3 Misconceptions about In-Home Documentary Photography

1) You just show up and shoot

Although it may seem that way or sound that way when I talk about what I do, there's a lot more to it than that. There is a lot of planning even if I am there to capture spontaneous interactions. I like to know who I'll be meeting to get a sense of what is important to the family which helps me to know what I should be trying to capture. I send clients a short questionnaire before we meet so that I can learn more about their family, little details, favourite activities, what their everyday routine looks like. All of this information helps me to prepare and can also be used to help guide a session. For example, this family mentioned their son's love of trucks and cars. I used it as an ice breaker when meeting them to get them to interact together. The fact that it is something the child loves at the moment, makes it important and worth capturing.

I also need to anticipate what type of gear I will need to bring along. Depending on the type of session and location, I have to decide whether I need a macro lens to capture tiny newborn details or my flash if the lighting may not be ideal.

2) You just take pictures as they happen

This is partly true. I don't like to manipulate the situation too much. I like to gently give some direction if needed but for the most part, I let things play out and follow along. However, this doesn't mean that I snap away without intent. I move around to figure out the best composition or sometimes I compose the image in my mind first based on light, lines, reflections or whatever I have to work with and I patiently wait until the subject enters the frame where I wanted them to be. I see interactions happening and I move in to capture a detail or I move back to add context to the scene. The goal is to make the strongest image possible while playing off of the surroundings and subjects. In my work, I like to create images that make you feel something and this means watching and waiting for everything to come together in just the right way.

3) Documentary Photography is so much easier than studio photography 

Just as lighting setups and posing in a studio are not as easy as the pros make it look, documentary photography is challenging in so many ways. It requires a very specific skill set: you have to be flexible, be able to think quick on your feet, be a good observer. You walk into people's personal spaces as a stranger and have to be able to make people feel comfortable within minutes so that they will look natural on camera and enjoy the experience. Walking into people's personal spaces, their homes, can be a very vulnerable thing and you have to approach it as such. Each family is different which is what makes this type of photography so interesting. Each family has its own dynamic that you have to quickly gauge and adjust to. Lighting is never the same from one place to another and it can vary so much even within the same house. You have to be able to figure out how to use it and other elements to your advantage. As most people can attest to, taking photos of your own kids can be a challenge because they move so quickly. Imagine trying to get those moments together with trying to familiarize yourself with the family, the space, the light.

I love what I do. Working as a photographer challenges me every time. It's different every time. I love meeting new families and also shooting the same families year after year and seeing how they have grown and changed.

After a Photo Session / Après la session photo

(texte en français suit ci-dessous)

This week I thought I’d fill you in a bit about what happens behind the scenes after a session – so,  after you’ve had a session with me, what happens next? For me, the end of a session is actually the beginning of much of the work. Once I get home, I upload the photos as soon as I can and ensure they are backed up. I then take some time to sort through them, tag the best photos and delete any duplicates, photos that are under/over exposed, maybe not the strongest angle etc. I take a lot of photos during a session to test different exposures or perspectives and they don’t always work – it’s just part of the process. 

What are the ‘best’ photos? For me and how I work, the best are the photos that tell the story from details, wide shots to close ups; photos that make you feel something; angles that are flattering, compositions that are interesting and lead the eye to the subject; and photos that reveal bits of soul. 

From there, I apply some basic edits to the photos, for example, I change some that I feel speak more in black and white or apply a standard edit across all photos and then return to each photo and tweak them individually. This whole process can take several hours. When I’m happy with the gallery as a whole, I upload it to a photo sharing site (I use Pixieset) and provide clients with the link and password for them to view the photos. Because I probably get as excited as clients to see the results, I usually have a quick turnaround for this initial gallery. Depending on what other projects I’m working on or family commitments, I can usually have the gallery ready within a few days after the session.

Once clients have selected their favourites from the online gallery (the number is based on the package they purchase), I go back to these photos, enlarge them on my screen and refine them as necessary. I look for ways to make them stronger and remove distractions that pull the eye away from the subject. I use Lightroom and Photoshop to crop, straighten, lighten, darken, sharpen each image. I don’t smooth skin out, I don’t alter how people look which is in keeping with my philosophy of capturing people as they are and telling real stories. I will remove a blemish or two, a fly away piece of hair, lighten a shadow – things like that. I want people to look like their best selves without giving into that pressure of perfection. So much can be achieved with angles and lighting that using Photoshop to change someone’s appearance is just not necessary. All of these final edits take another few hours depending on the complexity of the changes to be done. I aim to have images as close to perfect as possible straight out of the camera but given my style which is to document moments as they happen, sometimes I have no choice to just shoot and capture the story over taking the time to compose everything perfectly. Anyone who spends time with kids knows how fast they move! 

Once the final edits are made, I send clients a link to download the high resolution files they purchased which they can then print as they wish. 

