Documentary Wedding Photography Workshops and Mentoring

Are you ready to take your documentary wedding photography to the next level? Capturing documentary style photographs is a skill I’ve developed over decades in the wedding photography industry, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve been photographing weddings for years or you’re new to the industry – I’ll help you take your visual storytelling to the next level.

One-to-One Mentoring and Customized Workshops

Currently I have a few spots available for One-to-One mentoring. These are fully customised sessions and tailored to your specific requirements. I offer mentoring sessions, online and in person, if you would like to learn more. Teaching isn’t something I take lightly, it’s a great honour to be able to impart my knowledge onto someone else and to see them grow as a photographer and establish their own business in an ever competitive industry.

Subjects and Techniques Covered

Here are some examples of subjects I’m more than happy to talk about, although nothing is off limits:

• How to really work a room – Terminator Technique
• Mise-en-scène and how what you leave out is just as important
• Moments and how to be in the right place at the right time
• Working with a couple and how to get natural portraits
• Everything you need to know about Destination Weddings

I’ll share all the tips and secrets I’ve learnt over the past 10 years of shooting weddings – with absolutely nothing off limits. As well as all the practical shooting techniques I’m happy to talk about Workflow/Editing/Photoshop/Lightroom – and anything else you might want to know.

How to Photograph Weddings in a Documentary Style

I wanted to share, from my experience of capturing over 300 weddings around the world, what I do to make sure I get the right images to deliver to my couples. If you’re looking to improve your documentary storytelling, understand a little more about street photography and how that can influence your wedding work, this is a general guide, rather than rule book.

Step One: The Approach

I approach each wedding as an opportunity to tell a story. It is the story of a celebration of the bride and groom’s love for each other and their commitment to a future together. I see storytelling wedding photography as an opportunity to document that shared experience, with my couple at the centre. Understanding the beats of a wedding day is vital to producing wedding imagery that your couples will love.

I take a back seat to what is unfolding unless I am asked for advice or notice something I can help with. This approach endears me to my couples and their guests. By having those around me at ease with me being there, I can photograph the wedding with behind-the-scenes access in a candid style.

Step Two: Choosing The Best Equipment

The best camera to use to capture documentary-style images is the one you enjoy using the most. It goes without saying that you should be using a professional standard kit. When documenting fast-flowing events, you want to be focused on taking photographs. Whether you are a Sony, Canon or Fuji shooter, what matters most is how well you know what the camera is capable of and how comfortable you are with it.

Recommended Gear Data

• Digital Systems: Full-frame Nikon DSLRs
• Film Systems: 35mm Nikon F100 and Pentax 645Nii medium format camera
• Prime Lenses: 35mm Sigma 1.4 Art and 24mm Nikon 1.4G for tack sharp, fast shooting

I enjoy the cinematic feel of 35mm. I find the fixed focal length of prime lenses make me think more about my composition.

Step Three: Wedding Preparations

Photographing wedding details seems counter intuitive to documentary-style photography. However, for me, the candid, natural approach also should include making sure I get images of details that are important to my couple. The atmosphere before a wedding ceremony is electric. Along with the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time, this part of the day stands out as being packed full of emotion.

Student Success and Mentoring Impact

I first met Matt a couple of years ago and since then, thanks to his support and advice, my work has completely changed. I always used to call myself a ‘documentary wedding photographer’, but I never really had a proper appreciation of what that meant until Matt started mentoring me. Since then, my work is unrecognisable! Everything about my work has changed for the better: how I approach the day, how I work the scene, my awareness of everything in the frame, how to layer a frame and how to really focus on moments. Seriously, mise-en-scene = mind blown!

If you’re reading this and considering booking yourself onto Matt’s workshop, stop hesitating and get it booked! I promise you, you won’t regret it.