Photography with Soulhttp://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/en-US2012-02-24T05:24:24ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)-http://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/2012/2/19/update-feb-19-please-note-that-from-approximately-feb.htmlRyan Edwardson2012-02-19T08:24:26Z

Update (Feb 19): Please note that from approximately Feb 21-28 I will be travelling along the Irrawaddy river in northern Myanmar (Burma), photographing villages, and unable to respond to emails. I will get back to you soon, though, upon my return to an area with internet access. Thanks! Cheers, Ryan.

]]>'flower girl: listening.' scarborough, ontario.http://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/2011/12/5/flower-girl-listening-scarborough-ontario.htmlRyan Edwardson2011-12-05T06:00:40Z

]]>'four hands, one dress.' scarborough, ontario.http://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/2011/12/4/four-hands-one-dress-scarborough-ontario.htmlRyan Edwardson2011-12-04T06:42:19Z

]]>'makeup and light.' whitby, ontario.http://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/2011/11/17/makeup-and-light-whitby-ontario.htmlRyan Edwardson2011-11-18T03:06:33ZWorking with available light -- that is to say, the ambient light in a location rather than introducing artificial light from camera flashes, etc -- takes a greater degree of skill than simply running around with a big camera flash like a paparazzi (and like so many wedding photographers), but it is certainly worth the effort. Take this photo from Kellee & Nic's awesome wedding last week as an example. If I had used a camera flash then the entire ambiance of the moment would have been lost, the foreground would have been overpowered and harsh shadows would have been sent everywhere. It would have also made everyone much more aware of the camera and thus stopped the natural flow of things. Instead, in knowing how to use available light, and in composing the image in the right way, the photograph has a lovely natural depth to it, a deepness in dimension, and an authenticity that would not be possible if a camera flash had been used. It is why photography is, first and foremost, about light, and why a skilled documentary approach using available light allows for the kind of photographs that cannot be done by run-of-the-mill wedding photography. Give me available light anytime!

]]>'daughter to bride: ritual.' muskoka, ontario.http://www.ryanedwardson.com/blog/2011/11/2/daughter-to-bride-ritual-muskoka-ontario.htmlRyan Edwardson2011-11-03T03:35:13Z

My passion for B&W documentary photography comes in part from the ability to strip a moment to its core and see that which colour might otherwise distract from or dilute; look at the B&W work of Henri Cartier-Bresson or Elliott Erwitt and it is not simply about a moment but about an emotion, a ritual, a juxtaposition... it is about making one pause and see that which might otherwise be looked over. For me, it means seeing layers and interactions. What I love about this series of images from about a month ago, for example, is that they are not simply a 'couple shot' but rather more sophisticated by working with layers. Here we have the joy of the couple upon seeing each other, hand-in-hand, about to share their vows. But what takes the series to the next level is by connecting it to the father, handing off his daughter, and what must be running through his mind. Our world is not simply just about us, or in photographic terms a simple 'couple portrait', but rather our world is all that which is around us, the layers within which we interact, and, on the wedding day, the world around the couple is the series of relationships, memories, and love with the family and friends who have been a part of their lives for so many years. Step back from the couple and look for those layers, those powerful strands that tie their world together with other people, and the photographs will be so much more sophisticated and meaningful.

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