Why Presence Matters — On Camera and Beyond

How documentary work shaped my approach to style, visibility, and authentic presence.

After twenty years behind the camera, I’ve learned that authentic presence is one of a documentary filmmaker’s most powerful tools. The work asks us to sit with people in their most unguarded moments — twelve hours in a kitchen, days in floodwaters, months inside unfolding crises — and still show up as ourselves. That grounded presence isn’t accidental; it’s built through intention. The way we move through the world, from the boots we lace up to the scarf we choose before an interview, quietly shapes the trust we build. When I feel like myself, my subjects feel it too, and that alignment becomes the foundation for honest, human storytelling.

As my career expanded into more public-facing arenas — press days, festival circuits, fundraising meetings — I realized those same principles of presence applied far beyond the field. Filmmakers and artists are expected to move fluidly between intimate production spaces and highly visible industry stages with equal confidence, yet they’re rarely supported in how to do so with coherence and ease. Styling became a natural extension of my documentary instincts: another way to help creatives stay anchored in who they are while stepping into environments that can feel scrutinizing or performative. This work isn’t superficial. It shapes how we advocate for our projects, communicate our purpose, and carry our stories into the world.

What I offer now is a holistic practice that helps clients step into their own authorship — not only as storytellers of others’ lives, but as individuals with narratives that deserve visibility. Many filmmakers excel at elevating external stories yet overlook the power of their own. By pairing a cinematographer’s eye with a stylist’s intuition, I help clients express who they are through a visual language that feels true, grounded, and intentional. The result is a way of showing up with clarity and confidence, affirming that their personal presence carries as much weight as the work they create. Presence is not performance. It’s alignment.

- RBA