So there it is, a little look into the work that happens after a session! If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.

www.mathieu-photo.com/contact

Cette semaine, j'ai pensé vous expliquer un peu ce qui se passe derrière les coulisses après une session - alors, après avoir eu une session avec moi, qu'est-ce qui se passe ensuite? Pour moi, la fin d'une session est en fait le début d'une grande partie du travail. Une fois que je rentre à la maison, je télécharge les photos dès que possible et je vérifie qu'elles sont sauvegardées. Ensuite, je prends un certain temps pour trier à travers eux, marquer les meilleures photos et supprimer les doublons, les photos qui sont sous/sur exposées, peut-être pas l'angle le plus fort, etc. Je prends beaucoup de photos lors d'une session pour tester différentes expositions ou perspectives et Ils ne fonctionnent pas toujours - c'est juste une partie du processus.

Quelles sont les «meilleures» photos? Pour moi, ce sont les photos qui racontent l'histoire à partir des détails, des perspectives variées; Des photos qui vous font sentir quelque chose; des angles qui flattent, des compositions intéressantes et qui visent le sujet et des photos qui révèlent des morceaux d'âme.

À partir de là, j'applique quelques modifications de base aux photos, par exemple, je change quelques photos en noir et blanc ou j'utilise une modification standard sur toutes les photos, et ensuite je les modifie individuellement. Tout ce processus peut prendre plusieurs heures. Lorsque je suis contente de la galerie dans son ensemble, je la télécharge sur un site de partage de photos (j'utilise Pixieset) et je fourni aux clients le lien et le mot de passe pour qu’ils puissent voir les photos. Parce que je suis aussi excitée que les clients pour voir les résultats, j'ai généralement un virage rapide pour cette galerie initiale. Selon les autres projets sur lesquels je travaille ou les engagements familiaux, je peux habituellement préparer la galerie dans les quelques jours après la session.

Une fois que les clients ont choisi leurs photos favories de la galerie en ligne (le numéro est basé sur le forfait qu'ils achètent), je reviens sur ces photos, grossissez-les sur mon écran et affinez-les si nécessaire. Je cherche des façons de les renforcer et de supprimer les distractions qui éloignent le sujet. J'utilise Lightroom et Photoshop pour recadrer, redresser, alléger, assombrir, affiner chaque image. Je ne lisse pas la peau, je ne modifie pas l’apparence des gens, ce qui est conforme à ma philosophie de capter des personnes telles qu'elles sont et de raconter de vraies histoires. Je vais supprimer une bouton ou deux, un morceau de cheveux qui s’envole, alléger une ombre - des choses comme ça. Je veux que les gens se ressemblent sans qu’ils se donnent au pression de la perfection. On peut utiliser les angles et l’éclairage au lieu de se fier sur l'utilisation de Photoshop pour changer l'apparence de quelqu'un. Toutes ces modifications finales prennent encore quelques heures en fonction de la complexité des modifications à effectuer. Je vise à avoir des images aussi parfait que possible de la caméra, mais compte tenu de mon style qui est de documenter les moments qui se produisent, parfois, je n’ai pas le choix de simplement prendre la photo pour capter le moment et je n’ai pas le temps de composer tout parfaitement. Ceux qui passe du temps avec les enfants sait à quelle vitesse ils bougent!

Une fois que les modifications finales sont effectuées, j'envoie un lien aux clients pour télécharger les fichiers haute résolution qu'ils ont achetés et ils peuvent les faire imprimer comme ils le souhaitent.

Alors voilà le travail qui se déroule après une session! Si vous avez des questions, j'aimerais avoir de vos nouvelles.

www.mathieu-photo.com/contact

J: The New Addition

Being invited into a person's home to document family moments is a huge honour that I don't take for granted. When you add a newborn to this situation, there is a whole other level of respect. I remember what those early days were like with my own children! The beauty of an in-home session is that everyone has room to be themselves -  there is a comfort level when you are in your own personal space.

Recently I was invited to document some of the details of baby J and his family. This family was amazingly relaxed and easy going during our session. I was so obsessed with the cuteness happening in this home. There is so much I forget about those early days with my own kids and so one of the things I love most about these sessions: giving clients a visual story to help them remember these fleeting moments.

The J Family

My nerves always act up right before a session. It is just part of the process when I'm doing something that matters to me. Meeting new people isn't always easy because of those nerves but when the door opened and I was greeted with the littlest, smiley-est almost 11 month old, I knew everything was going to be just fine. 

Not even a year old and little S is already busy taking a few steps, exploring the world around her as she tries so desperately to communicate. I have a feeling when this little girl starts walking and talking for real, there will be no stopping her. You can't help but to be taken by her big eyes, the longest lashes and that easy smile. With her happy, inquisitive personality, I can see both that she is the heart of this family and also that she got those qualities from her parents. Despite an early wake up and a shift in the original plan, the family just went with it and opened up their life so honestly for me to capture. I didn't have to look far to find the love and the joy in this home - 

you can just feel it.