Documentary wedding photography’s true purpose.
Documentary wedding photography has become something of a catchphrase over the past few years. “Genuine”, “authentic”, “candid” are all widely used synonyms. And they’re all accurate. But although those words tell us what documentary wedding photography is, they don’t detail, in any real way, the why, or the purpose of this style of photography. What is the job of someone who calls themself a documentary wedding photographer?
To put it succinctly, it’s about your vibe, not mine.
In other words, the true job of a documentary wedding photographer is to capture the mood, the essence, the “vibe” of a wedding, whatever that may be. It’s not about imposing a style or a mood. It’s not about my vibe - it’s about capturing yours. This means that a documentary photographer has to be a chameleon of sorts; willing and able to blend and be aware of the surroundings.
This is why I absolutely love what I do! How boring would it be to simply show up at every wedding, make photos that are basically the same as at every other wedding, and have that be the start and finish and everything in between? Instead, I get to show up to each wedding with a clean slate. No preconceived ideas, no “must have” poses or static shots of rings and invitations. Instead, upon arrival I take in the scene and begin to observe. I meet the families, the guests and get a general feel for the energy and the personalities involved. Of course I’ve spoken to the couple in advance and therefore have some idea of their vision for the day and their approach to their wedding. When I arrive, it all gels and I become part of the scene, making photos along the way.
If you’ve spent some time looking through my website, you’ve probably (I hope) noticed that the photos don’t all look the same. And that’s for an incredibly simple reason. Every single wedding is different, and therefore my goal is always to have the photos I shoot at any wedding look and feel like that wedding did on the day we were all there. I hope that if you’ve read this far it means you’re looking for a true documentary wedding photographer whose goal isn’t to impose their style on your wedding, but to capture it exactly the way you envisioned it. For me, that’s the one and only true purpose of documentary photography.
Louis danced with his mother and grandmother at his wedding reception, held at the fabulous restaurant Anixi. I love the colors and the slight blur of this photo and the one below. It takes me right back to the very moment we were all there.
