Wedding Photography Keyword Madness.

It’s only Jan 1st, but today I had three consultations with couples getting married this summer.

After my last call this afternoon, I decided I would write about this subject because all three couples asked me about it.

The question asked?

“What is Documentary Style Wedding Photography?” (Thanks Alfie!)

When I’m asked..honestly, I feel a little silly, but here’s the plain truth - we wedding photographers NEED to draw a line in the sand, and use specific keywords to attract people like you to our websites.

There are trends, and yes, “Documentary Style” is the trendy term for 2025, just like how “editorial” and “luxury wedding photographer” was the popular keyword in 2023 and 2024.

Some people say that photographers that shoot “Documentary style” don’t know how to interact with people to do posed portraits…and while that may be true for some..that’s only part of the answer.

If I could just put my name, contact info, a bio page, and a bunch of photos, without using any sort of keywords to promote myself..honestly..I would.

But that’s not how Google works.

Taking a “documentary” approach is something that I think is based on the photographers experience, their vision, and their mindset.

If I had to boil it down to one idea - Documentary photography is the art of noticing.

For me, I see it as a challenge, to show up at a wedding and shoot intentionally, with the end goal of having a few hundred images to choose from that will become conversation starters in your life for years to come.

Anyone - and I mean, anyone can take 5000 images at a wedding and call it whatever they want, but taking this more intentional approach to candid and real photographs is what separates documentary or “reportage” from photographers who do more portraits and fashion inspired editorial images.

Documentary photography is often considered to be something that’s done of a particular project or subject over an extended period of time. Think…photo essays in National Geographic.

But at a wedding, we don’t have the luxury of time - the clock is ticking and we have about eight hours to capture the right images that will show the timeline of your wedding.

Now that I think of it, the term “Reportage” is actually a better word to describe this way of photographing a wedding because reportage is usually unscripted, unposed, no intrusion, and made in sequence over a shorter period of time.

So I guess that makes me a reportage wedding photographer…..but then again, that term, or the term “documentary” sort of pigeonholes me.

If I’m that type of photographer, does it mean I won’t shoot portraits or if the right opportunity (location + person) presents itself that I wouldn’t do some more “editorial” or “fashion” inspired portraits?

(The answer is of course I would shoot those types of images!).

I know…you’re confused. I get it. I think the best thing to do is forget the keywords, and simply spend some time looking at all of the images. What do you see? Feel? Imagine?

Do you see how I interact with those infront of my camera? Do you see that I like shooting with wide lenses, up close and personal? Do you see..the comfort level of the people in my photos?

If you do, then you found your photographer …just add documentary, reportage, photojournalistic, candid or whatever other keyword you want to use to describe the work.

A while back, one of my clients parents told me this:

“ Your photos feel like home"…and that’s what I want to create. Intentionally classic, simple, real, and personal images of your wedding, for you, for your family, and for your home.

Signed, Andreas Avdoulos - Documentary Style Wedding Photographer ;)