documentary wedding photographer

I am a wedding photographer based near Nottingham but offer services all over the country with a focus on Sheffield, Derby and Leicester. I capture discreet candid natural moments of your wedding day.

about

candid photography

Candid wedding photography is all about capturing a scene exactly as it appears without offering any direction or manipulation. As opposed to posed images, candid photos perfectly capture the more natural moments in a wedding ceremony.

info

types of weddings & ceremonies

My services aren’t fixed to just weddings. Documentary photography works for all kinds of events where there’s a journey or story to tell. It works for a variety of events and celebrations:

Civil partnerships
Baptisms & Christenings
Corporate events
Journalism
Product Launches
School Proms
Graduations

I will capture all the multi-sensory, technicolor moments of your your life-changing day.

what is documentary wedding photography?

Not all the moments that tell the true story of your wedding can be captured through formal photography. Although these more arranged photos are important this isn’t what candid documentary photography is all about. The skill is using the camera to tell the story with all the funny quirky moments that add personality but are typically missed. I love watching people and have become skilled at blending into the background and predicting these moments before they happen. With today’s smaller camera technology I can hide away more but still produce perfect imagery.

examples

wedding services & prices

I like to keep things simple as planning your wedding can be quite overwhelming. All my prices include me capturing your wedding in an unposed, candid manner. I cover wedding and ceremonies across all cultures including Afro-Caribbean, Chinese, English, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Nigerian and Sikh.

prices

latest reviews & comments

Five star average rating on Google.

Great work! James Arnia were very professional, dedicated and patient! Their pictures are awesome & they definitely has that "eye" for a quality shot! I would like to recommend them to anyone! His prices are reasonable too!

Anna
I have been to many weddings where it works around the photographer & i knew it's not us. James is the total opposite, you wouldn't know he's there in the best way possible. Kind, friendly, putting everyone at ease. The few formal shots are great but the ones we didn't know were happening are incredible. James captured this all perfectly.

Tess
James is amazing and extremely talented. I don’t know how he manages to capture the essence of the whole wedding day in his photography. We love his shots and can’t stop looking at them. Thank you so much James! Highly recommend.

CJ & Amelia
Amazing response time and amazing photos too. James managed to capture some beautiful natural moments as they were happening and yet you would of never of known he was there! He was very discreet and unobtrusive. He was very flexible on the day not only taking the natural shots but took group and requested shots. He took advantage of our surroundings and worked this into some stunning pieces of work.

Hannah
We hired James Arnia, for our wedding, and couldn't have been happier with his photography and my whole family was really excited with their unposed, candid photographic style.

Robert

See 8 reviews for James Arnia Photography

recognition & affiliations

I’ve been fortunate to receive some recognition for my approach and style of wedding photography.

contact

frequently asked questions about documentary wedding photography

Common questions about documentary style wedding photography

what is documentary photography?

Documentary Wedding Photography is a candid style of Photography. You will not be instructed to pose so the images are generally more natural and capture the moments of the day creating an album of pictures that tells a story of the day.

Is documentary photography just for the ceremony?

Candid photographers will want to document a story of the day, from the bridal party getting ready to the late evening celebrations. It’s all part of your day so it should be included in the story.

why is candid photography so popular?

Photography styles are changing all the time. Fewer people request formal photographs at modern weddings. With high quality smaller cameras a candid photographer has the ability to move around the space more freely in an unobtrusive way. When Documentary photography is done well it should mean the photographer goes about their work unnoticed to capture the special moments of the day.

can I still have group shots?

Yes, there can still be an organised time of the day for group family photos. Typically this is small section of the day to allow enough time for more candid style photographs.