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11/20/2010 08:05:29 AM · #1 |
Shot my first wedding today. Not a paid job, but a favour for family and thankfully a fairly casual affair. I can't honestly say I enjoyed myself because I just don't dig shooting people for some reason (sports excluded!). Anyhow, a question for those of you who are experienced wedding photographers. How do you politely deal with the dozens of family members who turn up with their, P&Ss, camera phones, video cameras etc and then try to compete with you for shots? I came away having missed a few shots because of someone getting in the way and with other shots of the wedding party where people are looking in different directions because I had other photographers either side of me all calling out 'look this way'...
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11/20/2010 03:53:57 PM · #2 |
In the weddings I have photographed I never had any real trouble with guests and their cameras. There were only a few instances where I had to ask guests to step back so I could get the shot I wanted, and they always complied without making an issue of it. It can be annoying at times, but if you are polite yet firm about it, they usually get the message quickly and will stay out of the way... for the most part anyway. :)
Here's a photo.net thread with some interesting discussion on the subject...
Guests with cameras at wedding and posting on facebook
I'll be interested to see what others here have to say about this.
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11/20/2010 03:59:54 PM · #3 |
You just need to be polite, yet assertive. I try to find out the order of things ahead of time, so when it's time to cut the cake, etc., I'm the first one on the scene, and people recognize that I'm in the most prominent spot for a reason. I've never had any trouble with people understanding that, as the paid photographer, I should be given the best spot to get those shots.
Aside from that, I have no trouble with other people taking pictures at any of the things I'm shooting at a wedding. I even go out of my way to give people a turn to shoot various things, so long as I'm not up against the clock in keeping things moving. People remember and appreciate that kind of thing.
Message edited by author 2010-11-20 16:01:24. |
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11/20/2010 04:47:05 PM · #4 |
Not too bothered about guests taking photos - if they get in the way, be polite, let them get the shot if its not going to delay the day or situation then ask them to move. As much as I can be a complete arsehole on here, when working at weddings I can be quite charming (I think) and deal with situations relatively easily. Group shots can be tiresome though.
You do need to be pretty thick skinned to shoot weddings, its certainly not for the timid or those with a weak personality - but then, you must know when to reign it in and not piss all the guests off. They have been invited there to enjoy the day - so if you start getting shitty with them you can become a blot on their memory of the day.
Now on that link there is a bit about images appearing on Facebook - I LOVE GUESTS POSTING PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK!!! Seriously, I had a couple asking the other day when their photos will be ready as they have seen some of their guests on Facebook and they are great - so a quick search and browse through their friends list (Facebook is a stalkers dream!) I managed to view the photos and they were nowt but snapshots - so I know if they think they are good, they are going to be more than happy with my work.
Regarding impeding on print sales, my business model takes that into account and as a result I rarely offer prints - I charge enough to give the B+G a DVD of all the shots (with a non-DVD package) and normally direct any enquiries about prints to the B+G.
The ONLY time I really pull rank as the hired pro is during the formal portraits of the B+G - its hard enough to get (normally) non-posey people posing without an amateur photographer there getting in the way - I am pretty upfront and ask them to disappear and usually get the B+G on my side, makes things a lot easier in the long run.
If it gets to the point where you really are being impeded by an overzealous Uncle Bob, then have a word with the Bestman and get him to strongly ask the person in question to be considerate to the B+G.
I had a wedding a couple of months back where we was trying to get a large group shot (around 100 or so people) and there was a guy in the back complaining that he didn't like his `effing` photo taken and why the `effing` hell should he standstill etc - unfortunately for him the Groom heard all this, turned to the man in question and said "Listen mate, I am paying for all your food & drink today and the only thing I want in return is you to stand there and STFU for 2 minutes - if you dont like it you are more than welcome to leave" - the mans wife was mortified and very embarrassed (everyone turned around to look at them) and the guy STFU so quickly I am sure I heard his teeth snap together.... oh, the and Groom now has my eternal respect.
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11/20/2010 05:07:39 PM · #5 |
| Thanks for the feedback and advice guys. I'm obviously not the first person to have had to deal with the 'Uncle Bobs' of the world (believe it or not, I think there really was an Uncle Bob yesterday!). I think part of the problem I had yesterday was the couple insisted on keeping things very low key and didn't want to go elsewhere for any formal pics, which meant I was trying to get shots in a fairly small back yard, with 70 people milling around. Cest la vie. |
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