canon Lee

I would like to hear from other wedding photographers, as to their personal opinions/feelings, deciding to accept the shoot.

JPL

It is only a matter of money for me

Genessi Loc: SoCal

Were not contagious, my money is the same as anyone else's. Love is Love. My first wedding was a Lesbian couple who have been together for some time and were now able to have the same rights as everyone else. To me what would matter would was to do the best job for my clients.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I've shot several, mostly women.
I don't understand why you're asking?!?! What's different?
I would prefer them. Much more orderly!
SS

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I think it is no longer a question of choice. Doing so would be discrimination in the the same manner as if one declined to photograph a particular ethnic group.

Reported in recent news:

WASHINGTON — In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.

“No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the historic decision

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I would be concerned about a photographer taking an engagement that they weren't comfortable with, regardless of the context. How do you do good work if you are constantly dealing with a negative reaction to what you see, unless you are documenting it for some reason that you do believe in? Negative reactions tend to influence the way you make photographs in my opinion.

Would you be happy being a photographer at a wedding for a different racial or religious group? Native American? Mexican? Jewish? Southern Baptist? Mormon? Pagan? Serbian Orthodox? African American? Hindu? Muslim? Interracial or inter-cultural?

I personally think it isn't appropriate to bring your own baggage into somebody else's celebration.

In this context I think there are some important questions to consider about what the nature of relationships and marriage really mean. That's really what this debate is about.

My wife and I will be a party next month with some good friends. We'll probably both be taking pictures. They call it a 60-40-60 party.

Two gay guys that are both turning sixty and have been together as a faithful couple for forty years. It will not be a "gay" event, just a community and family event with all types of people and all ages. They just happen to be two gay guys that have demonstrated a much stronger commitment to a quality relationship than most people manage.

Personally I struggle to see what is wrong with that when I see the hypocrisy demonstrated by the self-righteousness of so many people with strongly held beliefs of some religious or other affiliation.

Something about: "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" King James Bible, Matthew 7:4 ( I think)

blackest Loc: Ireland

Sure there is a choice, you might not want to say it makes you uncomfortable and like a fish out of water. You're not going to do a good job, and the couple will not get the photographs they want. So really you should stand aside, for the sake of the couple and family and friends.

You might also want to rethink your choice of career, you need to be able to relate to people in order to work with them.

There are more than a few gay photographers around who would love to do the job and plenty of straight photographers who are perfectly comfortable around gay couples.

One last thought, you have to have your head under a rock to think that everybody at previous wedding events you photographed are hetrosexual.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Tread very carefully if you're in business. Bakeries in Oregon and Colorado have been sued for discrimination for refusing to fill orders for cakes for gay couples. The Oregon case ended with the couple being awarded $75,000 each.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/oregon-bakery-pay-gay-couple-refused-cake-article-1.2103577

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Last October 14th I was privileged to shoot the first ever same sex marriage in Alaska.

The pictures were picked up by every major news outlet in the state, plus AP and a couple other national agencies. And over this past weekend, due to renewed interest, another national agency picked up 7 shots, though I have no idea what they will actually publish.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I don't think the camera knows the difference. One model I love shooting is gay and probably others are as well. I don't figure it is any of my business. All I want to do is make good images. One of the tenets of being a capitalist is that a business transaction must be fair to all concerned. I am a conservative and I strongly believe in equal rights for all. I'm sorry this has become a topic.

canon Lee

Thank you for your thoughts, but who are you addressing the "YOU" to in your comments? What did you read into my topic question? Is there someone here you are directing your comments to? Quote: "One last thought, you have to have your head under a rock to think that everybody at previous wedding events you photographed are hetrosexual.[/quote]"), I do hope the "you" is just general and not directed at anyone here. I have not given my opinion but simply asked what other's might be. So I exclude my self from your use of "YOU" Your opinion would be of benefit to others if you commented with I, me, my...... The question is about YOUR opinions, not others!

canon Lee

Hi David. What do you think about photographers "mandated" to shoot all types of weddings? How does it stand with you to be mandated? What about the photographers "rights"?

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

It's the same "mandate" the corner grocery store operates under.

You seem to be trying very hard to sound like a real bigot, without saying that you are. What purpose is there in that?

Leitz Loc: Solms

I know a photographer who detests mutilated bodies, but she documents crime and accident scenes.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

But that means that you are a conservative that is true to your beliefs doesn't it? You apply your beliefs to yourself as you would do to others perhaps?

I have heard that it is sometimes called integrity. Which I hold to be a good thing.

Unfortunately, I think this subject does need to be a topic. Not because of religious, conservative, or liberal beliefs, but because of the rather hypocritical standards held by some people - I am not including your good self in that group. This may be a time when we each do have to actually question our own integrity.

Lack of integrity should be obnoxious to either side of a debate, shouldn't it? We can after all, agree to disagree, to live and let live, and not have top impose upon each other unless a very high principle is involved.

So where do we draw the line, and on what standards?

You seem to be a man of high integrity from your posts, how do we get to a decent position in a discussion such as this?