Bored Panda has reached out to Ian to ask him a couple of questions and find out more about his recent works. We wanted to know what is the biggest challenge he faces while capturing candid moments. The photographer said: “It's definitely being noticed, and when that happens the guests will ‘play up’ for the camera. That can make it difficult to capture truly candid moments, but there are ways around that.”
We were curious how the photographer builds a rapport with his clients and their guests to help them feel comfortable being photographed in an unposed way. Ian explained: “I think that anyone who hires me to shoot their wedding knows what my approach involves, and they are completely on board with that.”
As we all know, working with people can get challenging at times. When it comes to weddings, there are big chances some of the guests may turn out to be uncooperative and make your work difficult. We wanted to know how to deal with them. Ian answered shortly: ”I try not to deal with them at all. I’ll just move on and make photographs elsewhere, but it's rare that I ever have any problems.”
Ian’s style is unique and completely different from most wedding photographers. We were interested in whether there are still some guests who request traditional, staged wedding portraits from him. Ian said: “My main goal on a wedding day is to document, and that’s what I’m hired to do. It's mostly candid but on occasion, I will shoot some group or portrait photos, although I don’t spend too much time doing that. It’s not how I like to work, and I don’t think I’m very good at making posed/staged photos. I don’t know how I want it to look until I see it afterward. That being said, I’m always happy to make group photos on request during the day. If I feel like that’s what a potential couple really wants - lots of group shots and beautiful portraits - then I’m more than happy to refer them to a more traditional wedding photographer.”
Next, we asked about his best techniques to remain as unobtrusive as possible during a wedding shoot. Ian told us: “When I’m shooting I’m also talking to guests and mingling so I appear like just another guest - which in many ways I am. I only use small cameras so I don’t stand out too much and I often get asked if I’m a friend of the couple or a family member. Not having a big camera and lenses also puts people at ease because I don’t come across as a traditional wedding photographer, or a ‘professional’. It’s like hiding in plain sight.”
Lastly, we wanted to know if Ian still challenges himself creatively as a wedding photographer. He said: “I don’t really see myself as a ‘wedding photographer’, more a photographer that photographs weddings. I’m interested in photography as an expressive medium, as a way to make sense of the world around me, and as a way to show others how I perceive my surroundings. The challenge and, I suppose, the inspiration, comes from the work itself. The idea is constantly evolving, as am I, and that helps me to continually see and experience new things in life. I also work on other long-term personal projects that are social documentary-driven and that helps to solidify my approach.”
