Documentary-style photography, also known as photojournalism or reportage photography, is a style of photography that aims to chronicle events or environments in a factual and objective manner. Here are some key characteristics and principles of documentary-style photography:
Objective Approach: Documentary photography seeks to capture moments as they happen, without altering the scene or influencing the subjects. For weddings and couples portraits this means letting couples be who they are within the frame or backdrop.
Storytelling: It focuses on telling a story through images, often capturing candid and unposed moments. Shooting the whole day from start to finish and the nuanced moments in between. For me this means also shooting the environment and things that catch my eye beyond the couple.
Authenticity: The emphasis is on capturing real-life situations and events as they unfold naturally, without staging or directing the subjects. Im NOT telling couples to be someone they aren’t but asking them to be themselves and in front of a good back drop.
Emphasis on Context: Photographs are often taken in the context of a larger narrative or story, aiming to provide insight into a particular issue, culture, or event. For weddings this unfolds in a few ways as the photographer I respect and honor each couples backgrounds and I work with families and people to capture that in a human way.
Minimal Manipulation: Unlike commercial or portrait photography, documentary photography typically involves minimal editing or post-processing to preserve the authenticity of the image. Exactly, I don’t edit much, and I don’t retouch at all thats an add on service.
I think the goal is to weave, even marry the love of photojournalism with weddings. Offering couples something really honest and unique to their love. Verse cookie cutting the same protocol every time. Someone once told me a lot of my weddings look different and I think to some degree they should, not everyone is the same. So the photos also shouldn’t look the same.
awesome magnum Article HERE on documentary style.
Documentary styled photography is often known for being little more edgy and crud, not as soft and gentle as more commercial and typical wedding photography. Artfully choosing angles that are maybe more about the image that being perfect. Sometimes stepping all the way back or on the floor to catch life from a different view.
Check out a few of my favorite elopement’s I’ve done recently CLICK HERE
<3 sending reactivation for clients and revisiting some of my early film work from many years ago .
my career started here. for many who know or don’t know, i worked for an elopement company for 5 years in the inception stages of their company, averaging 5–8 elopements per week in central park. this was such a critical time in my career it pushed and molded me into a strong photographer. i pride myself on being able to handle anything and roll with the unpredictability of the wedding world.
it was also a tough time in my career because by working for someone else, i wasn’t working for myself. i think in many ways i wasn’t pushing myself to grow. i got comfortable and stagnant. when i finally departed from them in 2020, my whole world changed and so did my work.
stagnancy is death for us as creatives. keep things funky, keep things new, and never, ever assume you’re at the top. there is always room for growth. Still one of my fav photos was also one of my first film photos .. <3 #filmisnotdead
new and old love colliding into each other reminding us of the journey were on, and that the end goal was always this, as i reflect on my own love and our ups and downs, i can only hope through a willingness. to communicate to do self reflection and work ,me and mine will end up here too. still down for the late night dance .. @earthlumbertree
