Great photographs tell a story by capturing a moment in time. In this series, I am asking some of my favourite wedding photographers to describe one of their cherished photographs. My inspiration is the book Photography Speaks: 150 Photographers On Their Art. This book features a number of iconic photographers who share some personal reflections about one of their photographs. The idea captured my imagination and is the inspiration for a new series of guest blog posts with photographers.
Searching the internet is like beach-combing really! You spend hours gazing before you find a twinkly gem. And everyone's gems are different. I recently came across Jenna Thomas's photography and loved the emotion in her photos. (I also featured some of her images in my Everyday love... and stripes post) She's from north Carolina and loves costumes, word games and surprises! Here she is to tell us about one of her favourite wedding photographs -
"Photography is nothing - it's life that interests me. "
Henri Cartier-Bresson began to change modern photography with his profound art and his bold philosophy in the late 1920's. His words didn't find me until about 10 years ago but I have been moved since my first encounter.
The variety in philosophies amongst wedding photographers is vast - and beautiful in my opinion. When I first began photographing professionally, I was on a journey to define my philosophy. After years of searching I have realized that the journey is my philosophy. It's an ever-changing theory shaped by experiences.
More than anything, I have learned that the images that speak volumes are never the images that I "set up." There is definitely a time and place for that, but the photos that deliver emotion are the ones that just happen.
Henri says it best:
"There are those who take photographs arranged beforehand and those who go out to discover the image and seize it. For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which - in visual terms - questions and decides simultaneously. In order to "give a meaning" to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames through the viewfinder."
To me, that is this image.
Jenna, I love how you describe being in the picture and totally get Henri's idea about a camera being his sketchbook. People are generally not 'precious' about sketchbooks either - the pages are made up of random, special observations. I'll remember that idea; it's great. Thanks for being part of this series.
You can see more of Jenna's photography on her website Red White and Green. This feature is part of a series called 'a thousand words'.
Photo credit:
Jenna Thomas from Red White and Green.
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