A documentary moment is one that would occur even if a photographer wasn’t there. Wedding days aren’t photo shoots. They’re rites of passage and important moments in family history. They don’t need a photographer to improve anything. They need a photographer to recognize and appreciate what this collection of people have created by simply showing up. A byproduct of this approach is that people get to enjoy themselves. They don’t have to miss the fun. They can be themselves and just hangout. A documentary photographer doesn't create beauty, they recognize beauty and capture it.

Portraiture is also a very important part of wedding photography. My clients always set aside 15-30 min for family portraits and 15-30 min for pictures of just the couple. Those portraits are extremely important in recording family history, but the people who hire me don’t want to spend more time than necessary doing it. They also know that whether you specialize in documentary photography or not, 90% of a wedding day is out of a photographer’s control. Couples hire me because I’m very comfortable working in unscripted environments.

Probably not. The pictures I make benefit from blending in and unobtrusively honoring the purpose of your wedding. I’m like the hum of the refrigerator: you know I’m there, but after awhile you stop paying attention. I’m also a big believer in quality over quantity. I’m not there to capture everything. I’m there to capture most things in a thoughtful way to elicit memories and convey feelings later on. There’s usually plenty of room before a ceremony to spend time with the couple getting ready even if they are doing that separately. Of the 350+ weddings I’ve shot less than 15 couples have ever added on a second photographer. The norm in the industry is to hire students and amateurs as second photographers, so it can be confusing to understand that two photographers doesn’t mean twice as many pictures and certainly doesn’t mean twice as much quality. I’d be happy to elaborate and answer questions specific to your own wedding.

Sparingly. I almost never use a flash before the dancing starts. I think natural light is often what makes a particular environment unique. I’ll often opt for darker, sometimes even motion-blurred photos before putting a flash on.

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