A history of wedding photography

The wedding photography has grown since the invention of the technology of photography, by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. It wasn't until the 1860's that the idea of being photographed in the wedding gown became introduced.

Color photography came with the beginning of the 20th century yet black and white dominated due to the price.

The idea of capturing the wedding started after the Second World War. Using a new film roll technology and the enhanced lighting techniques with the invention of the compact flash bulb, often photographers start show up in the weddings and try to sell the photos later. Despite the initial low quality photographs that often resulted, the competition forced the studio photographers to start working on location.

In the 1970's the more modern approach to recording the entire wedding event started evolving into the practice as we know it today.

Many couples today understand that a wedding is all about emotion, relationships and family and prefer to be photographed in a natural candid way.

The professional storytelling photojournalist of today often requires specialist professional camera gear and techniques to effectively tell the story of a wedding in low light and from challenging angles and distances. It is not uncommon for a top wedding photographers to spend $50,000 or more on the cameras and lenses for the purposes of a wedding.


Photography and video by Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast wedding photographer and videographer Normy B - Divine Studios