Documentary Photography is a narrative or story being told through photographs that involves real events to provide a factual record or report.  I like to use this style of photography when shooting events, conferences etc as I feel it helps to capture the essence and emotion of the occasion.  Capturing candid and unposed images helps to give the viewer a sense of being an observer to the proceedings.

I also use this style of photography for my commercial work.   By using this fly on the wall style I can get far more natural looking photos which help tell the story of the businesses that I work with.  It also helps people to feel more relaxed in front of the camera by taking away the pressure from them to pose or 'perform'.  

Some of my favourite images are candid shots.  I often use a long telephoto lens for this type of photography which helps me to keep my distance and not interfere with the action.  People tense up and become far more reserved when they become aware of the camera.  By keeping my distance and being inobtrusive I can capture the real emotion of people interacting.  In this photo Micheal O'Muircheataigh was chatting to a group of young hurlers about the game.  He was completely engrossed in the conversation and by standing back I didn't interrupt them and as a result got the shot I wanted.

Again with this photo of Ryan Tubridy chatting to a guest on his show,  at an outside broadcast from a location in my hometown, I stood back and let the conversation flow which resulted in a relaxed natural looking image.  

While I try to keep a low profile when taking photos at events I do like to chat and interact with people as well as it helps to build a rapport and a trust which in turn helps them to relax even more in front of the camera. 

In 2018 I was photographing an Irish music festival outside Zurich in Switzerland.  The headliner on the Saturday night was Sharon Shannon.  I had access to all areas on the site of the festival which meant I got to meet the performers back stage before they performed. 

While getting a few shots of Sharon practicing before she went on stage we chatted a bit about her music and I mentioned that my favourite song by her was Blackbird.  On stage when she announced that it was going to be the next song the crowd went wild and I was in the right place at the right time to get her reaction.  You can't plan shots like this but by creating the right atmosphere I can get more genuine and emotional shots.

In an ideal world I would be able to chat and engage with everyone I am going to photograph but this is not always possible.  For example, I was commissioned to photograph Shane Lowry on his return to his home town of Clara after winning The Open.  It was mayhem.  There were thousands of people milling around and security was tight.

In these situations I have to bide my time and be completely aware of everything that is going on around me.  Out of all the shots I got that day the one below is probably the one I like most.  While I got a lot of happy images of the  joy of being home among his friends and family after his famous victory this just caught a moment of reflection in the midst of these celebrations.

I approach all events with the same goal and that is to give a sense of what it was like to be there and to capture the main contributors, performers, speakers, volunteers etc. in action.  The documentary style is ideal for this as it allows me to take on the role of an observer and shoot the proceedings from the point of view of an audience member.  

When shooting the key people at these events I like to use a shallow depth of field which is a photographic technique that allows me to isolate the person by blurring the background.  I have to be careful not to overdo it as I still want to show the audience engagement with the speaker or performer.  A long zoom lens is ideal for these types of shots.

In other situations I will go with a wide angle lens when I need to capture a larger area or when there is a lot going on in the frame and I want to capture as much as possible.  With these lenses I have to get in close and be in the midst of the action.   It is far more dynamic and exciting.  

I also use this documentary style,  among other techniques, on my commercial photography projects.  It allows me to capture images that tell the story of my clients' businesses.  These types of images are ideal for websites, brochures and other marketing materials as it is better to use photos of staff in action than to rely on generic stock images.  I approach these projects the same way as I photograph events.  The only difference is that I might give a bit more in the way of direction.  But it's usually no more than 'Keep working. Act naturally.  And ignore me as much as possible' 

Sometimes I will take a few liberties and set up shots by suggesting an idea or situation but once the action kicks off I let it take a life of it's own and I just stand back and  capture whatever happens.  The photos still feel organic and natural. 

My goal as a photographer is to be a storyteller first and foremost and documentary photography is ideal for this.  It helps me to capture images that are full of life and emotion.  A photo that touches the heart rather than the head will have a lot more impact.