Someone recently asked us what type of photographers we are, and oddly enough…it’s not the easiest answer to give without some explanation.
The terms “candid” and “photojournalistic” are thrown around a lot, and in most cases…lumped together as a single genre. It is not.
In short, a “candid” photograph can be taken by anyone at any time. People with iPhones and Droids are “candid” photographers. Candid in its purest form is a picture that has not been posed. All photographers shoot candid images at one point during a given work day, but not all images we shoot ARE candids. Therefore we really can’t define ourselves as “candid” photographers.
Photojournalists tell a story through their images. Waiting for the right moment to press the shutter, most times with the subject not realizing it’s happening. Some days we’re photographing weddings and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Others we’re covering news events/happenings and governmental affairs. Some days we don’t know what we’re going to shoot until it happens! Shooting a news story ultimately helps us learn body language and facial expressions. We each have tiny “tells” we’re not even aware of when we’re about to laugh or cry. It’s the raw emotion that we capture in either instance that allows us to create memorable images, and learn what to look for on other shoots that may not be news-oriented.
Our most tenured photographer Megan is an active member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. A distinction not easily attained.
Fernando & Brian are both active members of the American Society of Media Photographers, and Brian is an active member of The National Press Photographers Association.
Yes, we’re proud of those affiliations and have worked hard to attain and keep them. With each comes a code of conduct that we all must adhere to. We’re always attending seminars, workshops and submitting our images to our peers for critique. Always striving for the next great image. All of us are often asked if we have a favorite image we’ve taken, and we answer as most professional photographers do…we have yet to capture it.
But even with all that, it doesn’t define the type of photography we do.
Be it wedding, portrait, news, mitzvah, family or even pet…we are simply photographers. We are the eyes of history, and the documentarians of everyday life. We are storytellers.
And you’ll often hear me say…”That is what we do and who we are.”
About the author: Brian Miller is an award winning photographer and photojournalist covering the Pennsylvania Tri-State area. He is also the owner of Chorus Photography in suburban Philadelphia.
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