already exists; not a post of projection for what we desire."
— Rebecca Parker Payne
This quote really spoke to me yesterday.
There's so much pressure on photographers to take the perfect image.
Not perfect only in the sense of technical details, but perfect in light and framing and composition and moment. I've only done one wedding and I've been a part of the photography industry for only a short time, but I see it underneath the surface. So much of what we see weddings and family shoots should be. How you should approach them. How you need to do them. What shots you have to take. How you should shoot silhouette photos and how to get the family to laugh and what reflector to use to get nice catchlights. And I'm not saying that sometimes, things like that aren't valuable, because they truly are.
(I'm not saying to be uneducated or to not learn as much as you can about weddings, family shoots, or photography in general! learn learn learn and keep learning. but don't shoot an image just because that's what you're "supposed to do." do your thing and do it well.)
But I think in compiling a shot list or studying pose ideas or even poring over wedding or family blogs, we lose the magic and wonder in the spontaneity. Photography is about waiting and watching for those fleeting, ephemeral, moments of wonder. And then having the eyes to see them when they come and to appreciate and celebrate them for what they are. The sad thing about the digital age is we can become so spray and pray that we lose the beauty of natural, honest moments. Heartfelt images are beautiful -- the in between and behind the scenes and middle ground photos. Maybe they don't seem like much at first. But they are layered with pieces of your story.
And I want that depth of authenticity and honesty in my work. Maybe not the perfect shot in terms of awards or wedding blogs or magazine features. But I'd rather take an image that spoke to someone rather than an image that was beautifully executed, breathtakingly perfect technique wise, but lacked authenticity and emotion.
If the moment is not there, I will not make it.
If the feeling is not there, I will not fake it.
If it's not honest, I won't take it.
I want my photos to have a depth. To be authentic and real and heartfelt.
Quiet and simple.
Honest.
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