My life as a Documentary (Wedding) Photographer
Earlier in my career, I took a seminar titled “How Not To Be A Wedding Photographer.” Run by John Dolan and Holger Thoss – both incredible photographers and documentarians - it was a seminal moment in my trajectory as a professional because it confirmed what I believed about wedding photography and introduced me to a bunch of other people who felt the same: Capture the day as it happens. Show how it felt, not how it looked. Being in the moment will always result in better photos than a long shot list ever could. And…don’t JUST shoot weddings.
What a relief! Seriously, when I started shooting weddings, I would be told all the time, by other photographers, that I wouldn’t ever get hired if I didn’t do all of the expected portrait and detail shots. (Like rings on pillows or the dress on a hangar by a window…) It was also implied that if I didn’t eat, sleep and breathe the wedding industry, I wasn’t ‘really’ a wedding photographer. And that just didn’t make any sense to me. Why should all wedding photographers do the same thing? All weddings don’t look alike, so why should the photos? There had to be couples out there who were more interested in photos of the unexpected moments, or the genuine reactions than they were cookie cutter portraits and set up shots of whatever the latest trend looked like.
Before taking John and Holger’s seminar, the only true documentary wedding photographers I knew were in the UK. I’d met the brilliant photographer Kevin Mullins at a Fujifilm conference, and he basically helped me set up my business here in the US. At the time, he told me that the documentary approach was far less well known in the States, and it might be slow going at first, but if I stuck to my guns, I would eventually find “my” clients. He was absolutely correct. In the beginning it was like pushing the proverbial boulder up a hill. But then I started booking a few weddings, met more documentary wedding photographers, gained confidence, and steadily built my business.
What does my life look like today? Well, a key point is – and I refer back to my first paragraph here – I don’t just shoot weddings. Because weddings are, after all, one aspect of life. An important one, to be sure, but not the only one. Family shoots, reunions, birthdays and even corporate events all factor into my photography work. I bring the same documentary approach to everything, and they all inform each other and keep my perspective fresh. And to top it off, my work is also my hobby! When I’m not at a paid event, I still have my camera in hand and go out shooting in the streets. Whether candid or street portraits, I love capturing every day people going about their lives. And nothing hones the reflexes better than shooting on the streets of NYC!
I also shoot with film cameras. My current favorite is a Rolleiflex from 1952 that forces me to slow down, breathe and be very deliberate, as there is no high speed shutter or autofocus. It’s just another tool in my toolbox and gives me more options to choose from. What could be better?
Basically I document anything that catches my eye. If you go on my Instagram feed, you’ll see landscapes and street portraits and weddings and kids in family shoots, etc. This is a ‘controversial’ approach, since my Instagram is officially a business account. I’ve been told I should have a personal IG for anything that isn’t paid wedding work, and I vehemently disagree. For me, because my approach to weddings is so personal and specific to each couple – no two weddings will look alike on my website – prospective clients who can look at the whole range of subjects I shoot and how I approach them will have an even better idea of what to expect when they work with me.
If any of this intrigues you, or raises questions; if you think this might be what you want for your wedding (or any event, for that matter), please get in touch! I absolutely love what I do and am excited to work with people who aren’t looking for cookie cutter style images. Life’s too short to have boring photos!
