What I'd Like To Say To Brides and Grooms

Dear future Bride and Groom,

If you really love the idea of documentary photography for your wedding then I want to be your wedding photographer. 

I'm not about the posed photographs or manufacturing a moment to look great. I'm into film cameras, black and white photography and grabbing authentic moments throughout a wedding day. I'm about waiting and finding those authentic moments and weaving a story through them. I'm about being in the midst of things while doing my best to not be noticed. My photography is about friends hugging a groom, a bride sitting with her sisters while getting make up on, the expression on a groom's face as he nervously waits for his bride, a flower girl staring up at the bride-to-be with wonder in her eyes.

In the midst of all this, as I sit and look at the photographs I’ve taken of couples over the years, I think of this: Time is so fleeting and goes by so fast. Take a moment to breathe and enjoy the moment.

Regardless of whom you choose as your wedding photographer, know that the most important decision you will make is when you say "I do" at the altar to your spouse-to-be. Things fade over time but true love prevails over it all. Embrace your man/woman and love him/her with an amazing passion and keep that flame going even when the sweat pants come out and laundry needs to be done :)

Regardless of how a wedding day goes, know that the love that you've created with this special someone is more important and more rewarding than anything on Earth. Forge it well over the years and may the wedding day be just a start of a beautiful journey together. 

Amen.

Sincerely,

-Jonathan Desmond-
Documentary Photographer
and a Member Of The WPJA 

Prints are #tangible

I pulled out the box of prints recently that I normally bring when I meet up with potential clients. I laid them out in front of me and, for a second, just stared at them. I felt the svelte texture of the matte paper in my hands. It was an entire experience just flipping through these photographs.

Prints. They are amazing. And these days, we take them for granted. There really is nothing like having an actual photographic print in your hand. 

Prints are #tangible.

I have to say that a bit of magic is lost when we look at photographs in JPEG form. There is no doubt that the images on screen look pretty amazing but there's just that little bit extra that comes with holding an actual photographic print. Something tangible. Something permanent. 

A few prints from a recent wedding. Prints. They're just something about them.

I tell stories through my photography and I love using prints as a final medium. 

In the next while, I will be starting a series of blog posts about the "tangibility" of photography ranging from prints, as talked about here, to using film to relating to other people (tangible experiences). Thanks for reading and more to come soon!