Queen Victoria lived to see a few important, no, wait, evolutionary changes for humankind in the 19th Century. One is the Industrial Revolution that changed the course of civilization, the other is arguably of lesser importance, and it was her and Prince Albert's wedding photography.

However minor this may have seemed, in reality, it was the beginning of a trend. Yet, the issue with trends is such that one cannot envisage the pace of any change before it takes place.

This one was specifically tied to technology and its development. And for the first hundred years, it wasn't quite common, or fast for that matter.

Tin and copper were all that they had. The equipment was huge and not at all user-friendly; it took hours to take a photograph, so it was logical that one posed studio photo was the only fashion.

All the grandparents had the same photo. Cardboard black and white (actually more yellow-grayish), with ethereal faces and royal postures. Not a glimpse of spontaneity. Technically, it was really demanding to take that one photo so no wonder they used to freeze their faces.

Say Cheese. Say Kodak!
Then came portable mini cameras with roll films. Professionals still paid attention to the craft, splashed with the journalistic style and it wasn't until the turn of the millennium (and DSLR cameras) that people started filming guerrilla photography, also known as- candid photos.

Even though the film and its development cost a fortune, it was quick and easy to use, and eventually, people started caring about having their wedding albums.

Color Me Pretty
Color photography was introduced in the mid 20th Century, after World War II. People who had a knack for photography and took pictures during the War became aware that they could be snapping photos of newlyweds as well as a job, so they started coming to the parties unannounced, took photos of the couple whom they later tried to sell these snaps. That was the essence of photojournalism.

SD Kingdom
Digital photography was a game-changer. Both for the couples and for the market. It paved the way for all kinds of photographers. This escalated with the emerging of Instagram.

One may think that the craft has gone and that the standard has hit the lowest low. It hasn't.

Because nowadays before you engage a photographer, you go through thousands of their photos to check if they've actually got it: that elusive skill of knowing where and when to stand to catch that moment when the fully-attired you put the eyes on your spouse for the first time.

Or your father anxious line on the forehead just before taking you down the aisle. Or the groom while giving a toast to his best man in this gorgeous Houston wedding venue with a room on a train.

Nevertheless, wedding photography is still a trend. It has morphed though. First, it was the newlyweds on the tennis courts, fully dressed, pretending to play tennis. Then, the couple with their closest circle (usually bridesmaids and best men) lined next to them, pulling each other away. Now, THAT was predictable. Or all of them in the same line being photographed for the 300th time to make the same jumping movement at the same time. Gosh. I believe it's fun for the wedding entourage, not so much for the photographer.

Modern Life
To exemplify modern wedding photography that is preferred in this day and age, we'll show you some brilliant photographers.

These people are the celebration of photography itself. Go check Lauren and Abby Ross, John Dolan, Jacqui Cole, Bruno Rezza, Lucy Birkhead, Corbin Gurkin, Cinzia Bruschini, Jose Villa, Danilo and Sharon, Petar Jurica and Marko Marinkovic.

Photography is the queen here. It's timeless. It's intimate. It's artistic and emotional. It's spontaneous, playful and looks effortless. Sort of a dreamy documentary.

Conclusion
(Way) back in the days, you might not have had the duty of sorting out the equipment, because it had to be there in the studio, 100 kilos of pure technology. You temper with it, the couple's frozen. 10 hours later, click! Another 10 hours later, here's your precious tin and copper. The Daguerreotype.

To say it's easier now is an understatement. Modern technology has brought us myriads of aspiring photographers.

Will the market ever be oversaturated? We doubt that. Everyone's vision and skill are different. Not to mention personality. So in order to be sure you have booked the right one, make sure they tick all three boxes. For the first time in history, equipment is less important.

Touché!

Author Bio: James Barnes is an experienced wedding organizer and blogger at theannexevents.com. He specialized in organizing outdoor wedding events.When he isn’t writing about weddings and marital life, David usually goes swimming or playing squash.