Have you heard people talk about documentary photography, and not been entirely sure what it actually means? Read on…
This is the sort of thing that I aim to capture during a documentary photography shoot…
…But in an artful way that my dad and his shaky hands certainly couldn’t (bless him!).
The fundamental basis of this type of photography is the premise that real life is beautiful EXACTLY as it is.
Think back to your favourite childhood photos, and I’m willing to bet that they are the ones that show lots of the context of your childhood:, the toys, the clothes that speak of the time that you grew up in.
Real life stuff happening in the frame, not just a tight crop of the family sitting posed in a studio or in a field. Even the cups, or the branding on the jars you can see in the frame will take you back.
So, when you have a documentary shoot, I come into your space and just hang out with you while you do your normal thing. I’m like a (friendly!!) hawk watching for those moments that tell your story.
But I won’t be telling you what to do.
It’s a job that requires patience and great observation, as well as the ability (gleaned over years of practice) to predict what may happen next and where it will happen.
Sometimes the thing you’re waiting for happens, sometimes it doesn’t.
Occasionally something else entirely random happens…
This is the magic of documentary photography. No two shoots are the same, because what we capture is entirely you…
…I just provide the artist’s eye to show you how beautiful your everyday actually is.
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