Guest Photographers Ruin Wedding Ceremonies


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hanqiang1011

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Jan 22, 2005
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Tiny Red Dot...
www.blitzwerkz.com
Good morning... Sometimes, things are out of our control!

Sharing an article here

Prior to the ceremony, the officiant read this, “Welcome, friends and family! Good evening everyone. Please be seated. Dan and Jennifer invite you to be truly present at this special time. Please, turn off your cell phones and put down your cameras. The photographer will capture how this moment looks — I encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology. If Dan can do it, then so can you.”

Recently “Guest Photographers” came up in one of the photography groups I am apart of online and someone asked what the big deal is — why wouldn’t we want more people capturing images for our clients? I thought this was a great question!

I don’t have a single problem with guests taking images and sharing them later on with the couple. It makes me happy to know there will be other pictures and photos of moments I may have missed or alternate angles that I couldn’t cover.

However, my heart breaks when a guest ruins an otherwise lovely image or jumps in front of me when I’m capturing a key moment from the day. It completely slays me when this happens because while I am not remotely egotistical at all, I am fairly confident that my image would have been better than the one they captured.
A good read plus some 'ruined photos' and some alerts to note, if applicable.
 

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it's true, but just get use to it.... nothing worse than accidentally pissing off a "guest" photographer who might be someone related to the bride/groom in a touchy way. my friend kena once, twice shy.
 

you share here is kind of useless,
the people who should read them are brides and grooms and their guests.

you can try post in wedding forums and see how it goes.
 

In my experience, there are times when it is the "guest" photographers that save the wedding moments.

My view is that when it comes to the dinner, think of the photos taken are for facebook and the importants ones are the studio album shoot and rom/wedding ceremony.
 

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you share here is kind of useless,
the people who should read them are brides and grooms and their guests.

you can try post in wedding forums and see how it goes.

Indeed. TS must be aware that half of the guest photographers are in CS and they don't really care about the hire pro.

But the irony gets bigger when the hired pro is a free or for cheap guy, also hired off clubsnap.

That is why Reportage say there are times when guest photographer save the wedding moments. Coz the hired hobbyist cannot make it, or a gang of 3 guest photographers had obstructed the hired one, while another gang of 3 guest photographers jumped in and saved the moment.

Unless its a by law thing, this situation won't change.

So, best thing to do is to pre discuss with client, cover in contract about such obstruction affecting quality and missed photos, and have fun shooting the wedding and those 'guests photograhers' too.

Or don't do wedding photography.
 

My friend's wedding has a AD photographer and she seek his permission to have 2 extra 'photographer'.
The 2 extra are there for an experience and feel.
Therefore, it was make known to them not to be in the way of the AD photographer.
but,we still cant prevent others to use their own camera or hp to take pictures.
 

maybe we should start a thread call "Precious Moments" in Wedding Portfolio, we post all the such photos into this thread, and show this thread to your wedding couples before you meet up with them for first meeting, that might save you lot of troubles when you to shoot their weddings.
 

I have to admit that I'm guilty of that at times. But I only do it when I know that the wedding couple don't mind and I make sure I don't obstruct/affect the main photographer.

I remember once at my colleague's wedding, there was over 10 cameras (DSLR/PNS/mobiles) obstructing the entire passageway.

When I had the chance to take as a secondary for a good friend's wedding, I always communicate with the main photographer to make sure that what I did is fine for him and I will heed his advise if I obstructed/affected him. I did told him to carry on with whatever he is doing and needs to do to get his shots. He did block my camera when I was too close to him when he needed more space.
 

My friend's wedding has a AD photographer and she seek his permission to have 2 extra 'photographer'.
The 2 extra are there for an experience and feel.
Therefore, it was make known to them not to be in the way of the AD photographer.
but,we still cant prevent others to use their own camera or hp to take pictures.


actually, this is a typical kiasu syndrome, worrying the official photographer might not do a good job.

if this official photographer is professional enough, he will be more kiasu than the wedding couple, because if suay suay anything happen, the wedding couple loses some wedding photos, and the photographer is losing his livinghood.

anyway, if your friend hire a very expensive wedding photographer, I guess she won't ask such questions already, who will want to pay so much to the photographer and pulling his hands and legs? trying to mess with own wedding?
 

I shot a wedding once where the groom told me the bride's brother will also be shooting as well. He definitely looks the part, with a brand spanking new D7000, Tokina 11-16, 24-70 and X100 as 2nd cam, Billingham bag, Gitzo tripod, SB-900. Turns out half the time he is in the frame, standing in the center of the aisle, right beside the bride and groom, chimping. He also takes a very very long time when taking a shot in that one position and angle. Take, chimp, change settings, take, chimp, change settings... etc..

