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Candid Photography is a new and refreshing take on wedding photography. Think photojournalism meets traditional photography. The photographer wanders the wedding with an eye on capturing moments of emotions.

Traditional Wedding Photography involves taking pictures of the participants of the wedding by setting up poses or by taking simple images of the events. The photographer will instruct you to sit in a particular place, stand against a specific backdrop or pose in group pictures.

Traditional Wedding Photography involves taking pictures of the participants of the wedding by setting up poses or by taking simple images of the events. The photographer will instruct you to sit in a particular place, stand against a specific backdrop or pose in group pictures.

Should I hire only Candid Wedding Photographers? What about the Reception, don’t I need Traditional Photographers? What is the difference between Candid Photography & Traditional Photography?

These are the most common questions yara weddings get from couples.

Selecting a photographer for your wedding is an important decision. We understand that it can become overwhelming considering you are so busy making many decisions like selecting the wedding planning team, caterers, make-up artists, florists etc. All at the same time. 

 Here’s a guide on the differences between Traditional Photography and Candid Photography that will help you find the right mix.

What is Candid Photography?

Candid Photography is a new and refreshing take on wedding photography. Think photojournalism meets traditional photography. The photographer wanders the wedding with an eye on capturing moments of emotions. A grandmother beaming with pride, a groom catching a glimpse of a bride in-between ceremonies, a child laughing or a mother silently crying tears of joy.

The focus is on unobtrusively capturing as many touching and poignant moments as possible so that years from now you have an emotional cross section of your wedding day.

What is Traditional Photography?

Traditional Wedding Photography involves taking pictures of the participants of the wedding by setting up poses or by taking simple images of the events. The photographer will instruct you to sit in a particular place, stand against a specific backdrop or pose in group pictures. 

 You would recognise this style of photography when you look at the wedding album of your parents. The wedding pictures will appear staged. Fixed poses and eye level wedding images. 

What are the differences between Traditional and Candid Photography?

1. Focus

The focus of the Traditional Photographer is Coverage. They aim to get as much of the event as possible ensuring that every ceremony is documented, even if that means asking a couple to repeat a certain step or look into the camera while an important ceremony takes place.

In a wedding event you would see them meticulously taking pictures of the ceremonies. They will aim to cover all the wedding puja items and paraphernalia too. They are really good at creating a comprehensive album of your events and the people who attended. 

The focus of the Candid Photographer is Emotion. While the couple are the stars of the day, there are people (close family & friends) for whom this wedding is also a special day. 

The candid photographer will weave in and out of events to follow the actions of these people 

Also, the couple puts so much effort in selecting the venue, outfits, jewellery, décor; hence the emphasis is given not only to the ceremonies but also on a lot of other details like getting ready shots, décor shots, behind the scenes of various ceremonies, etc 

2.  Training

 The Traditional Photographer has a clear focus on covering as much of the event and people as possible. So, he does not need to master advanced techniques. He needs to be rigorous and ever present.

 The Candid Photographer has to master working with lights, multiple lenses and equipment like reflectors. Indian weddings have varied light conditions and a good candid photographer needs to be technically trained to ensure that all the photos she delivers are consistent, whether it is bride’s dimly lit dressing room or a banquet hall cocktail event or a seaside mandap. 

 These varied light conditions demand a dedication to constantly train with new equipment and the latest techniques. 

3. Equipment

Due to the different demands on candid photographers and traditional photographers the equipment they use is different.

Candid Photographers invest in a variety of lenses (expensive ones called Prime lenses) because they need to be at the cutting edge of photography. For example, 1Plus1 Studio has invested in the highest quality of Canon cameras and lenses. We’ve also invested in the DJI drone instead of renting lower quality drones.

 4. Editing Process

The Traditional Photographer shoots tens of weddings a month. Due to time constraints, he can only do very basic edits to the photos. What you receive is often a vast collection of mildly corrected photos.

The Candid Photographer makes time to sit and make significant edits to the pictures she shoots. Good composition & colour grading is what makes an image great! We have invested in Adobe Lightroom and Final Cut Pro to ensure that our photographers have access to the best tools.

Because of the premium they put on a high-quality output, Candid photographers spend a lot of time on colour corrections, curation and other creative edits. 
The candid photos that are delivered should appear thoughtful and personal.

What Should I Choose – Candid Wedding Photography Or Traditional Wedding Photography?

If you are going to have an intimate wedding ceremony, say <50 guests then just candid wedding photography will do. At any numbers greater than this you should consider a company that does both. 1Plus1 Studio insists on providing both services because this allows our respective teams to do what they specialise in. 

The Traditional Photographer is free to create a comprehensive coverage album.


The Candid photographer is free to create a curated cross section of the wedding’s most important moments and occurrences.

Traditional Photography vs Candid Photography Photos