I have always been kind of a sentimental girl. I've also always been kind of a grassroots kind of girl. I question things. I naturally am always looking deeper, beyond the surface. I've always found beauty in the ordinary and in the complexity of human emotions. Childhood curiosity and wonder absolutely amaze me (they are brilliant little creatures, aren't they?). Looking back, it only seems natural to me that I would make the shift from traditional family portraits to lifestyle portraits to now 75% of my business being of the documentary genre. Documentary photography excites me, yet brings me peace. It allows me to show you what I see. What is documentary photography and how does it differ from lifestyle photography? That's a fairly easy question for me to answer because I think they are hugely different. A lifestyle shoot may take place at home, but it's carefully curated. Only the best lighting is shot, outfits are chosen and coordinated, only your good side is showing, the room of the house you're shooting in is neat and completely tidy. Poses are loosely created appear emotive- and I'm certainly not saying they aren't loving- they totally are. But it might not be what you would naturally do to cuddle or show emotion. Lifestyle photography is really beautiful and visually appealing, no doubt about it. The photographer creates scenes of the subject s/he is shooting. And let me be clear, like, crystal clear: there is nothing wrong with lifestyle photography. And yes, I still shoot it. But documentary photography is a totally different ball game. It is natural and authentic, families and couples are free to go about their daily lives for the time I am with them. I capture what they show me- in the environment that they are in. I tell the story of what I see. There's no posing, there's no saying cheese. If there is a smile, it's organic. If there's a laugh, it's uninhibited. If there is a kiss, it's genuine. If there's a meltdown, it's gritty. And if there's baking, it's messy. It's real. And it's so, so good. There's so much more to life than perfect moments and that is what makes documentary photography so deliciously, soul fillingly good. Instead of artfully directing the scene in front of them, the photographer is artfully anticipating the scene. Observing and watching, carefully waiting for the moment to present itself. To kind of drive the point home- in a lifestyle session, love is seen and felt with heartwarming smiles and connection with the camera. By contrast, in a documentary session, love is seen and felt when a toddler falls and scrapes his knee and the parent scoops them up (screaming and crying) to wipe away the tears and clean the wound while whispering reassurances in their ear. So, why documentary then? Why should you care? When you ask those questions, when you ask yourself why? That's when documentary photography really shines. Documentary photography is really gaining ground and becoming more and more mainstream.
There's as many reasons to choose documentary photography as there are stars in the sky, but what you have to decide is "Is this right for me?" "Is this what I want?" And if you're reading this, and you're here...I'd like to think that it's something you want to explore. I'd like to think that you can envision a session for your own family full of beautiful, yet ordinary memories.
If you would like to talk about scheduling a session, feel free to contact me here or on the Contact tab above and we will talk a little bit about what you want and how you want to approach your session. I'll also send you out a questionaire to help me see and understand what is important to you. Here's a few more blogs exploring the documentary genre and what to expect on a session with me! Documentary FAQs What to Expect on a Family Session What to Expect on a Newborn Session Authenticity in Documentary Photography
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJess is a photographer serving families located in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She specializes in documentary and storytelling photography. Categories
All
|
Location |
|