What we did was just continue shooting around him and delivered. In many pictures delivered you can see the brother of the bride in the frame, most of the time looking at his LCD. Nothing we can do. BTW, the wedding couple feedback that they loved our delivered photos in the end. ;p
 

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actually, this is a typical kiasu syndrome, worrying the official photographer might not do a good job.

if this official photographer is professional enough, he will be more kiasu than the wedding couple, because if suay suay anything happen, the wedding couple loses some wedding photos, and the photographer is losing his livinghood.

anyway, if your friend hire a very expensive wedding photographer, I guess she won't ask such questions already, who will want to pay so much to the photographer and pulling his hands and legs? trying to mess with own wedding?

Actually, the photographer is a pro with a thread in CS and is afew award Winning photographer.
My friend was being nice to us cos we ask her if we can follow and play along.
So it is us the friend being baddie :p
End of the day, she sees our photo before her photographer deliver his photo to her ...like 4mths after the wedding
 

a very old thread and this is from a Guest Photographer POV, some of you might interest to read.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/general-tech-talk/98168-wedding-photography-experience.html


two things come into my mind,

- if you are hire to fly to another place to do a wedding shoot, will you make sure you will get all the best shots you can get?

- if you are a guest photographer, you are using same gears as the official photographer, do you think you can deliver the same results as him/her?
 

Actually, the photographer is a pro with a thread in CS and is afew award Winning photographer.
My friend was being nice to us cos we ask her if we can follow and play along.
So it is us the friend being baddie :p
End of the day, she sees our photo before her photographer deliver his photo to her ...like 4mths after the wedding

I have customers place order of their photos more than a year after their shoot, when I deliver the photos to their family, everyone think I'm the one who is delaying.
I don't bother to explain.


FYI, I have stop shooting weddings for a few years, and there is one bride, still have not select her wedding dinner photos.
 

i am just glad not to be a pro and enjoy my hobby in a considerate way
 

you share here is kind of useless,
the people who should read them are brides and grooms and their guests.

you can try post in wedding forums and see how it goes.

Not completely irrelevant. It is part of ongoing client education that will help the industry. If every wedding photographers out there start spreading the words, I am sure it will improve some what.

Clients hire you and they do expect you to deliver regardless of this or what, but by educate them, it allows them to think.

I don't do many wedding, but when I do accept a wedding work, I do tell them I can't work with certain service provider. So if they want me, they will have to agree with me. Same as all my photography work.

It does make it difficult for people to choose me, but I am sure people who understand will agree and those agree tend to work well and get great results at the end.

It is not that I try to be difficult, but for a success photography, it takes mutual agreement and understanding.

It's your business, you call the shots and if you cant take control or too afraid to be in control then you shouldn't be in business.

Regards,

Hart
 

Not completely irrelevant. It is part of ongoing client education that will help the industry. If every wedding photographers out there start spreading the words, I am sure it will improve some what.

Clients hire you and they do expect you to deliver regardless of this or what, but by educate them, it allows them to think.

I don't do many wedding, but when I do accept a wedding work, I do tell them I can't work with certain service provider. So if they want me, they will have to agree with me. Same as all my photography work.

It does make it difficult for people to choose me, but I am sure people who understand will agree and those agree tend to work well and get great results at the end.

It is not that I try to be difficult, but for a success photography, it takes mutual agreement and understanding.

It's your business, you call the shots and if you cant take control or too afraid to be in control then you shouldn't be in business.

Regards,

Hart
just show those photos to the brides, it is better then photographers speak thousands words.
 

Speaking as a hobbyist.

TS needs to keep in mind that some of the guests have known the at least one half of the couple / or both; for a very long time.
Some may be their uncle or aunt and have seen the bride or bridegroom grow up.
They have a deep and warm relationship with the couple. Some may want to record this happy moment.

The appointed pro photographer is there only because he accepted the assignment. He does not know the couple really well.
After the wedding and delivery of the photos, the pro will not see the couple again for a long time or for ever.
The pro photographer is in it for the money. He needs to deliver results.

Understand why some of the guests want to take photos; and some how find your way around them.
 

Understand why some of the guests want to take photos; and some how find your way around them.

I think it is not hard to understand why people want to take photos.

But I would like to ask you how to find your way around nonstop flashing of the couple.

Hire Harry Potter to cast a darkness spell around them?
 

During my brother wedding, I become video man as there is the main photographer. Btw, during that time, smart phone isn't that common. Ha ha!

Btw, I feels that guests at weddings should enjoy themselves rather than taking photos. Like that, the couple could ask them take from day to night and save up a sum, ha ha!
 

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