by Wedding photography is practically incomplete if you don’t have a candid photographer on your team. Now if you are wondering what is candid photography in weddings and why I went as far as saying that your wedding photography is incomplete without it.
Don’t worry that is just what we are going to learn about in this article. Candid photography has gained popularity in modern day Indian weddings because it helps in bringing out the true emotions and stories.
Unlike traditional wedding photography, candid photography captures the raw, unfiltered interactions, letting you relive the day exactly as it happened.
Whenever I do candid photography at any wedding I always make sure to make my presence unobtrusive and allow everyone to be themselves. The results are often astounding candid wedding photos full of laughter, tears and genuine joy.
This style tells a heartfelt story that traditional methods often miss.
Definition of Candid Photography
I believe you have an understanding of what candid photography is by now. But let’s dig in a little more and learn about it in detail.
Candid photography in weddings is all about capturing natural and unplanned moments. It’s the very opposite of traditional wedding photography where people pose and the shots are staged.
In simple words we can say that candid photos allow us to capture moments that will never happen again. Traditional staged photos – you can get them whenever you want.
The key difference between candid and traditional photography is spontaneity. Traditional wedding photography speaks out loud that they were staged while candid shots show the true emotions as the events unfold naturally which ultimately creates for a more authentic and heartfelt collection of memories.
When I have to explain candid photography to couples this is exactly what I say. “Doing candid photography is like being a silent observer who is capturing the true essence of your big day without any interference allowing you to be truly yourself.” I further add “Candid photography ensures that your emotions and stories are captured for what they are, real and raw, ensuring that each photo is a true reflection of your wedding day.”
Key Features of Candid Wedding Photography
Candid wedding photography is more than just clicking the shutter button; it’s about capturing the true emotions that the couple and their family has on the wedding day. It focuses on the natural flow of events and genuine, true emotions which makes every candid shot meaningful and memorable
Below I have mentioned some of they key features that you must take care of when doing candid photography:
Natural Expressions
To be able to capture the natural expressions of people is at the core of candid photography. This means making sure that your camera captures those genuine smiles, tears, and laughter that make a wedding special
- Genuine Emotions: Unstaged moments reflect real feelings.
- Examples: A bride’s joyful tears, a groom’s nervous smile, and guests’ spontaneous laughter.
Unobtrusive Approach
You may think about this one as the most important element of candid wedding photography. As a photographer you must blend into the background and make sure that you are not disrupting the natural flow of the event since breaking the natural flow will mean losing the opportunity to capture candid moments.
- Blending In: The photographer becomes part of the scenery.
- Flow: Important to not interrupt moments, keeping the atmosphere relaxed and genuine.
Storytelling
My mentor, Mr. Manoj Kagra, always emphasises the importance of telling a story through your photos and candid photography is the best way to tell the story of a wedding day in a natural and chronological way.
- Wedding Day Story: Photos that depict the sequence of events.
- Narrative Creation: Each photo adds to the overall story, making the album a true reflection of the day.
- Showcasing the Cultural heritage of couple: Candid photography is a great way to capture the cultural heritage of the couple, you must be aware about the different culture and traditions to ensure that you are able to create an authentic storytelling experience with your photos.
If you are intersted in learning about different cultures and traiditons of India and how they celebrate their wedding you can check out my article on Bengali wedding photography, Marathi wedding photography, Tamil wedding photography, Telugu wedding photography, Muslim wedding photography and Christian wedding photography.
Spontaneity
Candid moments are all about spontaneity, you have to be dead alert or you’ll miss them. This focus on spontaneity is what will help you capture those unexpected moments that add charm to the wedding album. We are talking about moments that can’t be planned but are cherished forever.
- Unexpected Moments: Catching surprise reactions and offbeat interactions.
- Examples: Kids playing, guests’ candid reactions, and fleeting glances between the couple.
Details and Atmosphere
You can easily convey the mood and feel of the event by capturing the detail and atmosphere, it will help you set the scene and bring back the ambiance of the wedding day. These small elements make the couple’s photos unique and personal for them.
- Ambiance: Capturing the mood and feel of the event.
- Small Details: Photos of decor, rings, and other personal touches that add depth to your album.
