The Documentary Photographer » Documentary

Change

Roger Overall — Tue, 17 May 2011 18:07:54 +0000

Change is good. Mostly.

Regular readers will have noticed a change in the blog design. I’d long wanted to add the capability of having a photograph in the banner at the top. Besides, another photographer in Cork was using exactly the same blog template as me. Same website template as well, as it happens. I’m not saying that this is intentional, merely that it illustrates perfectly the main drawback of templates.

That’s one of the reasons that I took the plunge and broke into this new template’s CSS code. That way I can put my own stamp on it. This is a big step for me. I am not a natural bedfellow for any kind of programming language. (I actually don’t even know what CSS stands for). Consequently, I have no idea what I’m doing, but there is only one way to learn. It’s how I learned photography, after all. I’ve already made one unintended change that I’ll have to figure out by comparing it to the original CSS script.

So if the whole blog vanishes one day, you’ll know what happened. I, on the other hand, won’t have a clue.

An utterly random photograph that I took on assignment earlier this year in an office. It makes me smile every time I see it.(c) Roger Overall 2011

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #9

Roger Overall — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:05:50 +0000

A Week In Pictures

Roger Overall — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:43:02 +0000

It’s good to be busy, so I’m not complaining. Here is a selection of photographs from five shoots in the past five days.

Corporate Assignment 1. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Corporate Assignment 2. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Corporate Assignment 3. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Wedding Assignment 1. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Wedding Assignment 2. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #2

Roger Overall — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:20:22 +0000

After the 2010 National Photographic Awards, I made a bold statement. I wouldn’t be entering any more photographs of children. It is too easy to score well that way.

I’m now somewhat regretting that pronouncement. Well, part of me is. The lazy part. This is by far the bigger part of me, so it gets a lot of airtime in my head.

There is a panel of four photographs from this wedding alone that would make a very decent stand at the national awards. Each photograph shows the same little girl.

My lazy voice notwithstanding, none of her photographs will go to the awards. This year, I want to concentrate on the bride and groom. It is their day after all, and I want to show that in my awards entries.

At least, here in Ireland…

These photographs are from a wedding I covered in May. Superb, warm, loving couple.

The bride's family are big greyhound enthusiasts and this scene-setter at the house in the morning helps tell that bit of the story. I was helped by some people coming out of the house to greet me over on my right, which distracted the dog for a second. It's the mimic of the head direction that makes this work. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Flower girls are an endless source of great photographs. Rarely do they do as they are told. Boredom prevents them from doing so. And they often escape into their own world of play when they can. This was captured just before the ceremony, after the girls had marched dutifully for the third time down the aisle to prove they knew what would be required of them. (c) Roger Overall 2010

What can I say? Pure genius by the little girl. Talk about scene stealing. This was taken with a 135mm lens - a rarity. (c) Roger Overall 2010

When you're bored, you're bored - so you make your own entertainment. Everyone else was busy with the signing of the register. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Veils, wind. It's a familiar story. The bride's wonderful warmth here adds dynamism to the photograph as well. In terms of photography, it was a case of looking for the expression. The veil is an added bonus. Documentary photography for me is about emotion first. Any additional occurrences are extras I take gladly, but you need to lay the foundation first by looking for the emotion. (c) Roger Overall 2010

I love the tenderness here. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The older guests at weddings are often overlooked by photographers. In a way it's understandable. They are often there at the parents' request. While I do try to concentrate on the younger guests, I like to keep an eye out for older guest interaction. They could be a favourite great uncle, after all. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Two worlds exist beside each other - one of my favourite themes. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Children and sugar. 'Nuff said. From a photographic perspective, this was something of a grab shot, as the boy announced what he was going to do and then did it before the words had fully left his mouth. (c) Roger Overall 2010

And here she is again. This time in discussion with the groom. I like the way that her hand gesture is mirrored to some extent by that of the groom's mother in blue. I've tried this picture cropped tighter to exclude the window highlights at the top and the two men at the far end. The crop makes the picture claustrophobic; leaving it uncropped keeps the context and depth. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The parents are often the forgotten players on the wedding day of their children, so I try hard not to. I love this interaction between the bride's mum and the groom's dad. (c) Roger Overall 2010

