Documentary Photography
“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.”
What is a Documentary Photographer?
A Documentary Photographer tells a story through photographs. These photos will consist mainly of personal interaction, emotion and un-posed images. This type of photography brings out who a family is and shows the love between them. An image, in my opinion, must have some sort of context. It's very important for me to show the soul of a person, the story of a wedding or the love of a family in every shoot. I love walking around with families or people. Giving them little things to do. Telling jokes, making small talk and then just watching their characters unfold. I can observe and better predict what might come from doing this. The photos that are below are all special moments. Memories each session will look back on and love all over again.
Let me show you what I'm talking about.
“Photography is a language more universal than words.”
“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
“Where light and shadow fall on your subject – that is the essence of expression and art through photography.”
It's all about capturing moments and going where the shoot leads.
The energy of the shoot is never ending. I strive to look for the moments. I am completely okay with taking some posed photos, group photos...etc. As a Documentary Photographer I try to make photos that will stand the test of time. I edit every single photo and shoot with all digital equipment. I use top of the line cameras, FujiFilm in case you were curious, but they're also small and compact. This gives me an advantage in not being noticed or recognized. I use natural light to help capture the scene of most photo shoots. Flash photography to me is too obtrusive.
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
Getting in close to the scene.
I often get right into the scene of the moment. This helps me photograph and show how it felt to be there. A wedding photojournalist or documentary photographer should shoot like this. I also like to find the details in every wedding. The small pieces of heart that went into putting everything together. The hard work and time people spent making this day as special as it can be. I will set the scene and complete the story from beginning to end.
“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.”
“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.”