If you take the above elements into consideration, you can create a rich and authentic narrative with candid wedding photography that traditional photography often can’t nail.
In recent times the LGBTQ community is also coming forward and are happily getting married, if you want to learn how you can learn about shooting a LGBTQ wedding by reading my article on How to Do Indian Lesbian Wedding Photoshoot.
Techniques Used in Candid Photography
Now, let’s get a little technical and talk about the nitty gritty of candid photography and how you can improve your overall photography with it.
There are some techniques that can help you take your candid wedding photos from let’s say 2 to 8 on a scale of 10.
The methods and techniques I am about to mention below will help you capture natural, spontaneous moments without disrupting the flow of the event.
Use of Long Lenses
If you are planning to do candid wedding photos, get yourself a lens with a long focal length. Using a 85mm, f1.2 or 70mm – 200mm 2.8, f2.8 will take your candid photos to the next level.
Using long focal length is a very common technique that all candid photographers use to shoot from a distance and ensure that the subject is not aware of the camera.
This distance between you and the subject is a great leverage as it helps you in capturing genuine and unposed moments since people are less likely to feel camera-conscious and alter their behaviour.
Continuous Shooting Mode
I used to take pictures in single shot mode until I saw my mentor, Mr. Manoj Kagra, on the field. I noticed that he was clicking all the photos in continuous shooting mode and I asked him why he was not shooting in single shot mode.
He said, “If you don’t shoot in continuous shooting mode I can guarantee you that you’ll never be able to get great candid photos.” He further added, “If you shoot on single shot mode you’ll miss so many moments that could have made for a great candid photo.”
It was since this day that I realised that I have been doing it all wrong by trying to get that “One shot kill” photo. I switched to burst mode and I have never gone back.
Natural Lighting
Candid photography is all about capturing and presenting the moment as it was and therefore natural lighting is your best friend when doing candid wedding photography.
Candid photographers often use available light and avoid using flash to maintain the authenticity of the scene.
Always make sure that you are using natural lighting when doing candid photography and it helps in capturing the true ambiance of the setting and avoid attracting the subject and making them camera conscious because they say a flash bouncing at their face.
Further, it also makes the photos look more realistic and emotionally resonant.
Quick Reflexes
Quick reflexes are useful in everyday life and candid photography is no exception. Your ability to anticipate moments and react according to the unfolding moments is what sets candid photography apart from traditional photography.
I know this is something off topic but being active in sports can be of great help to make your reflexes quick as it requires a keen eye and sports will help you develop it.
Capturing fleeting expressions and interactions as they happen is not easy but it does ensure that every precious moment of the wedding is documented.
These techniques when used collectively help in creating a rich and authentic narrative of the wedding day. Candid wedding photography requires you to be prepared and adaptable. Your sole purpose is to capture genuine moments and beautifully preserve it.
Pros and Cons of Candid Wedding Photography
Just like every good thing, candid wedding photography also has some cons of its own. Just like any photography style it also comes with its own set of advantages and challenges.
Pros
First off let’s talk about the good stuff. One of the biggest pros of candid wedding photography is the authenticity of the photos. You capture real, heartfelt moments that reflect upon the true emotions of the couple and the family on the wedding day.
This helps you in creating an album that is relatable and makes a connection with the client and takes them back to their big day.
Looking back at candid shots will let your client relive the joy, laughter and even the tears which will ultimately create for a powerful emotional experience.
Cons
But on the flip side candid photography is often unpredictable. Since it relies on spontaneity, there’s a risk of missing key moments if you are not vigilant.
Furthermore, you also have to be a highly skilled photographer and be able to anticipate and capture moments without staging them.
You also need to have a good understanding of lighting as you won’t get controlled lighting setup when doing candid photography.
Not only that, since you don’t have any control over the subject as well it can sometimes result in less polished photos compared to traditional photography.
| Pros | Cons |
| Authenticity: Captures real emotions | Unpredictability: Risk of missing key moments |
| Emotional Connection: Relives the emotions | Skill Requirement: Needs a skilled photographer |
| Less Stress: Reduces pressure to pose | Less Control: Limited control over subjects/lighting |
Understanding these pros and cons can help you decide if candid wedding photography is the right choice for you to pursue or not.
