What is “Candid”?
Discover the difference between true candid wedding photos and prompted shots, and learn how understanding this helps couples get genuine, meaningful images that reflect their real moments.
As a photographer, I’ve noticed trends come in and out through the years and honestly, I love them. They can be a controversial topic among wedding vendors and that’s so fair. I think it should be noted that unrealistic photos, budgets and “trends” are not for every client and it should never be a pressure on couples to do this and do that just because it’s a trend. However, I do believe they bring a fresh wave of creativity and it’s fun as a creator to have new ideas popping up on your explore page, while you search through Pinterest and consume digitally. Trends for me feel like new ideas, more creativity and most of the time, a place to grow further, dig deeper and provide clients with photos they couldn’t have dreamt of.
One of the biggest trends I’ve noted over the years are these “candid” moments. The amount of couples that inquire and say they’re looking for candid moments has increased dramatically in the past two years. I want to preface that that is ok. It is a beautiful thing to want moments captured just as they are, the raw, the real. It is a completely valid dream to want your wedding gallery to not just depict “posed” photos, photos that you might hang on your wall but aren’t ones you look at with tears in your eyes.
However, when couples send me their mood boards and shot list examples, it pains me to realize that what they truly want isn’t what they’re looking at.
I think we need to make a clear distinction between “candid” and “prompted”. There is a very big difference and both are very important. Let me explain.
The photo of you walking and smiling at each other in perfect lighting? 10% candid, 90% prompted. That photo you saw on Pinterest where the couple seem to be laughing off in the distance? Probably not a “in the moment” shot, it’s most likely a prompt.
Prompting or Storytelling is how photographers achieve that “candid” look while still avoiding posing - and it’s so important. Those shots sometimes turn out to be my clients favourite. Normally I would say, “Ok I want you guys to run into each other and hug like you haven’t seen each other in months.” Or “Play tag and in order for Jake to “tag” you, he has to grab you around your tummy and kiss your cheek - for you to get Jake out, you need to grab both his cheeks and kiss him.” Moments like that encourage my couples to engage in prompts that help them be candid, but they’re not in the moment shots. They add direction so that I’m not leaving you in the dust to pose yourselves, but they also are capturing your genuine selves. That’s why I normally tell my clients at the beginning of a session, “don’t worry, I won’t leave you to do everything.”
Candid is being a fly on the wall. Absolutely having no direction in a shot, gently documenting what truly is happening. Things like documenting emotional vows - zooming in on a tear falling, dad having his first dance with his baby and your family watching in the background, the couple walking through the forest as I stay back to capture how their walking hand in hand. Candid is not telling a couple exactly where to stand, what to do and how to smile. It is not telling couples to “kiss through their teeth.” Those prompts and poses might lead to a candid moment, but seeing that when you type in “candid wedding photos” on Pinterest is not what you think it is.
I think there is a false expectation from couples and it’s not even their fault. Being shown false beautiful candid photos on social media leads them to believe that when they ask their wedding photographer for candid shots, they will get these perfectly curated photos that have nothing to do with genuine moments.
I never want to deter couples from choosing a more documentation or candid style of photos, it’s what I preach all over my website, my socials and if you chat with me in person. However at the same time, I also want to create a clear distinction between what Pinterest and social media show and what is real life. What is truly “candid.” Clients are investing in me to prompt well, to direct and to document those moments while also leaving room for me to decipher when to step back and truly capture candid - that yes, might be messy and might be a photo at first glance you don’t love, until you see under the expectations and discover what the true meaning of documenting is.