Documentary by Camille Camacho

The Documentary Approach, by Camille Camacho

Parenthood, one of the most transformative time in one’s life. And, quite frankly, how I stumbled upon that desperate desire to freeze time. Hanging back & simply documenting, without too much thought, is how I started. Once I began to actually learn my camera & to shoot with intention, I grew to not only document, but actually create art with these everyday, sometimes easily overlooked, moments.

Let Go

You know those beautiful images of perfectly posed families, babies, & couples. Those images that seem to quite literally define the word ‘pretty’. Man, they’re seriously gorgeous. Well, documentary is quite the opposite. It’s beauty, redefined. Perfection within imperfection. So if you’re used to offering direction & setting up epic shots, it’s time for a paradigm shift, my friend. Let go of your need to guide your subjects & to perfect an image. Documentary is about the real honest most genuine raw stuff. It’s about showcasing an actual moment that has zero interference from you, the documenter.

My lens fogged up as soon as I pulled the camera out of the bag... I went with it

Become Adaptable

Documentary is a curveball. Doesn’t take a ton of actual planning prior to documenting your own everyday life, or even prior to showing up to a documentary session. But that’s because all of the planning is done on the fly! You’re hard at work scanning rooms, observing interactions, & anticipating possible outcomes... then scrapping all of that because the moment just changed up on you & you are now looking for a new interesting composition while still keeping your eye on the ball. If you adapt to your surroundings, you will become successful with telling an honest story in an interesting & captivating way.

Anticipate moves. I overheard her whine she wanted to watch Daddy cook, so I knew there was a good chance she would sit somewhere in this frame. I waited.

Be Intentional

Slow down! I have to remind myself of this often. Slow down & breathe. I was that person that took way too many photos when I first started - mindlessly snapping away like a madwoman afraid I would miss a moment if I wasn’t clicking my shutter every second. Man, that was exhausting! Channeling your energy like a laser versus dispursing it like a shotgun comes with time, but I promise it will happen if you put in the work. Once you grow enough awareness to shoot with purpose, you will find freedom in that. Documentary is way more than simply freezing an actual event or moment. You’re telling a story & you don’t want a great story lost in subpar imagery. Setting up your shots, being mindful of different perspectives, & trying different compositions are all key factors. I would say even more so for documentary since you’re not relying on photo manipulation, like photoshop, during post processing. So, slow down & take control.

These two rooms have an ajoining door. Easy opportunity for a possible moment like this to unfold.

I was standing by that bear on the rocking chair just a minute before I took this. See the elbow in the top left peeking in the frame? I was shooting the moments unfolding over by the crib when I noticed this little one on the ground. I was mindful of the light & her profile, so moving & setting up this real life genuine shot, was key to making it a pleasing image.

Gear

You don’t need much. I recently purchased a 35 mm 1.4. This is a great lens because it’s wide enough to include the environment around your subject(s) without too much distortion. I use it for all of my in-home work. Before that, I was using a 28 1.8 & that, too, was pretty good! I will sometimes break out my 50 1.4 if I find that I have that kind of time. For instance, if there is a baby involved & they happen to fall asleep. Things tend to slow down with sleeping children, so it gives me enough time to compose a storytelling image with my 35 by including baby & the space, then moving in closer with my 50 for a more detailed image of baby.

Eager to touch the snow. I was playing around with different perspectives & was lucky enough to land on this one before she got too cold & headed back in.

I was hoping to capture the kids laughter as their parents continually lifted & dropped the linen on their heads... but instead I got this golden nugget of a moment. My kind of family portrait.

I ran through the house knowing they would pass right by here since he was taking the kids on a joy ride round & round the home.

He built a little driveway snow ramp, so I knew standing here would be perfect for a shot like this!

Interesting light is a major driving force of motivation to break out my camera.

They were waiting for the other family members who were behind me walking towards the golf carts.

Including a doorframe is a classic way to create that feel of peeking into one's life. It's a go-to of mine when shooting in-home.

They were playing patty cake while I played with the light.