Reportage wedding photography is something of an over-used phrase. It implies a photography style that is similar to that of a photo-journalist, which is someone who is taking pictures of events that occur without their participation or involvement rather than because of it. One of the many problems with this approach is that it is far less predictable than posing or directing one's subject. The wedding photographer needs to rely upon their instinct to anticipate where the next strong image will form, as it's usually too late to see it occurring before raising the camera to the eye. In addition, if our subject is unaware of being photographed or relaxed enough about it so that their behavior is entirely natural then there will inevitably be plenty of 'lost' frames due to blinking or other uncontrollable elements.

It's tempting, given these hurdles to overcome, to photograph in such a way as to give the impression that the events seen later in print happened entirely naturally and without any contrived interference from the photographer. But the human eye is surprisingly hard to fool. Even an innocent request of the subject to walk across a room can result in images that don't appear lifelike, particularly to people who know the subject well. Unless they are professional models (unlikely at a typical wedding) then the truth will out, and the look of the images will often be stiff and unnatural.

Many times photographing a wedding without directing or posing will be frustrating. A fantastic image will present itself, perhaps a bridesmaid attaching a veil with the light and composition working in perfect harmony. Then, before an image can be taken, someone will inadvertently walk in front of the lens and the moment will be missed. It's very tempting on these occasions to simply ask the subject to repeat the sequence, but whilst it's certainly possible that the moment will be recreated and the image secured, perhaps even looking natural, it's now apparent that the photographer has lost his observer status and has become a participant. It will often follow that certain key events won't be allowed to occur by themselves, but with the subjects seeking approval from the photographer before continuing.

Because of this as wedding photographers we try hard not to become too involved with the day. Obviously we always remain polite and we're very happy to chat with the bridal party and guests. But it is surprisingly easy to allow yourself to become an unwitting conductor of events, and when I look back at my favourite wedding images they are predominantly of natural moments.