Mitch Wojnarowicz || New York Wedding Photojournalist || Photography in Albany Saratoga Springs Lake George Hudson River Valley

My work as a wedding photojournalist and documentary photographer

My Approach

I'm not a photographer who will impose myself upon you at your wedding.

I don't refer to myself as a photo journalist as a marketing tactic. It's who I am. I've been a storyteller for decades.

To that end, you won't spend your day being dragged around, posing for pictures. I do recognize the importance of documenting the history of your day which means that I'll shoot some outstanding formal and group pictures if you want them. I'll also be 'right there' any time you might want a photo with a special family member or friend.

But I strive to place myself inconspicuously, respectfully and quietly in the right spot to make the pictures that matter. And I work hard on the wedding day.

Couples, parents and guests have often said that they weren't aware of me very much during the entire wedding. Just the times we posed some pictures and the times they called me over to grab a quick shot. Well, I delivered hundreds of photos from each one of those events. To say the least everyone was extremely happy with the results and extremely happy that I dissolved into the background while being so productive.

It's all about you.

My Career:

My working life has been spent exclusively as a photojournalist, witnessing life unfolding before me and telling the story of what I see. I love chasing emotions, moments, lines and form, using them to distill parts of an event into a single photograph. I embrace the challenge of weaving these single photographs into a story. The emotion, personalities, relationships, theater and beauty of a wedding is an amazingly rich place for me to capture these moments and weave them into what is a timeless story.

For over 25 years I worked as a full time daily newspaper staff photojournalist and wire service photographer. My work was routinely distributed regionally, nationally and sometimes worldwide by the Associated Press. My first published work as a photojournalist appeared in The Washington Post newspaper in 1980 while I was working on assignment for United Press International. I was a photojournalism student at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at the time.

Major publications that have used my work include The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Sunday Times of London. Newspapers across the country, North America and parts of Europe have used my photos from breaking news events ranging from presidential visits, newsworthy events, politics at the state capitol and major sporting events that I have covered and distributed through the Associated Press. My photos have appeared on numerous websites including MSNBC. Major textbook publishers have used my photos including Harper Collins, Knopf-Random House, William C Brown and others. Just do a search on my name at Amazon.com and you'll see just a few of the many text books where my photos appear.

I've received dozens of photojournalism awards from United Press International, The National Press Photographers Association, The New York State Publishers Association and the International Brotherhood of Firefighters. I was recognized as New York State sports photographer of the year by the National Press Photographers Association and have been a member of that photojournalism organization for almost 30 years.

I am also a member of the national Wedding Photojournalist Association, a grouping of like-minded photojournalists who believe in documenting the real moments of a wedding day as opposed to shooting from a checklist at every wedding. This isn't an organization where you can become a member simply by paying annual dues.

The corporate and editorial work that I am commissioned to shoot for trade publications, businesses and annual reports can be seen on my editorial website at www.mitchw.com My photos from news situations and other real-life events are distributed in the United States by The Image Works picture archive of Woodstock, NY and worldwide by their network of sub-agents.

I welcome the opportunity to witness and preserve the happiness and family bonds of your wedding day.

My wife Barbara and I have been happily married since 1990.