Aesthetic Photography, let talk about it.
First, let’s start with my background. I have been a photographer for over 15 years (a little longer if you count all those crazy instant cameras they were coming out with when I was in middle school). I went to Purdue University for my Photography Degree. I walked into my first photography class as a freshman with my shiny new Nikon D3500 and was told to put it down and go get everything I would need to photograph with a 35mm black and white film camera. However rough it was to hear that I would need to spend another $500 on new equipment, it turned out that class would be the foundation for my knowledge of photography and that Pentax k1000 I had to buy is still my favorite camera! My black and white film class required us to learn how to load the film, then unload the film (in the absolute dark), develop the film ourselves, and then print the film. When we were graded on our work, the photo had to be balanced: true black, true white, true grey or you could kiss that “A” goodbye.
Now that you know all of that about me and where I am coming from, here’s my honest opinion: I feel the same way about aesthetic photography that I do about how you part your hair or whether your socks are long or short…..it is a generational trend that will disappear, and we will look back and wonder why the entire album from our wedding looked like that. The only reason that aesthetic photography exists is also the only exception to my opinion: Instagram. More prominently, social media. I get it. Your Instagram account has an appealing aesthetic that is pleasing to scroll through, and you want your wedding day photography to match. The reality is I am a True to Color Photographer not only because of my background but also because I believe that your photos should reflect the natural light in whatever space you are in. Here’s a great example of what I am talking about; the photo below is one of my favorites. I would even say it is on the light and airy side of editing.
Image #2 is THE RAW photo. Something people don’t get to see often because it doesn’t reflect the full scope of our skills as photographers. I hope you agree as well that the edited photo above is much better overall.
Now, the last photo is an example of a popular “moody aesthetic” filter. In my opinion, it just doesn’t reflect right on the natural colors and light of the day.
I am not saying it’s not pretty. It’s just not my cup of tea. The true-to-color edit is so bright and bubbly much like the couple in it.
To conclude, I understand the idea behind aesthetic photography however, True-to-Color is the way to go for a timeless album you will love forever. Brides and Grooms put so much effort into picking out a venue, colors, suits, dresses, and silverware, for goodness’ sake! You should be able to see them all right there in true color. I will say this, if you want me to duplicate photos and put a moody filter on the duplicate so you have some aesthetically pleasing photos to add to your Instagram, I GOT YOU. I will absolutely do that!
