it’s one of the most common questions i get asked. by brides. by planners. by friends.

it’s one of the hardest questions to answer and i can feel my cheeks getting hot and heart beating faster everytime i get asked. am i a photojournalist? well…i love photojournalism and documentary photography, however sometimes it’s fun to stylize shoots and set up fun shots. so does that disqualify me?

if i say my style is more editorial, then does that mean that i’m not good at capturing beautiful candids on a wedding day?

perhaps i’m a fine art wedding photographer. fine art? yes, i’ll go with that. plus… fine art makes everything sound more important.

fine art. lifestyle. documentary. photojournalist. natural light. there are so many different style of photographers these days, and truth be told each one has it’s own significance. each one their own art form, none better than the others.

to pigeon hole oneself into an exact “category” i feel like is unfair. how sad would it be to never have fun and experiment and learn other styles? i do believe that specializing is important, but i don’t ever want to simply say i am one thing. maybe one day i will want to try new things or grow in other ways. i think i can capture amazing emotions through a documentary approach at the wedding, and still have dreamy editorial style portraits. though i do understand that bride’s are looking for a certain answer, i believe that a huge part in choosing your photographer is to choose someone you TRUST.

lets say i am a documentary photographer, simply capturing candids while you are getting ready, without inserting myself in the situation at all. but.there.is.one.pillow.that.if.i.just.moved.would.make.the.shot.PERFECT.

but again…if i move the PILLOW, am i no longer a PHOTOJOURNALIST? alot of people would say no. some may say who cares. but what really matters is, what do YOUR brides want? do you want someone who no matter what doesn’t get involved? or would you rather someone who may move things around to make a shot better? again, i don’t believe either is right or wrong (i personally have done both) but i am curious to know what you think?

whether you are a bride or not, i would love to hear your thoughts and comments on whether you would care. is branding a photographer a certain “style” important to your decision when hiring?