This is all about the ring. I was able to get quite close with a 50mm lens without the couple noticing me. Until the shutter clicked. Taken on a Canon 1DS Mrk II - a camera whose shutter lives up to the brand name. I sometimes wonder whether I should wear earplugs. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Getting an interesting shot of the cutting of the cake can be hard. So I leave it to someone else - as shown here. (c) Roger Overall 2010

I love the look on the bride's face. It conveys so much. Photography of the speeches is all about reactions to what is being said. Usually, you get a couple of outstanding speakers at Irish weddings, and there are lots of great expressions. Rich pickings for a documentary photographer. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Anatomy Of A Wedding Day #1

Roger Overall — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:30:01 +0000

I’d made a commitment before to publish more work with annotations. I kinda let that slide. I’m going to be a bit more disciplined about it from now on. Here’s a wedding that I photographed a couple of weeks ago at Ballyseede Castle in Co. Kerry with some information about how I came to take them.

I do like reflections. Being able to show the bride from a couple of sides shows the dress in all its elegance. I had a couple of decisions to make in terms of cropping. Firstly, on the far right-hand side, I could have cut out the window, ending the picture on that side with the dark wood of the poster bed. Instead I elected to show the window to give a sense of depth beyond the picture confines. If you put your hand over the window, the picture becomes more enclosed and claustrophobic. Secondly, I could have cropped out the light at the top on the right. Left in, it is a distraction. Left out, the room loses some of its character. I'll often favour detail and context over cropping. (c) Roger Overall 2010

I get more joy from anticipated rather than grabbed photographs - even if it is a fairly simple one like this. In this instance, there was always a chance that the bride wouldn't be the first out of the room. The bride's movement gives her an almost ghost-like appearance. Added to that is the contemplative look on her face that helps make the photograph. (c) Roger Overall 2010

This is most likely my favourite photograph of the year so far - and I'll admit there was a bit of luck involved. On her way down to her parents and family from her hotel room, the bride paused and looked out of the window. I almost missed it. I had gone ahead of the bride and was halfway down the stairs when I looked back. I saw her looking out of the window and climbed the stairs quickly and got a single frame. At the time, it was the lighting and pose that caught my eye. I hadn't even noticed the bust. Without the bust, the photograph would have been nice - nothing more. The bust, though, makes the picture. It brings balance and a gentle humour that lift the photograph above the ordinary. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The church in Fossa, Co. Kerry, is a modern structure and particularly striking. If the sun came out, I knew it would catch the bride and illuminate her dress and veil. Having settled on a composition, I marked a spot with a stone and went round the corner to photograph the bride arriving in the car park. Then I ran back to the stone and waited. Fortune smiled on me. The sun appeared. Also the bride and her father are distinct, rather than hidden in a crowd of people, which often happens. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Another favourite from the year so far, even though it is heavily flawed. A moment of serenity before the bride enters the church. Here the reflection is more than simply duplication. It shows more than "the real world" which you can see on the right of the photograph. Not only can you see her bouquet, which would otherwise be hidden behind the bridesmaid. It helps offset the photograph's flaw: the head of the person who stood in front of me to get a better view of the bride just as I was taking the shot. Without the head, this is a picture I would consider entering for awards. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Similar to the one above, this photograph tells the story of a key moment in the day. The groom's first glimpse of his bride. I pre-focused on the doorway and knew that the bride and her father would briefly be in some light. Sometimes the groom will look, sometimes he doesn't. It's nice when they do from a photographic point of view. (c) Roger Overall 2010

Unlike the photograph above, this one isn't hindered by the head in front of the bride. For me, it adds to the sense of intimacy and the sense of people around the bride. Also, you don't need to see the other half of her face to know her emotion. I also like the gentle look on the groom's face. He seems contented and relaxed. Finding a good vantage point to photograph the receiving line can be a challenge. The difficulty here was that the groom was standing in the doorway on a bright sunny afternoon. Exposing for the inside of the church meant losing all of the detail outside, along with parts of the groom on occasion as well. (c) Roger Overall 2010

This photograph is all about the interaction and the light. There is so much going on in both regards. The window is casting different light on everyone. Combined with the range of interactions, this makes for a captivating image. (c) Roger Overall 2010

The couple on their way to dinner at Ballyseede Castle in Co. Kerry. I'd seen the potential for a photograph earlier and waited for them to appear. I'd have preferred them a little further forward, but then the light coming in from the window on the left wouldn't have illuminated them half as well. Documentary photography often involves compromises. (c) Roger Overall 2010

A Shift?

