From Street and Film Set Photography to Weddings: How My Background Shapes My Documentary Style

Flower girl pets the couple’s dog before ceremony, taken by NY and CT documentary wedding photographer Tyler Jordan Soucy.

Hi, I’m Tyler Jordan Soucy, a documentary wedding photographer based in Connecticut, who works with couples worldwide. I believe that weddings are meant to be lived, not performed. This journal is where I share some of my quick insights as a documentary photographer, and I hope that you find something useful or inspiring here.

Before documenting weddings, my journey as a photographer began with street photography and behind-the-scenes work on film sets. Both fields taught me invaluable lessons about observation, anticipation, storytelling, and authenticity, all of which shaped my documentary approach to wedding photography.

Street Photography AND THE ART OF OBSERVING

Street photography demands patience, technical proficiency, keen observation, intuition, and attention to detail. It involves an intense focus—noticing the subtle moments and nooks of light that others might miss or overlook. This practice has refined my ability to capture quiet yet powerful images that resonate emotionally, aligning seamlessly with the unscripted beauty of weddings. It's where I first learned how exciting and satisfying it can feel to freeze a moment at just the right time.

Documentary wedding photography takes everything I love about street photography and multiplies it exponentially. There's a raw emotion, sense of community, sharing of love, and an energy that can't be beat.

Film Set STORYTELLING

My work as a behind-the-scenes photographer on film sets taught me the power of visual storytelling—how to utilize composition, lighting, and framing to embrace emotion and narrative. Applying these techniques to wedding photography, I strive to create artistic images that resonate, capturing the complete story of your day.

Film set phototgraphy also taught me when to take a back seat and respect the position of capturing what's in front of me. Sets are performative by nature, and a set stills photographer shines a light on the real moments happening between takes.

A black and white image of wedding guests dancing in a line with lights blurred around them.

Finding Beauty in (SEEMINGLY) ORDINARY

My background is rooted in finding the extraordinary within the ordinary. Weddings are similarly filled with quiet, everyday moments that others may pass by—small interactions that hold profound significance. By capturing these authentic moments, my documentary approach turns seemingly simple interactions into memorable, meaningful images.

[READ: WHY I CHOSE DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY]

Anticipating Fleeting Moments

The essence of both street and film set photography—capturing a moment that exists only for an instant and outside of my own influence—translated effortlessly wedding photography. Weddings, if you allow them the breathing room, are full of fleeting interactions and spontaneous expressions. My treet and film set photography experience conditioned me to anticipate and document the kinds of moments that make your wedding unlike any other.

Wedding guests laughing and walking up the tent ropes outside at night.

Let's Capture Your WEDDING Authentically

My diverse experience means I know how to observe without interfering, anticipate rather than direct, and genuinely capture the atmosphere of your day—leaving you free to simply experience every moment.

If you value authenticity and artistry in capturing your wedding story, I'd be delighted to discuss how we can create meaningful images together. Let's connect and talk about documenting your day in a way that's true to who you are.

CONTACT ME TODAY
A wedding guest plays with his daughter and tosses her into the air as she laughs.A married couple cuddles during an afterparty with other wedding guests and lights dancing around them.Wedding caterers carry food under umbrellas across the lawn in the rain.A groom's mom dances the night away during the colorful Wes Anderson themed wedding.A groom gently rests his head on the brides shoulder during a father of the bride speech.The grooms niece playing around before the wedding ceremony and cover her face.A black and white image of wedding guests sitting in a photo booth, her legs sticking out from under the velvet curtain.The bride's nephew runs to hug her in the middle of the ceremony and she laughs while holding him.An out of focus groom in a white tuxedo at sunset, the moon is in focus behind him in the clear blue sky.The bride's three brothers pose in colorful cowboy hats with the Catskill Mountains behind them.Bride looks back over her shoulder, laughing while her friends try to fix the back of her wedding dress.Wedding guests are seated at a long table under hanging greenery and different shaped chandeliers during a speech at the reception.