Greenville, SC Wedding Photographer: What Does a Documentary Wedding Really Look Like

Introduction

So... you think you want a documentary wedding photographer, but in this day in age you’re not really sure what that looks like? Everyone is clamoring about their “fly on the wall” approach and candids and you’re about ready to slam your laptop shut? Ok, don’t do that yet, let me take your hand and walk you through what a documentary wedding really looks like. Really.

Documentary Photography Defined

I think “documentary photography” can sound a little intimidating because people hear the word documentary and sometimes picture a photographer who never poses anything, never directs anyone, and spends the entire wedding hiding in the background with a long lens.

But really, documentary photography is all about capturing the day as it happened, telling the real, narrative story, not a manufactured version that feels staged or disconnected from the people experiencing it.

The best way to think about documentary photography when considering it isn’t to think of it as a specific posing or editing style, but as a way of paying attention. You can have photographs that are intentional, creative, beautiful, and very you while still documenting the actual experience of your wedding day.

When I say documentary, I’m talking about photographs that feel like the moment actually felt. It can be your grandmother crying during the ceremony. It can be your friends absolutely going off on the dance floor. It can be the two of you sneaking away from the reception for ten minutes.  And it can even be a beautifully posed portrait. I would describe myself as more of an editorial documentary for those moments when I intervene.

Documentary Photography With SRP: The Approach

Documentary photography, for me, infuses a candid approach with craft. As a photographer, my job is to spot that angle or gorgeous patch of sunlight, and direct you towards it for moments to unfold. It’s a mix of direction and observation.While it is very candid-forward, that does not mean that I am standing in the corner with a camera and hoping something happens.

Instead, I’m paying attention, watching how people interact, anticipating moments before they happen, and giving them space to be themselves. And it does mean that sometimes, when appropriate, I will adjust my couple or move a moment before it happens to another area with better light as well.

What sets the documentary photography I do apart is the combination of intentionality, creativity, and observation. And what sets a good documentary photographer apart from everyone else with the label is knowing when to step in.

Couples portraits are a great example. I’m not going to throw you into a field and say, “Okay, just be natural!” and then disappear. I’ll give you direction, prompts, movement, and things to do so you have something to actually interact with. But once I’ve given you that direction, I want to see what you do with it.

The same goes for the rest of the wedding day. I’m paying attention to the relationships, the energy, and everything happening around you. I’m not trying to manufacture every photograph.

Your wedding photographs aren't just about what you looked like. Years from now, they're going to remind you how the day felt, and hopefully how I made you feel while you were having your photos taken, too, so that’s what I prioritize.

I want to give you direction without making you feel like you're doing something wrong. I want to be confident without being pushy. I want to create space for you to be yourselves while still making photographs that feel creative and intentional.

The Ideal SRP Documentary Client

I’m not interested in giving every couple the exact same gallery with the exact same poses and the exact same shot list. I want to know who they are. What do they care about? What kind of photographs make them excited? What parts of the day are they most looking forward to? Are they sentimental? Weird? Fashion-forward? Completely obsessed with their dog? Do they want romantic portraits? Editorial portraits? A little bit of chaos? Tell me all of it.

And if you want your wedding day to feel like a photoshoot, I want you to have the photoshoot. I love making photographs into art — from finding good light and cool locations to interesting compositions, movement, fashion, and weird little details — and I want to have a hand in all of the creative things that make a photograph feel like more than just a snapshot.

But I don't want your entire wedding day to become a series of moments that only exist because we needed something to photograph. There’s a difference between making photographs and manufacturing moments, and that difference comes with intention.

There are thousands of photographers and a lot of them have very similar styles, but it’s who is behind the camera that makes the difference. A calming, warm, and on-top-of-shit/very aware photographer (me) is different from one that takes control of every situation. We will inevitably get different photos, but that’s because of who is behind the lens.

The ideal client for this is someone who wants a wedding that looks as real as the memories feel, but cares about the photos. Someone who has a vision, but doesn’t want to recreate a Pinterest board or someone else’s work shot-by-shot.

I’m very happy to pull you aside and spend time making really intentional portraits, and they will look unique to you, even if they’re inspired by something else you’ve seen on Instagram. I’ll help you figure out what to wear, where to go, how to move, and how to make the most of the location, but I’m not interested in turning your wedding day into a production.

If you want to spend an hour taking cool photos together, I am extremely down for that. But then we go back to your actual wedding. Your friends are still going to dance. Your mom is still going to cry. Your partner is still going to make a stupid joke during portraits. And I believe in having your cake and eating it too especially if it’s lemon blueberry.

Above all, I want you to look back at your gallery, and amidst the artful portraits we’ve staged, be able to say, “I forgot that happened and I’m so happy that I have those photos with my loved ones.”