Popularity and Trends in Candid Photography
As per the data given by Google Trends, candid photography has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. On studying the above graph you’ll find that the search for candid photography hikes in India during the wedding season indicating that there is high demand for candid wedding photography in India.
Couples are increasingly drawn to this style for its authenticity and ability to capture the true essence of their special day.
Weddings have evolved over the years and are now much more of a personalised and intimate affair. This has set the stage for candid wedding photography becoming a part of the wedding day photography for almost all the couples.
Couples understand that unlike traditional posed shots, candid photos tell a story and therefore are willing to pay good money for it. They have come to the realisation that candid photos will give freeze moments with raw emotions in them, making their wedding photos unique.
Reasons for Popularity
As mentioned above the preference for relaxed and genuine depictions is one of the main reasons behind the popularity of candid photography.
Couples know that if they want their wedding albums to reflect the real moments and emotions that they shared with each other and their loved ones, they have to hire someone who can do candid photography.
To add to it, I feel that this shift from staged poses to candid shots is also driven by a desire for more natural and authentic memories.
Current Trends
Now let’s try to understand why that graph on google trends is going up. We all know that in today’s digital age social media plays a significant role in shaping any kind of trend and weddings are no exception.
Couples from all over the world are increasingly sharing their love stories online and candid photography just fits perfectly into the narrative, leaving everyone wondering how they got this picture?
As a result there has been a rise in candid wedding photography with photographers focusing on capturing moments that are not only beautiful but also shareable on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Candid photography is further fueled by the growing popularity of personal storytelling. Every couple walking on the plane wants their wedding photos to reflect who they are and what their relationship means to them.
They want something that is uniquely theirs and candid photography allows you to do just that for your clients and create an album filled with moments that are only and only theirs and can’t be recreated.
Tips for Couples Considering Candid Photography
If you are a photographer reading this article then you can skip this section. In this section I’ll be addressing the couples reading the blog.
I am assuming that you are a couple who is interested in learning about candid photography and are deciding whether you should hire a candid photographer for your wedding or not.
Now I guess you are very clear what is candid photography in weddings and why you must hire a candid photographer for your wedding.
So, what’s next?
When it comes to candid wedding photography there are few things that I always share with couples so that they can get the best results on their big day.
Here’s how you can make the most of candid wedding photography on your special day:
- Choose Wisely: Finding a photographer whose work style aligns with the vision you have in your mind is very important. Use the internet and look for someone experienced in capturing candid moments and check out their portfolios (you can check mine here – mihirsoni.in) to ensure that they can bring your love story to life.
- Open Communication: Communicating your vision with the photographer you choose is very important. Always have an open conversation with your photographer about your expectations, must have shots and any special moment that you might want to be captured. Building a good rapport with the photographer will help them understand your vision better.
- Trust the Process: Once you’ve chosen your photographer your job is over. Trust them and their expertise. Let them work unobtrusively and allow them to capture your moments as they unfold naturally.
If you follow the above tips I can give you my words that your candid wedding photos will be nothing short of amazing. You’ll be able to relive your big day as many times as you see those pictures and when you’ll show them to your children they’ll be able to relate with your story as well.
Conclusion
In the end I would say that candid photography in weddings offers a beautiful way to capture the genuine emotions and moments of a wedding day.
I’ve experienced firsthand how candid wedding photography can bring a wedding day to life. My favourite thing to do when taking candid photos is capturing the laughter, tears, and love shared between couples and their loved ones.
I strongly believe that It’s these candid moments that make each wedding unique and unforgettable.
A message to couples:
If you’re looking to capture the true essence of your wedding day, I highly recommend considering candid photography. I can say with utmost confidence that you won’t regret it when you look back on your photos and relive those precious moments again and again.
If by chance you think that I am a good fit for you and want to connect with me for a consultation feel free to drop me a message or call me at +91 6393168551. I’ll be more than happy to connect with you and discuss a plan to give life to your vision.
A message to professional photographers:
If you are exploring the field of candid wedding photography and are wondering whether it’s worth it or not, then I’ll give you the most simple answer – Yes it’s worth pursuing.
You can make good money doing it and it’s also fun. Keep learning, keep growing.
I’ll catch you in the next article, until then capture the world, one frame at a time.
Your host for the day singing off.
Peace out.