Color is IN!
We have both noticed, especially in recent months, that couples are including more vibrant colors in their decorations, invitations, and of course, in their photos! In recent years, there has been increased focus and following on artists that offer muted or incredibly "edited" styles. But is their time in the spotlight coming to an end? It definitely seems that way!
Following a recent controversy on TikTok around a bride and her dissatisfaction in her wedding photos, a lot of Brides have been leaning into more natural style of photography (more on that later). With all of the interest around true-to-color photography, there have been many photographers changing their style to match the coming trend (something that we find very sad, but also, more on that later!)
Another reason that colorful photos are having their moment is because of popular Netflix show "Bridgerton." If you have ever watched that show, you will notice that is a very vibrant show that involves a lot of weddings and parties, both of which involve beautiful colors in the details. As true-to-color photographers ourselves, it is very exciting to see our work be more appreciated!
So, What Happened to the Other Styles?
To make an incredibly long story short, one of the biggest influences on the shift we are seeing is due to an event that has been dubbed "Sepia-Gate." As we referenced above, a bride was unhappy with her photos that she received from her photographer. Why? Well we believe that the brides "taste" changed in-between booking and receiving her wedding gallery. The Bride booked a photographer, who in the photographer defense, was very clearly a brown-toned, color muted photographer. While personally, we do not like or use that style, to each their own! Once the Bride received her wedding gallery (which looked just like all of the other galleries in the photographers portfolio), the Bride was not happy with the colors or the way that she looked in the photos!
While that is just a brief summary of the event (which blew up on TikTok in the days and weeks following), the event was substantial enough to scare many brides into leaning into more neutral and lifelike types. In our personal opinion, the true-to-color style is the only way to "future-proof" your wedding photos. What do we mean by that? Well, have you ever looked at a photo on your parents wall from the 80s or 90s? Often, the photos look dated and clearly appear to be from a different era, and sometimes can feel "old". True-to-color styles use the natural colors and lighting of the day so that you are reminded of how the wedding day truly was.
The issue that people are starting to realize with the heavily edited styles is that while they may be visually appealing now, it is very likely that your taste in art could change in the next decade or two. It can be a scary gamble to make on the photos of one of the most important days of your life! This won't be the case for some! Sometimes, as they say, "the heart wants what it wants" and those edited styles may be truly what you will always enjoy! One way to put it is that if you go true to color, you are never going to "hate" the colors of the photos, but with an heavily edited style, it is possible one day!
What to Watch Out For!
With styles and tastes changing, Brides should be on the alert for photographers abruptly changing their styles. A photographers style is something that should come from their personality and their own personal tastes, that is what it makes it "their" style! If a photographer is changing their style based off of what is popular at the moment, that presents a variety of issues.
One issue is that it shows that the photographer lacks a true identity. A photographer without an identity does not scream "confidence", quite the opposite actually. On your wedding day, you should pick someone who is specialized in the type of style you are looking for. When you want to purchase a high-end TV, do you go to Best Buy or NFM? Or do you go to Walmart? Hopefully the answer is NFM or Best Buy. Those retailers are specialized in high end sales, whereas Walmart is kind of a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of NONE!
The second problem it presents is that the photographer could change styles AGAIN! Before your wedding day perhaps! When you booked them for a true-to-color style, you could end up receiving a moody or muted gallery because their style goes with the wind! Be on the lookout for these types and always ask to see a few of their galleries!
There are other reasons to avoid these type of "artists", but I think we have covered the most important!
Conclusion
We are so happy to see appreciation coming back for timeless styles, like true-to-color. We believe that photo style is something that is unique to each individual and shouldn't be based off of "business decisions."
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The Adventure Continues!
-Christian and Lexi
