08/13/2026
What’s the difference between candid and posed photographs? What is the value of each type of photograph and why is it important to have both in a gallery?
Candid entails natural and unscripted- there’s no manufacturing of a moment.
Posed photography is exactly what it sounds like. The moment is scripted, manipulated, and static.
Both play crucial roles in your wedding gallery. Candid photography is what brings your wedding gallery to life- it highlights all of the emotions of the day and showcases emotions at the forefront. Posed photos highlight the details, the grandeur, and the intention (intention in the decor, the dress choice, the suit, the jewelry, etc). If you want your gallery to tell a truthful, authentic, and emotive story of your day, you need both of these elements.
That is why I find it so unbelievably important to make sure we allow ample time for both forms of documentation to occur on your wedding day. Candid photography can easily cover 85% of the wedding day (and, in my opinion, it should), so that last 15% is to be used intentionally in posed portraits showcasing the newlyweds, families, and maybe even guests. You don’t want your day to feel like one long shot list- trust me, you’ll notice and you’ll get burnt out- 15% is the perfect balance of time.
How do you break it up and integrate both, then? Well, not to worry- I take care of that myself when we create your timeline. I’m always honest and transparent with my couples about the amount of time needed for each part of a wedding day and communicate what, in my opinion, might be best in order to reduce stress, rushing, and feeling like their day is a production set. We then collaborate on a timeline that feels true and natural to them, and that I know won’t overwhelm or take away from the documentation.
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