Classic vs. Moody Wedding Photography

12/02/2019

Wedding in Province, France. Photographer Masha Kart

Classic vs. Moody Wedding Photography

There are many different editing styles when it comes to wedding photography, we’ve seen it all – from bright and vibrant, desaturated and dreamy, and cinematic contrasts between dark and light.

What differentiates the good from the great, is that a great photographer will have their own unique style and an established technique when it comes to their editing process, in order to turn images into art.

Fashionable trends (and why you shouldn’t fall into the trap!)

When I look back at my prom photos from the mid-’90s, I cringe at the sight of my shoulder pads, my huge hairstyle and the amount of green eyeshadow I was wearing.

Of course, I was only 16 years old and it was the fashion then – and it’s hilarious to look back on! – but, I wish I’d had the foresight to choose something which made me look my age (not 20 years older) and that was classy, natural and timeless – something I’d look back on now and be proud of, not embarrassed by!

This is the problem with fashion and in-season styles – whether we’re talking about dress sense, décor, dieting or photography styles, we will love them temporarily and they will disappear as quickly as they came about.

And while that can be fine for everyday life, your wedding day is one which you will cherish and remember forever, so by choosing a timeless and classic style – for clothes, makeup, decoration and photography – will give you memories which you will adore for years to come.

My inspiration and aim

Before I launched my wedding photography business, the most important question I wanted to answer for the couples I worked with, was this:

Will the couples I photograph be able to look back at their photos, in 10, 20 or 30 years from now, and still be happy with them? Will they be proud to show them to their children, and display them around their house for everyone to see, without being distracted or embarrassed by the outdated style?

I want to produce photographs that make me feel the way I do when I look at my grandparent’s wedding photos, in awe of their elegance. In black and white, standing next to a classic car, her in a gorgeous gown and natural make up, and him standing smart and proud next to her.

For me, this is exactly how wedding photography should be. So that you can show the photos to your grandchildren and have them say “wow, you look wonderful!”.

Classic style

I create photos with a clean, bright and airy look, for a real classic and timeless style.

My film camera also helps me to achieve this goal as there are NO processed images when using this method.

Photos that reflect the true colours of the surroundings, the reflections in water, the greenery of nature and golden sunset light, and the colours of your bridesmaids’ dresses and wedding decoration, all go towards creating a lasting and accurate memory for you, with a romantic and classy feel.

Moody style

The ‘Moody’ photography style is a cinematic look using Browns and Oranges as the core colours and it’s a trend which has become very popular in recent years.

When done well it can look very expensive because of its high end and dramatic feel and there are a few famous photographers working in this way, whose work I adore.

However, it can be a difficult style to achieve for many photographers who are not well practiced, many of them using filters instead of proper editing and processing, which ruins the sensual and dramatic feeling.

Using filters also means the Greens and Blues are lost as everything becomes a desaturated brown. Once this is done the images cannot be printed well, as the colours at print do not mix well together.

When shot and edited by a photographer who knows how to create this type of image I think it can be very effective and I am a fan, but it is a trend which may not last the test of time.