52 Clicks | Week 33 | Documentary

Documentary photography is one of those genres that challenges photographers because we have to reel in our inclination to direct the narrative and interfere with the moment. Instead, we must simply let the moments unfold while we watch silently behind our cameras. It's a hard thing for most of us to do because we're control freaks and we want to manage all the details. But that's also what makes the genre so special. The captured moments are authentic. What we see is what occurred naturally.

See what happened when nature, portrait, street and lifestyle photographers were quiet observers behind their cameras and simply captured the moment. And if this appeals to you, join our Project 52. All are welcome, and it's never too late to hop in.

xo,

Angie Mahlke

My name is Ashley Maple, and I am a hobbyist photographer living in East Tennessee. When our fourth child Archer was born in 2010, my family began a devastating rare disease journey that continues to this day. After an excruciating year of testing following some concerning vision symptoms, Archer was diagnosed at 18 months old with a peroxisome biogenesis disorder. Peroxisomal disorders are rare, genetic conditions that cause deafness, blindness, global developmental delays, adrenal insufficiency, neurological issues, and feeding issues, and are almost always terminal in childhood. Understandably, our lives completely changed upon receiving this heartbreaking news.