camera.
Mine Fujifilm X-T3 . Camera is a small and light APS-C body: conspicuous, fast, durable, airtight, and with dual card slots. Newer X-T4 also provide the same functionality as I use it.
The Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR is my workhorse lens. I often joke that I see in 18mm. I know what will be in my frame before I lift the camera in front of my eyes. The lens is fast, sharp, and not too big or heavy. A 28mm-equivalent full frame lens, it will be my go-to island lens. The wide angle means I can get closer and fit better into my frame. I enjoy the moment at a longer distance with the longer lens.
The Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR is another lens that I use at the wedding. I keep this on the second body. I take it when I need a little more reach.
I keep two batteries in my back pocket and usually keep my emergency supplies in the car: LED disco lights, a spare body, and a longer lens (Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2).
Many wedding photographers will scoff at this device. Where is the 70-200mm zoom? What about off-camera flash? I have used those in the past and now want to get rid of this. Great documentary work won’t come from hauling a 100-kilogram bag full of unusual lenses and options. It will come from being able to view and capture moments without having to make further decisions. 
Install new members for professional work
My camera is set up as a point-and-shoot! People often assume that professional photographers have to shoot in manual mode, which is not true. Our modern cameras are incredibly smart. They can make hundreds of decisions per second, so I let them do that, while controlling what I need.
Here is a setting recipe that allows me to work faster and change settings less often.
Aperture Priority: I set the shutter and ISO to auto. I decide the aperture based on my choice of depth of field.
Auto ISO: My ISO was at maximum ISO of 12,800 before the camera lowered the shutter below 1/250 of a second. With this setting, I was able to shoot in 99% of lighting situations without touching my settings. I’d rather be grainy than fuzzy!
White balance: If you start to notice a pattern, you won’t be surprised here. My in-camera white balance is set to auto. Fujifilm cameras generally do a good job of white balance, and I should be able to adjust the raw files later if needed.
Auto focus: I set the autofocus to single point. I was able to focus and recompose quickly. There’s a small switch on the front of the camera to switch to continuous AF if something is about to move and I need to track it. Some people like to focus with the back button, but that didn’t work for me.
Metering: I find spot metering and exposure locking quicker if I need to rather than using the exposure compensation dial.
I always shoot in raw, two memory cards, and face detection turned off. 
Should you shoot this way?
I know this shot isn’t for everyone! Many photographers will prefer more control over their subject. For me, I love the excitement of the unknown. I love capturing honest, happy moments. This is not a long article and will only scratch the surface.
If we can get rid of one thing, it’s this: every time we add a decision that needs to be made quickly, we add another chance to miss the shot. When we miss fewer shots, we become better photographers.
