Documentary and I have had an interesting relationship over the past couple of years. When I was first introduced to documentary, I was drawn to the interesting composition, the depth in each photograph, the significance present in the work, and the authenticity it presents. My first introduction was in Kellie Bieser's class "Before They Grow Up". We explored the various ways a photographer can capture his/her family and it was an introduction into the different genres of family photography. Shortly after, I took a class called The Documentary Approach with Felicia Chang, Lauren Mitchell, and Jessica Thomason. I instantly fell in love with the material. It was intriguing and I felt it had so much depth. What was the problem? I didn't like the rules.
Don't give me a set of rules. I will feel obliged to follow them and resentful they exist. When I first started attempting documentary, I was frustrated. I didn't understand how to make an image look "good". And if I'm being honest, when I looked at "acclaimed" documentary photographers, I didn't really understand why their images were good either. I wasn't able to read a photograph and really take in the information being given. Since I didn't know how to read it, I DEFINITELY didn't know how to create it.
The other issue was that I wanted to create "beautiful" images, images to be adored by all. That's super embarrassing to say, but it's the truth. I wanted the likes on Instagram. I wanted to be featured and all of the things. I chased the golden hour light, the unposed posed shots, all the ways I could create an image that I thought was pretty and "good". It's taken me years to come to terms with the fact that I just don't produce images like that. I want to, but it's not how I see the world. The greatest lesson I've ever learned in documentary is that my photographs are how I see the world. When I let go of the desire to be the best photographer, to be featured and loved by all, I can truly assess what it is that I'm trying to say to my viewer. When I look back on my life and what I have to offer the world, I want people to know that they are perfect, exactly as they are. I want my photographs to say the same. I want them to be a representation of how I see the world, one quirky image after the other. Of course, I love the images where my little girl is wearing a beautiful dress and the light is highlighting her curly hair, but the images that are my favorite are when she has on rain boots, rainbow leggings, a sequin jacket, a princess crown, and my makeup that she applied. I want her to look at her pictures I've taken and see that I appreciated her exactly as she was, not as I wanted her to be. And the best way I know how to do that is by capturing the image in front of me, exactly as it unfolds, without messing with a thing.
My Process
The first thing I consider when I bring out my camera is why this moment is important to me. What am I trying to say with this image? I consider a few things to help me determine this:
1. Who is my viewer?
2. What do I want to communicate?
3. How can I best communicate that?
For the image above, my viewer is future Ellie. I want to communicate to her that she loves fashion, she was a little bit sassy, and she appreciated color. For the how? Instead of just taking a picture of her outfit, the first thing I consider, I loved that she was looking at herself and admiring herself in the mirror. I wanted to use that moment, not only to show her outfit, but a part of her personality. I also tried to use certain compositional elements to make it more appeasing to the eye. The light is already not great, so I have to make the other elements strong. The plants are framing her and providing a sense of stability with vertical lines. The mirror providing another frame as well as some repetition. And for the moment, the face she's making as she admires herself and her perfectly created outfit.
The picture above was taken at Click Away in Atlanta this year. I love street photography and I enjoyed exploring the busy city.
My viewer was me (and honestly, also y'all, right?). I wanted to communicate the awe I felt with how big Atlanta is as well as how busy and fast paced life in a big city compared to my little ol' hometown of Greenville, SC. How? I got a little lower to the ground to make the buildings look a little larger. I slowed the shutter speed down so that the blur communicates the fact paced nature of the city. I actually tried this a couple of ways. One way was allowing the cars to pass by in front of me going from right to left. I chose this photo, though, because I felt the cars going towards the back of the frame provided a sense of depth and allowed the photo to become more 3d, if that makes sense.
The Viewer, future Alex. What am I trying to communicate? I'm just laughing at the fact that you steal donuts when you're not supposed to and you love them. How? This is honestly one I snapped pretty quickly because I didn't have much time. I chose portrait mode because I felt like it emphasized him and got rid of any distractions around him. Out of the pictures I took, I liked this one because he is actively chewing, showing that he's eating that donut. I also liked the green hue the TV produced because it alluded to the idea that he's watching cartoons. Lastly, his posture made me think of Al Bundy and to this great idea that even as young boys, men have a certain affinity to lounging on the couch, right?
Coming to Terms with the Rules
1. Why do we have them?
When people become really dogmatic and rigid about rules, I secretly have that little eye roll going in my head. It's like, yeah yeah, we get it. You're the best, blah blah. So I understand the difficulty and frustration with the rules of documentary. I DO realize why they are important. Being born out of a desire to document events, documentary was primarily used in photojournalism. There is a level of integrity that is required in order for pictures to be purchased and published. Though family documentary photography has a different audience and impact, I believe the purists want to keep the art form pure for a reason. Because so much of documentary is about the moment, it's important that the moment is pure. What makes a documentary artist a Master is their use of composition, moment, details they decide to leave in the frame, etc. That is the art of it. If that art turned out to be manufactured, would it have the same impact as before?
2. What's the gray area?
Documentary photography was first used as a way to create social change in the world. There are a ton of artists who break the rules of documentary in order to do that. Some use portraiture as a way to document time. While allowing a person to stand for a portrait is not within the "rules" of documentary, to utilize those images in a realistic way to document a passage of time does. Greta Rybus is one of my favorite artists who documents climate change and utilizes portraits to do so. Even within our own group, the artist determines how they want to work within the genre, some saying that self portraiture is okay while others say that it is not.
Linsey Davis, an amazing documentary photography, suggested an interview with a photographer Ashley Stohl. In her interview, she said something that helped me come to terms with my own relationship with the title of "documentary photographer" and the rules. She said that unless you're getting paid by a magazine, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what you call yourself, just shoot. Just take pictures how you want and enjoy it. That interview has been a turning point in my own photography and how I want to grow.
3. The Takeaway
As a photographer, the lessons I've learned over the past few months have helped me to understand myself a little more. One is that I want to learn to shoot for myself. I have the luxury of not taking clients and having this hobby all for myself. Because of that, I don't need to be good, I don't need to be successful. My desire for those things is all ego and it's getting in the way of my love for photography and my growth as a photographer. Once I realized that, I have been able to let go of this idea of what my images should look like.
I don't have to define my style. It does not matter. And the funny thing is, once I let go of the need to do that, I felt this huge desire to study the works of documentary photographers and dive more deeply into the genre. I think the rules intimidated me so much that I couldn't commit to them, and once I let go of the need to adhere to them, it suddenly wasn't a big deal. Looney toons? Maybe. I am hoping there are some of you out there that can relate to me and jump on the looney toon train with me.
And lastly, if you are pulled to this style for any reason, take classes and study images that bring you joy. You can still take your self portraits, you can still capture your family together. Let go of your fear about the rules and just dig in. This month, we've had some amazing teachers share lessons about what makes a documentary image good. You can start there and follow where your curiosity takes you.
What I want you to remember more than anything is that your work is important. Your view of the world is unique and it doesn't matter how you capture it, what style you're drawn to, what you create is impactful. If you're someone who loves to put together an image from start to finish to convey your message, do it! It's beautiful and it's needed. If you're someone who likes to sit back and allow the moment to unfold while you stand by, do that. It's beautiful and it's needed. Don't be so consumed by the desire to be great that you forget why you started in the first place!
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