COVID19 Introspection - Why I’m Taking a Break From Weddings

ALL DREAMS COME TO AN END

I remember doing research early on in my photographer career to determine what I was really interested in. I recall seeing the photographs of Jeff Ascough, a documentary wedding photographer based in the UK, and thought to myself… that would be really awesome to do.

I have been a professional photographer for the last 8 years. In that time, I’ve been a part of over 40 weddings of cultures of all kinds, many many events, multiple family sessions and of course a part of Chinatown’s history documentation.

Fast-forward to 2020 and in light of the coronavirus pandemic I had to do some serious introspection and thinking. While I absolutely love doing documentary weddings and will still take on a few, I made the tough decision to start focusing my photography elsewhere to where my base passion lies.

THE HONEST TRUTH:

The honest truth is that documentary wedding photography is a niche within a niche. Wth the competition being very fierce in the Vancouver wedding market and being a relatively unknown entity, I was not able to make it work from a business perspective. I wanted documentary wedding photography to be all I did but unfortunately reality has dashed that dream and has made do a lot of thinking over the last few months while socially distancing. I only booked a few weddings and offered a lot more than most other photographers did in my packages (prints/storybooks) as I really did (and STILL DO) care about having a tangible print product. However financial realities set in and in the midst of the scramble for toilet paper I realized that this was not a growth area for me. 

I find it very unfortunate that many a bride/groom don’t even know about documentary wedding photography and thus default to the most mainstream wedding photography approaches. I recall bumping into a married couple who told me that after their wedding, they found out about documentary photography and wish they had hired someone for that approach on their wedding day. Unfortunately, a niche will be a niche but I do hope that more word gets out there that there are more options than smiling at trees and fake laughing. I will still advocate for documentary wedding photography. 

If we dive deeper into styles, many a photographer call themselves candid but when you look at the photos all you see are posed photos or photos of people who are directed in a moment to do something that “looks” like it was a real moment when in fact it was manufactured. This is not to say this is a bad approach. Some brides and grooms want this. And I too have done it sometimes. But it is not documentary.

WHERE AM I GOING NOW:

For my clients who have weddings with my next year, this is NOT to say that I am cancelling all my weddings. I will continue to take on new wedding jobs on a case-by-case basis and will of course fulfill weddings currently booked. It is more of a shift in my attitude and my outlook on where and on what I want to spend my time and while I’ve poured in time and effort and money to try to make documentary weddings work, I’ve come to realize that door is slowly creaking to a close. Maybe one day it will re-open but for now… we’ll see. 

So… then what am I doing now? 

I’ve switched my focus to being a long-term project documentary photographer. I’ve realized that I like creating photographs that document over the long term and being involved in projects that I can build through photographs. As such, I’ll be focusing on my personal project work (such as documenting Chinatown) and perhaps add a few new offerings such as drone services. The drone world has always interested me and I can see myself growing in that aspect. I will also be looking to license images for people to use in publications. And I will still be doing family sessions as the opportunity arises as well. 

A BIG THANK YOU:

To all my clients over the years who have believed in me and who still do: thank you for trusting me with your wedding days and for allowing me to document you as you really were on that day. Thank you for letting me tell your story in an honest and classical way that will hopefully live on as photo stories to pass down to future generations. And thank you in being vulnerable enough to let me to create documentary wedding photography for you. 

I do feel quite sad to have made this decision but I think it was time. Things were just not going in the direction that I was hoping and I had poured a lot of time and resources in trying to make it work. You can only knock on the door for so long before you have to try another one. That being said, I am excited for the new direction that I will be going in. I realize that time is precious and also limited so it’s best to spend it doing what you love.

Blue Water Cafe Yaletown Wedding - Alex and Vania

I remember one phone call I had with Alex and Vania where we were talking about the logistics of the day and Alex mentioned that they didn’t want a typical “First Look” but Vania did want to do a first look of sorts. This had me brainstorming of some potential ideas as I knew what Alex and Vania were looking for but wasn’t quite sure at first how to execute it. One evening, it came to me. On the day of the wedding, I had Vania go up one street and Alex go down another street and as the two reached the intersection of the two streets, they two bumped into each other at a street corner for their “First Look.”

Alex and Vania wanted something different for wedding photography. They wanted something more documentary and more about their family and friends. And while we did take some time to do portrait shots, group shots and wedding party photos, the majority of the day was spent with me doing very little interrupting or posing and instead letting things happen while I worked and ran around the scene to find the best and unique angles to capture some of the big moments as well as some of the little moments.

Fairmont Vancouver Hotel Wedding - Frankie and Carrie

FIRST: Huge thanks for Yinger Fotokrafie for taking me on a secondary for this wedding. Glad to be a part of it :)

When Yinger called me in to second shoot for him for this wedding, I was very excited for the opportunity. Yinger is fantastic photographer and a great guy and to be able to shoot with him was quite something.

Previously, I did some Behind The Scenes work for the Pre-Wedding Shoot that Yinger did for them and it was amazing to meet Carrie and Frankie. Carrie’s dress was unique and exquisite, with a unique train and an interesting design.

The main parts of the wedding ceremony took place at a church and also at Fairmont Vancouver Hotel. My day started at the groom’s house, where I quickly documented the guys getting ready (with minimal posing - I wanted it to be all natural and candid) and then followed the groom to the hairstylist and off to Fairmont for the tea ceremony with some (ahem) interesting games.

I found Fairmont Vancouver Hotel an amazing place to photograph. The rooms were brightly lit (it helped that it was a sunny day too!) and beautiful designed. I soon found out that there were some amazing little rooms and hallways laced with columns and old vintage walls. The reception area was a breath to behold with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. With some luck and some help, I was able to get a few photographs from above!

It was a fantastic day and I would love to photograph again at Fairmont Vancouver Hotel Wedding. But most importantly, love was in the air and there was excitement and happiness all around this Chinese wedding. From tea ceremony to tea ceremony (Yes, two of them!) to the bride’s song at the end to her family… what day. What a lovely day.

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