Photographers, Are You Vying For Vintage?

This is Chelo Keys second guest blog post. Her first blog post, “Short Guide For Photographers | Start Right Or Start Over” was published here back in August 2010.

Visit one of today’s most popular wedding blogs and you’ll notice that the vintage and shabby chic theme is everywhere. Some are real weddings and some are stylized shoots. Have all the tea sets, picnic baskets, paper crafts, mason jars, lace, and other old time-y decorations fatigued you? Well, you’re not alone. Photographers have started to voice their frustration on the vintage trend and its prevalence on popular wedding blogs. Some photographers even feel that submitting to wedding blogs is pointless, unless there are vintage details involved.

But, realistically, do these photographers have a valid point?

I asked Amanda, owner of Ruffled Blog, a wedding blog for vintage, indie and DIY brides, about the trend. “It's not a coincidence the vintage “trend” in weddings happened with the economy meltdown. Vintage decor items are generally affordable, often easy to find and easy to arrange.”

True. I myself was planning a party the other day and noticed that mason jars were $16 a dozen and that I could probably pick some wild flowers myself for free.

Amanda goes on to say that “Blogs have somewhat of a cyclical publication system. Readers (in my case, brides) want to see what other brides did for their own weddings, which makes a style/trend/idea evolve.”

So brides, inspired by what other brides do, keep the trend going. And in turn, wedding blogs display the trend. But what if brides keep the trend going because they haven’t seen anything different?

Brandi, owner of Brandi Thompson Photography says, “Brides may think [the vintage theme] is what they want to see, but that's because that is what they're shown. It's just the same with any media; we tend to form our opinions and likes based on what we're given. I don't particularly dislike a vintage or shabby chic look, but I get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. It eventually loses its charm.”

And what of the submission process? Ever get the feeling that vintage styled weddings are given preference?

Amelia, from Amelia Kate Photography happens to love the vintage look, but says having a lack of vintage details deterred her from submitting a lovely wedding. “I actually shot a wedding in May – I thought it was beautiful and the couple was gorgeous. It was such a fun day and the photographs showed it. BUT, I did not submit it because it didn’t have enough details.”

Whether you love vintage or want to see the trend tossed out like yesterday’s news, there are still ways to stay on top when submitting your work to wedding blogs:

Find a wedding blog that suits your style

If vintage is not your thing, seek out media outlets that tailor to your niche market.
Brandi’s work, for example, has been featured on offbeatbride.com and rocknrollbride.com.

Above all, tell a story

Stay on your game! Amanda from ruffled blog says, “Outstanding imagery can make or break a submission, even if the wedding does not have a ton of details. The photographer is in charge of telling the story, so do it artfully!”

Be unique

Amelia says “Stay true to yourself, and make your own trend. Actually, don’t make a trend, just make a statement with your art, and be 100% honest with yourself.”

What’s your experience? Do you love or hate vintage? How do you feel about submitting to wedding blogs presently? Let us know in the comments!