What is Documentary Style Photography?

If you’ve been hearing the trendy phrase, documentary style photography and wondered, ‘what is it exactly?’ You’ve come to the right place. Documentary inspired images are focused on capturing events and moments as they occur instead of staging them. Today, I’m going to talk about the key elements of this captivating photography style.

During my time as a military photographer, this was the only style of photography we used, as you are not allowed to pose your subjects in most situations. I quickly fell in love with documentary photography and the raw emotions it invokes, which is why I’m incorporating it into my wedding photography business.

Candid Moments

• Unscripted
• Raw Emotions
• Subtle Observation
• Unplanned Details
• Behind-the-Scenes

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What makes a photo candid is the lack of posing. In posed photography, the photographer may tell the subject exactly where to stand, how to look, etc. When using a more candid approach, a photographer will capture moments as they happen naturally.

“What if I don’t know what to do?”

In this case, the photographer may act more as a movie director by telling you a prompt such as, ‘run towards each other.’ This way, they’re giving you loose guidelines without forcing a pose. The result is a candid photo that tells a story.

The photographer will act more like a fly on the wall when taking candid shots and will work to capture hidden and behind-the-scenes images that may not have been seen before. In the military, I used to tell my subjects, “pretend I’m not here.” That’s because I wanted to capture people’s candid movements without them worrying about a camera in their face.

Using camera lenses with longer focal lengths is a great way to achieve this. I’ll stand back and capture intimate moments of my subjects from a distance so I don’t disturb how things would naturally happen.

Storytelling

• Context and Details
• Sequencing
• Character Focus
• Narrative Arc (beginning, middle and end)
• Chronological Flow

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Did you know it’s possible to use storytelling in photography? By using simple shot sequences or having a clear start and end to your story, a photographer can create a visual storybook in the image gallery.

In documentary style photography, it’s crucial to have a story arc in the photos. The photographer will do this by showing the subject getting ready or going to the location. The climax of the story happens during the key action, such as a marriage ceremony or a proposal. The resolution comes at the end and could be thought of as the shots of the bride and groom exiting a wedding, for example.

A photographer can paint a picture with images that tell the viewer exactly how the day went. This also helps add more depth and emotion to the images, because the observer feels more connected to the subject.

Minimal Interventions

• Non-Intrusive Presence
• Respecting the Moment
• Strategic Positioning
• Anticipation for Key Moments
• Situational Awareness

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The photographer is not meant to be the main focus of any photo session or coverage situation. This is especially true for documentary style photography.

If a photographer wants to capture those key, candid moments, they’ll have to be as invisible as possible. This requires practice and wisdom in knowing where to be at what time.

A photographer will have to work to creatively position themselves to get the best shot possible without being distracting. Good photographers also know when the time is appropriate to use something like a bright flash, or when it’s better to respect the moment happening and get the shot another way, if possible.

Building trust with the client is another way a photographer can do this. After making the people in the photos feel more comfortable, candid moments will happen more often and it’ll be even easier to capture them.

Natural Lighting

• Preserves Authenticity
• Images Feel More Heartfelt
• Less Distractions
• Visual Consistency
• Flattering and Timeless Aesthetic

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An important part of documentary style photography is natural lighting. It is possible to create documentary images with flash, but it should be used cautiously and tastefully.

Natural lighting plays such an important role in minimizing distractions during a shoot. It can help the subjects focus on the moment that’s happening. It also gives a timeless feel to the images that will help them stay visually appealing with time.

We’ve all seen those super, over-edited images everyone was posting on Instagram in 2011 with cheesy polaroid filters. A natural lighting approach maintains an image’s authenticity and makes it outlast any trend.

Emotional Depth

• Enhances Storytelling
• Engages a Wider Audience
• Makes Images Stand Out
• Reflects Authenticity

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The best part about documentary style photography is that it can evoke strong emotions using just a picture. Because the goal is to capture moments as they happen naturally, these photos will have authentic emotions and reactions that don’t seem staged or fake.

Emotional depth helps reach a broader audience because people can empathize with the photos. The photographer can use this to help tell a story and make the images really stand out against a more posed photography approach.

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If you’re looking to create heartfelt and unfiltered images during your photo session, documentary style photography might be something you should try! It can create stunning images that are timeless and capture every emotion. You also don’t have to worry about the stress of posing because you can follow simple prompts to capture dynamic movement and action.

I’m Grace, and I’m a documentary style wedding and engagement photographer

I use digital and 35mm film photography as well as super 8 movies to capture weddings and more in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia! I’m also willing to travel! I’d love to talk more with you about planning a documentary style shoot in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains! Contact me today if you’re searching for a photographer! I’d love to hear from you!