Why print your own black and white images

Q&A for wedding photojournalism images

Why print your own black and white images?

Some times I shoot an image in a way it is not at its best. Perhaps because of the moment, I didn’t have enough time to compose precisely in order to capture he fleeting moment. But when I print it, I show what I really want to see in the image. With printing, I now have time to for the changes I wanted to make when I took it. I can crop it, darken or lighten areas of the image for impact. You can kill an image through printing too, if it is not done right. Printing is not considered important enough today. The darkroom is becoming a lost art.

Why consider black and white images?

We also print on archival fiber black and white papers. These images will last well over a hundred years. Color images are NOT permanent images. They will tend to fade and discolor after about fifteen years (seen your grade school images lately?). Not all images in black and white are printed on fiber papers. Most photographers do not print on fiber papers, as most labs are not set up to offer the service, or it is just more expensive to offer. Black and white images not printed on fiber papers may have the same fate as color paper images. Fiber papers provide your best option to preserve your images.

Black and white photography is more forgiving to people. Most folks actually photograph better in black and white. Black and white images provide a moment whereas the eye might be drawn to the color in a color photograph. Some reception halls are better represented in black and white because of their décor. Bride’s dressing rooms are a wonderful usage of black and white, as the Sunday school posters on the back wall may not be as prominent in the scene.

Do you use a “check list of images”?

A wedding is an event, and that is how I document it. Sure there are images that will always need to be shot. I find that I work better without a checklist. You cannot do it all, because you will have moment surprises. You cannot know and anticipate everything, but you can be aware. There is no real formula, in my opinion. Moments just happen and I have to be fast enough to record them!

What is your definition of a wedding photojournalist?

A photojournalist knows when she has found a story and how to put it into pictures. If I were only a photographer, I would have a selection of pictures, and they would

be great pictures, but a NOT a story. I look at weddings as being stories. Each one is different and unique in its own way.

Are you a photojournalist, traditionalist, or both?

A photographer who is control of him sets his own style, which becomes recognizable. There are three aspects to make this happen, craftsmanship, taste, and interpretation. I am truly a photojournalist. I would never offer to shoot a wedding in the traditional manner, simply because my mind set is not there. Our wedding Art Books™ are described as Life magazine-like. With photographing weddings for over twenty years, I was a wedding photojournalist before “it was cool to be a wedding photojournalist”. I simply thought (and still think) it was the best

way to cover a wedding. What is in a picture is more than what the photographer sees. It is what he sees and feels.

Why shoot 600+ images”?

I may know our wedding client a total of 4 hours prior to their wedding event. How the heck do I know exactly what they like in an image? Most times I don’t! So I shoot the wedding everyway I know, with every film speed to document the moment. Sometimes (MOST times) it is the last frame of ten images that the essence is captured. Not shooting an abundance of film, or putting film limitations on the wedding would be such a cheat to the beautiful affair. After all, you really

Cannot recreate the moment next week when you’ve discovered they might have desired it. I never chase after a moment to take a couple of more images. I never force myself into the situation unveiling itself before my eyes. If I did not get the photograph, then I’ve been stupid and I better be ready for the next one!

How long are group sessions?

Call me a true romantic, but I prefer the bride and groom NOT to see each other prior to the ceremony. I love the element of reaction. Groups (such as wedding party and families) usually take about 20 minutes after the ceremony. I usually talk with folks while shooting. It’s not always that easy to keep your mind on your job and keeping conversation. I do a simple thing, I photograph people the way they want to be, and on a simple assumption that is who they are. Yes, in large groups I might give some direction in positioning. But most folks slightly reposition themselves, and that’s just fine. My cameras are known as my instruments and I play them intuitively in the photographic moment.

Why use Medium format and 35mm cameras?

Eisenstaedt once said about new photographers, “They know more about photography, about lighting, equipment, but not about seeing. You know it’s not the camera which takes the picture, it’s the eye.” I agree. However using state of the art equipment allows me to concentrate on composition and the moment, and not the camera’s operation. Some photographers use medium format Hasselblads. What most clients are not aware of is that the photographer is using the low end Hasselblad or one that is over twenty years old. Why does it matter? If you have hired the photographer to photograph in a journalistic manner, then he needs a Hasselblad that is finer! I use the state of the art Hasselblad 503cw. This new state of the art Hasselblad allows a motor winder, TTL metering, and an eye level metering prism for quick shooting. Many photographers only use the medium format camera to cover the group shots because the older versions are cumbersome. Shame on them for not updating their equipment! The 35mm cameras allow fast, long lenses with wide apertures and provide the opportunity to photograph without a flash and from a long distance, capturing the true journalistic image.

We typically use about twelve cameras at a wedding. Two cameras are medium format and allow one with flash and one for available light scenarios. Three cameras are dedicated to black and white infrared films. Some photographers will shoot infrared, but typically it is a roll. By having three cameras dedicated to infra it allows infra to shot at any time during the event. Infra can make a boring scene a dramatic scene. Other cameras are dedicated to high film speeds and available light, flash, color film, black and white film, and a lens. It is important to have the right film, the right lens at the right moment!

What if the bride is not exactly ready when you arrive?

Ready for.... what? I’m going to photography whatever is happening when I arrive! I find there is always something to document at a wedding. I may have to move into warp spend in order to get all aspects of the wedding covered. I rather thrive on that, producing the image within three seconds and moving on to the next.