Is technically correct always correct?

I am due to shoot a wedding next March so I am currently into the depths of some serious studying.

However one thing that has cropped up several times in many articles is that it is not always best to get photos technically correct.

Wait? What?.... I'll just say that again.

It's not always best to get photos technically correct.

Which on the face of it seems a rather bizarre statement. If you're expected to be taking high quality photos of the day, why would you not want to get crystal clear, technically perfect photos of pretty much, well everything?

Well that my friends is best summed up with one word. Atmosphere.

Take this picture for example. Taken at a birthday party using my Canon 7D, it is far from technically perfect, mainly due to me suiting in AV mode and forgetting to change the Aperture (d'oh!), so most of the photo is not as sharp as it could be.

However I like this picture because I feel it portrays the fun of the party, the action and also not least it portrays my nieces personality. AS far as she is concerned the doughnut is the only thing in her world right now ( to quote homer, mmmm Doughnuts) and she's having fun. It's also a great example of the "what happened next" . You can look at this photo and wonder, did she get the doughnut? A little? A Lot? Or did she miss it, as it swung away.

In contrast to that my Mother received "official" school photos of my niece and her Brother and Sister. Now taken using a camera that was undoubtedly full frame and shot with a full lighting kit that would make me drool with envy ( and experience that right now I don't have in studio lighting) I totally cannot argue that the photos were totally and technically correct.

But... ( and this is the big but) when it came to my nephews photo something was missing. Taken with his whole body and face flat, stiff and straight  onto the camera it reminded me more of a mug shot, but more importantly "he", as in his personality just didn't seem to be there. Not like in the photo below,

Not that I am advocating that school photos need to be taken with hanging doughnuts mind you. His Sisters photos were much better mind you, slightly tilted heads, big smiles and catch lights in the eyes, they had captured "them" even if the photos were not perfectly correct.

Now reading that I'm sure some of you are starting to wonder if I am advocating that we don't need professional photographers or it's fine not to get everything right.

But that's not what I'm saying.

I'm just trying to show that old maxim that taking a photo is easy, getting is right is hard, is a maxim for a reason. You need atmosphere in a photo to turn it from a good one into a great one.

Don't believe me? Well just consider the photos on your facebook page and the ones you look at on a regular basis and the ones that you don't ( or untag yourself in pretty quickly :-) What brings you back to them time and again?

I'm sure we both know the answer there?

Later everyone!