Roger Overall — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:30:16 +0000

I don’t do colour wedding photography. Not much anyway. That’s what I tell everyone. Pigs’ll fly before I shoot lots of colour.

Thing is, is that really true?

Looking at some of my latest work, I have to ask whether I’m experiencing a shift.

Take these photographs from a recent wedding, for instance. It was only after I’d uploaded them on to the blog (originally with the intention of running them without text) that I realized half of them were colour pictures.

Is it a blip? Or the start of a bigger development in my shooting style? Should I even care?

Maybe not. But in light of what I’ve said about colour photography in the past, all I can say is that if you are a pig farmer you’d better go and check your livestock are still on the ground.

: (c) Roger Overall 2010

Did You Ever See A Happier Bride?

Roger Overall — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:32:24 +0000

Here are some selects from a recent wedding in Glandore, west Co. Cork. Did you ever see a happier bride?

DON’T!

Roger Overall — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:08:45 +0000

Yesterday, I had one of those conversations with someone that leaves you richer for having had it.

Maurice and his fiancee Elaine from Velvetine Studios were filming the wedding I was photographing, and we had a chance to chat over dinner. Our meandering conversation never strayed far from our shared philosophy of recording a wedding. A philosophy that is best captured in a single word: “Don’t!”

Let me explain.

While the bride was getting ready, I saw that a wonderful photograph was possible, involving a reflection in the mirror on a wardrobe door. I got quite excited, and set myself to capture it – only for one of the bridesmaids to swing the door open so the bride could see herself. Amazing shot – gone.

Elaine asked whether I wasn’t tempted to intervene; tell the girls we’d get a great shot if they positioned the door right.

I said I wasn’t. That would have meant interfering with the day. The bridesmaid opened the door – that’s what happened. It might have ruined the photograph, but that’s less important than letting people get on with it. I’m there to record what happens, not direct it. Hence: “Don’t” when it comes to moving things. What happens, happens – that’s what a documentary photographer should photograph.

Maurice and Elaine video weddings with a similar philosophy. They film documentaries, they record life.

Unsurprisingly, it is very easy for me to work alongside them. On Friday, we moved around each other easily and elegantly, despite the three of us working in the same space. A shared philosophy leads to mutual respect for the other’s needs. Everyone wins – especially the couple getting married.

Maurice at work at the Prince of Peace church in Fossa, Co. Kerry ... You'll have to look hard to see him. (c) Roger Overall 2010

First Day Of Term

Roger Overall — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:17:23 +0000

The first wedding of a new season is always special.

By the time it comes round, my batteries are recharged and I’m keen to get going again. At the same time, there’s always a little anxiety. Will I be able to produce the goods? The classical guys have it easier. They get to call the shots. They are in control. Documentary wedding photographers have to roll with the dice others are throwing. It can be a bit of a roller-coaster ride. You’re never sure what’s going to happen, how the light will be and (most nerve-racking of all) whether you’ll see a photograph before it happens, or react in time to something unexpected.

Therese and Craig’s wedding was a fantastic way to start the 2010 season a few weeks ago. Wonderful couple, warm guests, lots going on. I loved every moment.

No More Children

Roger Overall — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:30:50 +0000

Children are great at weddings. They really are. They get so bored. That means you never know what they’re likely to do at any given moment. That makes for great photographs.

There’s a problem, though.

It’s too easy.

If you watch a child long enough at a wedding they’ll so something remarkable.

Cute and remarkable is a powerful mix. Tons of documentary wedding photographs rely on this. Lots of mine do.

Worse still, these pictures end up being entered for awards, where they do very well. I should know. Photographs of children (mis)behaving at weddings have been at the heart of much of my award success in the past 12 months. My two winning panels at the 2010 National Photographic Awards featured children almost exclusively.

Nice, but in a wedding category, shouldn’t the focus be on the bride and groom?

Yes, it should.

Don’t think I’ll be handing any awards back, mind. I haven’t won nearly enough to start being dismissive of them.

Instead, I’ve set myself a rule for this year’s entries into the heats for the 2011 National Photographic Awards.

Absolutely, definitely, positively, NO children in any of the photographs whatsoever at all.

Except this one: