THOUGHTS
(photo is entirely irrelevant to the post but I can’t make a post without one ;) )
I have had people look at me and ask “how can you do that? how can you see so many colors?” or “I dont know how you saw that light, (etc etc)”
There is a total disconnect between wedding and portrait photography in general.
Perfect photos are perfect because they are imperfect. thats what photography is. a documentation of imperfection.
Wedding photographers and clients alike want PERFECT photos, perfect blog posts, etc. We lose the realness of the people and places sometimes that we are documenting when we do that. We press the shutter button a million times, look at the back of the camera and think “huh that looks sufficient I can fix it in photoshop later if not.”
I understand brides and other clients wanting things to look perfect on there wedding day. Hell I have been there, done that. On the day of though when it came down to it I honest to god didn’t care about any of that I put most of the “this needs to look like this and oh no that didn’t get done” out of my head and focused on J, our family, and the people who did so much to pull our day together to make it real.
I so often talk to other photographers who say “I just want the perfect images on my blog. I want THE best ones.”
Yeah. I get it. you want to show off your best work and thats fine…BUT….why are you dear bloggers afraid to put the imperfect ones there (on your blog) and your thoughts along with it. I love the photographers who post one image..that is almost entirely irrelevant to anything…its not perfect, the people aren’t perfect, the location isn’t perfect….its life. Just life happening in that exact moment and that person is allowing you to see that split second they felt necessary to capture. They see beauty in it and if you look past the lack of willowy models and poor lighting situation or the amount of grain…..it really can be a stunning thing to see. Why do we so often spill out overly happy and beautiful words? Yes I would rather read something that isn’t extremely depressing all the time but I also like to see that other people, photographers, artists, and vendors alike are going through those same thoughts and motions and they want to capture the rawness that is life as they see it.
If you are a naturally happy person who loves to spill out your good thoughts and wishes to the world that is wonderful. My husband is that exact person and I wouldnt have him any other way. I am merely saying all of this because so often I see people immediately being struck down for their honest and real and imperfect thoughts that they post. They are instantly criticized and pulled into a pit so they learn not to. I’m convinced that you are not human if you dont want to look at art and feel anything other than sappy happiness. You can’t have the good without the bad, the bittersweet, the awfulness, because thats real. Thats what photography is supposed to be in my eyes, not some conjured up magic (although yes that can be absolutely fantastical as well in the right situation.) but to NOT admit that there are imperfections in our work, that there are imperfections behind the scenes…..I just cannot wrap my mind around that..around not wanting to see something other than the cheesy mass produced goodness that so many people crank out….. Photographing families, couples, weddings….when I do my work I cannot fake what is or isn’t there…thats not the way I do things. Yes I will give you a little direction when I see fit but I am there solely to document YOUR STORY through my eyes. There can be tears, there can be fights, there can be smiles and tears of joy as well but regardless I am there to freeze for a split second those real emotions and potentially amplify them with the surroundings at hand as I see them. That blurry photo of your flower girl crying running across the room? I think thats gorgeous, the underexposed grainy black and white of the new husband and wife dancing? perfect in its very own right.
I have had people look at me and ask “how can you do that? how can you see so many colors?” or “I dont know how you saw that light, (etc etc)”
There is a total disconnect between wedding and portrait photography in general.
Perfect photos are perfect because they are imperfect. thats what photography is. a documentation of imperfection.
Wedding photographers and clients alike want PERFECT photos, perfect blog posts, etc. We lose the realness of the people and places sometimes that we are documenting when we do that. We press the shutter button a million times, look at the back of the camera and think “huh that looks sufficient I can fix it in photoshop later if not.”
I understand brides and other clients wanting things to look perfect on there wedding day. Hell I have been there, done that. On the day of though when it came down to it I honest to god didn’t care about any of that I put most of the “this needs to look like this and oh no that didn’t get done” out of my head and focused on J, our family, and the people who did so much to pull our day together to make it real.
I so often talk to other photographers who say “I just want the perfect images on my blog. I want THE best ones.”
Yeah. I get it. you want to show off your best work and thats fine…BUT….why are you dear bloggers afraid to put the imperfect ones there (on your blog) and your thoughts along with it. I love the photographers who post one image..that is almost entirely irrelevant to anything…its not perfect, the people aren’t perfect, the location isn’t perfect….its life. Just life happening in that exact moment and that person is allowing you to see that split second they felt necessary to capture. They see beauty in it and if you look past the lack of willowy models and poor lighting situation or the amount of grain…..it really can be a stunning thing to see. Why do we so often spill out overly happy and beautiful words? Yes I would rather read something that isn’t extremely depressing all the time but I also like to see that other people, photographers, artists, and vendors alike are going through those same thoughts and motions and they want to capture the rawness that is life as they see it.
If you are a naturally happy person who loves to spill out your good thoughts and wishes to the world that is wonderful. My husband is that exact person and I wouldnt have him any other way. I am merely saying all of this because so often I see people immediately being struck down for their honest and real and imperfect thoughts that they post. They are instantly criticized and pulled into a pit so they learn not to. I’m convinced that you are not human if you dont want to look at art and feel anything other than sappy happiness. You can’t have the good without the bad, the bittersweet, the awfulness, because thats real. Thats what photography is supposed to be in my eyes, not some conjured up magic (although yes that can be absolutely fantastical as well in the right situation.) but to NOT admit that there are imperfections in our work, that there are imperfections behind the scenes…..I just cannot wrap my mind around that..around not wanting to see something other than the cheesy mass produced goodness that so many people crank out….. Photographing families, couples, weddings….when I do my work I cannot fake what is or isn’t there…thats not the way I do things. Yes I will give you a little direction when I see fit but I am there solely to document YOUR STORY through my eyes. There can be tears, there can be fights, there can be smiles and tears of joy as well but regardless I am there to freeze for a split second those real emotions and potentially amplify them with the surroundings at hand as I see them. That blurry photo of your flower girl crying running across the room? I think thats gorgeous, the underexposed grainy black and white of the new husband and wife dancing? perfect in its very own right.
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