jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA

your flash screws up their shot. now you say...I don't use a flash....I say others may and the pro only gets one chance to make it right......and who cares no one looks at wedding photos anyway...and no one fights over the photos in the divorce settlement so they have little value..except to laugh at old hair doos.

Brett928

I can understand completely. I shot my brother's wedding as a gift; my sister-in-law had a friend of hers that showed up to shoot as well. My sister-in-law not wanting to offend her friend told her she was free to shoot.
Several of the pictures there were some looking at her and some at me.
This created confusion for everyone involved with some one and done pictures ruined forever.
This takes the pressure off of the wedding party and makes the professional look like the bad guy.
It has absolutely nothing to do with the professional's lack of confidence in themselves but rather wanting to provide the best product for the people paying for his services.
I have worked as a still photographer on feature films and it is a standard practice that nobody other than the director of photography or still photographer shoot pictures to cut down on distractions as well.
As far as pictures during the reception I allow that AFTER ALL of the pictures on the wedding party's list have been done for the same reasons mentioned above.
This is something that I insist in because I do not want my professional reputation damaged because someone was looking at Aunt Suzy talking a picture instead of my staff or myself.
There is a very tastefully done card by the registry explaining that in order to provide the best pictures we ask that no pictures be taken during the ceremony.

Paladin48 Loc: Orlando

The hired "Photographers" were already paid before the wedding even started so why the hell should they care? Someone has an awfully high opinion of themselves ... how pretentious of them. Who do they think they are, Annie Lebowitz?

gwilliams6

Shooting weddings since the 1970s, I never worried about anyone stealing my shots, but worried more about any hindrance to me getting my job done in an efficient and timely fashion. I do formal poses and all candids, that's what my clients hire me to do. Usually other guests shooting are not a huge problem once they have been forewarned, but occasionally there have been some problem folks that just would not go along with the program.

gwilliams6

thanks, this is why advance notice of the rules are important.

franksfun Loc: Bucks County PA

I’ve done weddings. When you are taking a frontal shot and some guest with a cell phone on the side ruins your shot, you can’t bring that moment back. Kudos to the Bridal Couple for asking their guests to put their cell phones away.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

Right or wrong the photographer has a CONTRACT with the bride. If some folks decide they don't care about that and go ahead and take photos it could jeopardize the bride and grooms ability to get their formal wedding photos.

Rick Loomis

I have even had it announced from the pulpit by the preacher that the pro photog is the only one allowed to take photos at this wedding.
Rick Loomis

RolandDieter

re: they get paid before the wedding ... so why the hell should they care? Maybe they are pros who take pride in their work? Maybe they want the customer to get what they paid for? Maybe they honor their contracts? Because they make more money off the prints than the shoot? The price of the shoot is often like the razor -- the money comes from selling the blades.

EdU239 Loc: The Northeast

I would say that since the request not to take pictures was clearly stated it should have been honored. As for the photographers not asking you themselves--- not a matter of lacking anatomy but of lacking authority. The last thing the event needed would have been a conversation about taking wedding pictures between you and the official photographers. They say please don't, you say why, they explain, you counter, etc....Much better to come directly from someone in the wedding party. The album as a gift is a very nice idea but I would ask before assuming it was okay for me to take pictures at that kind of event. It belongs to the couple getting married. And yes, I think the people posting cell phone pictures the next day were out of line.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Here we are on page 10with nothing accomplished. Why, one might ask, just look at the responses. Each person can bring up an anecdote where his brother’s neighbor’s sister’s boyfriend’s daughter got married and the professional photographer was either a joy to work with, allowing others to take pictures before or after him/her. OR the professional photographer was a total ass allowing nobody to take a photo of the bride and groom because he had a contract and would walk out.

Somewhere in the middle is one hell of a talented photographer who is able to satisfy not only the bride and groom, the wedding party, parents, and guests AND take prize winning wedding photos every time.

We are all different with different expectations and even different acceptable outcomes. Keep in mine that this all changes depending upon which of the above groups you fall into. The photographer is in his group too. All have different expectations. The trick is to give a bit from each group so that all are happy. There is not one single correct answer or situation. Not one of is alike in any way so how on earth can anybody come up with a good answer after 100pages, let alone 10.

Dennis

Dannj

Once again, the original post referred to a statement in the program to: NOT TAKE AND POST CELL PHONE PIX DURING THE CEREMONY, to leave this to the photographer.
The OP also said he was told by the bride’s sister to stop taking pic at the reception.
I can’t believe I’m still following this thread but I’m amazed at how far afield the responses have gone. I’m going to get a drink. But before I do, I’d just like to remind each of us that wedding ceremonies and receptions can vary greatly. What is customary and acceptable in one geographic location, one family, one religious group, one socio-economic group, one nationality, one age group etc.may not be acceptable to another.
I’ll go have that drink now; likely two.

Cheers

gwilliams6

Thanks, have one for me too, ok

Dannj

Easily done👍

Morry Loc: Palm Springs, CA

During the 17 years that I photographed weddings we only accepted jobs from brides and grooms that were willing to have paid in full 2 weeks before the date of wedding for the package that they chose (It was in the contract). I had a good reputation for the quality of work that I did (and my honesty) and at that price point. There was also a reasonable amount of profit in the package that they chose -- so that if they didn't buy anything additional after the wedding I still came out OK money wise. Back in those days before digital cameras it was a different world for us than it is today. I would usually take approximately from 100 to 150 or 175 exposures in my Hasselblad on Vericolor film. I didn't "shoot everything that moved" (sometimes thousands of exposures) as wedding photographers today seem to be expected to do. We would pose (my wife and I) for the formal shots before the ceremony and we did everything else including many spontaneous shots. We always brought a special canvas background with pro lighting (Paul Buff Lighting) for these formal shots. Brides would often inform us before the wedding that they weren't interested in formal shots -- but we knew from experience that they would like them and choose them when they saw the images -- so we would ask the bride and groom to be patient sitting for these formal shots and that we would not leave out the other things that they would want. I always photographed every shot as though it was going to hang in a museum (yes I learned to work fast). It worked very well for us and our couples and their family were very happy with our work. At the wedding I learned how to handle well meaning amateur photographers with tack and courtesy. In this era of proof books -- we instead had a "premier showing" of all the wedding photographs. We would get a mail list from the couple before the wedding of no more that 20 special family and friends to come to this "premier showing" in my studio. We mailed formal invitations to this list of people. At the "pemiere showing" we would begin by serving light but tasty food. Then we would show all the photographs using a 2 projector (Kodak Carousel) disolve slide show with recorded music. After this show we would pass out clip boards and pencil with a number list to everyone that wanted one and we would go through the show again slowly. The guests would then mark what they wanted to buy. At the end of this we would collect all the clip boards and tally each one and collect the amount due for the prints. Very often there were a few guests that came just to look and there was never pressure to buy. It was profitable, and we had happy customers. I finally retired from this about 1992. I don't know if any of todays wedding photographer still do any of what I just described as we did. I guess that demand for prints and fancy leather albums is no longer what people want.
But this is a different era now for wedding photographers.