photography
It’s been 7 years since I started the Documenting Chinatown personal photography project and it has grown into a much bigger thing than I had ever anticipated. I made friends, I ventured into new places and tried new things … and got to document it all through the power of photography.
And in the end, I made a book!
Read MoreWhenever I get a chance to walk around Vancouver, I'm always amazed at all the little surprises we have. Continuing from my last post, here's a few more photographs from January 2014 of last year, when the sun was out but the heat was not (it was cold...). Ah well, that's Vancouver :)
Read MoreAs a documentary photographer who photographs many weddings, I’ve had the opportunity to observe people through the emotional tides that arises from a wedding day and it’s such a privilege to be able to be with brides and grooms in this amazing time of their lives. From anticipation to the sense of relief of having completed the ceremony (without tripping or losing the ring!) to the sense of celebration and exuberance at the celebration in the end, a wedding day is full of moments that are easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of things but are there. I’ve always focused on getting those genuine moment and telling stories through them.
Read MoreDear 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
I like walking around the Vancouver Public Library. There's a number of neat shops inside of the library complex as well as on the outside (including one of my favourite Japanese quick meal places). I find it a great place to walk around and take photographs of not only the amazing building but the people around and inside it.
It may be a bit confusing at first but the people in the image are actually part of an image that is placed on a fence that surrounds a work site.
Obligatory selfie?
As I sat there looking at the negatives, I could only sit back and feel a bit let down. I had finally purchased the "camera to end all cameras", the "best of the best" of my camera world. The Leica M6. It matched my style and approach, it has the potential to create great images (which it has), it is legendary and some other photographers that I admire use or used them often.
Obligatory selfie in the mirror while holding the camera in question.
So why was I feeling downtrodden?
Quite simply, I came to a realization. The images I had initially created using this "amazing" camera system were not super awesome nor mind-blowing. Sure, they were great but they lacked something. Soul. My soul. The camera was missing a very important part.
Me.
Sometimes, when we buy a camera or purchase a new piece of gear, we think that plunking down some money and buying "the perfect camera" will make our photographs become a bazillion times better than before. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, better equipment helps in making better images and the right tools help get the job done in a certain way but without a creative person to "be" the camera and creating and imagining... you just end up with a more expensive version of the same type of photographs as before.
A view from the top of Okouchi-Sanso in Arashiyama, Japan.
When I purchased my Leica in Japan, I was very happy to have it. It was exciting and it felt so good to be in my hands. The sales person in Map Camera really helped me in making sure the camera was in good shape and I was very satisfied with what I was getting. I had eyed the Leica M camera from online but now it was a reality.
But when the first roll came back and the images looked "decent" but not "awesome", I realized what was wrong. My preconception that the Leica was the magical cure was wrong.
This is a result of two things. First, it's a realization that I have to step up my creative photographic game and BE a photographer and a creative more than a camera button pusher. Awesome images are made up in here (feel your forehead right now for effect). Second, I had not taken the time to really learn how to use a particular camera and make it a part of me and the inexperience meant missed shots and not being able to use the camera to it's fullest.
Amidst the beautiful nature in Okouchi Sanso, there were occasional shrines and temple areas.
After a few more rolls, I began to see better results as I got more used to the camera. If anything, though, I've learned just how important it is to "step up my game" and really go all out when taking photographs. It's so easy to just "sit back" and be cautious. I can't afford to do that anymore.
My Leica and I have places to go.
Taken at a crosswalk about a block away from Kyoto Station.
