DJ Craig Loc: Payson, AZ (North-Central)

I have been DJing weddings for over two decades. At all of these weddings I have always taken pictures, which I always share with the couple and also put onto my web site to promote my business. Following the cake cutting ceremony at Saturday's wedding, the paid photographer charged my DJ table and barked, "Your flash ruined all of my pictures!" Then he stormed off.

I've never experienced this (or anything like it) before. I have always been told that multiple "flashes" have an extremely small chance of interfering with other cameras because of the combination of the very short amount of time the light is on the subject and camera's quick shutter speeds.

Have I gotten wrong information about this?

As I said, I've never experienced this before. At weddings nowadays, everyone with a cell-phone is a photographer and flashes are popping throughout the wedding.

(Download)

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

Interesting, DJ. Could I ask if you would have had a problem if the Photographer had taken out a BoomBox and started playing music?

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Good analogy.

DJ Craig Loc: Payson, AZ (North-Central)

I had permission from the bride and groom to also take pictures. (And you really didn't answer my question and your analogy is not credible, but thanks for taking the time to read my post.)

kenpic Loc: Edmonds, WA

Maybe he was shooting without flash....

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Since your primary job is DJ'in, you need to show some courtesy to another paid professional at the event. If the photographer was shooting available light images, then yes, the flash would affect their images.... Sounds like this is the reception, not the actual wedding as most churches forbid flash. That said, it would behoove you to correspond with the photographer prior to taking any images of your own. Both of you are getting paid & as such need to show one another professional courtesies... Most photographers would not be upset with others taking photos, but they are getting paid by the bride & groom to produce lasting images, you aren't.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

Perhaps your flash was going off at the exact moment he was taking his shots.
Perhaps you were causing wall shadows, or flare in his lens.

But you would have to get really intrusive to "ruin all of his shots"

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Regardless of the impact of multiple flashes, etc, it's a common courtesy to wait for the primary photographer. I realize the cake-cutting and other events are time sensitive-- but the photographer was paid for pictures; the DJ for the music.

GTinSoCal Loc: Palmdale, CA

No, your information is correct.
The odds of you flash intruding on his exposures is very,, very slim.
You could have an issue with long exposures, which I've done before, but I just ask everyone to refrain from taking photos for a few minutes.
Never been much of an issue.
The days of no one else taking photos other than the "pro" are gone.

What I have done is to try to make a portion of the posed shots available to the guests that want to get their own.
I include shots of the the guests getting their photos, always a big hit :-)

GT

Mr. Brownstar Loc: Idaho

I assume the formal/posed pictures you did not interfere with. As far as the reception cake cutting, bouquet toss, first dances, stuff like that where everyone is going crazy with their i-phones or cameras of their own, photo bombing, there is no reason why the photographer should have been upset but than again who know's what the photographer was thinking. He or she should have asked before hand that you refrain from using your flash if there was a problem. Or after the first couple times your fired your flash.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

Lot of "Maybe's" to consider in your question and that photographer's response, DJ. And yes, you are trying to provide something extra for your DJ fee. That's a good intent by you. And yes, if I were the photographer I would have come over to you the first time I felt your flash was interfering with my results and asked you to cease with the flash. (No photographer who does weddings can possibly assume other cameras are not going to be present. But we don't assume competition is coming from the other hired entertainment.) If the photographer had done that, would you have ceased taking your pictures?

Your response to my first reply indicates your are looking only for support from fellow hogs, not real consideration of the various aspects of the incident. As a professional courtesy I would think the best thing for you to do is let the photographer hired at your weddings know you have permission from the couple, and do so in advance of starting the evening's activities?? Would that not make a lot of sense? And be more professional??

So if you did not like my analogy, how about this one. Suppose the photographer had announced the cutting of the cake, before you could? Or the Dad's dance? etc. You are a professional and the photographer is a professional and it would seem to me the courteous thing to do is to act like one and communicate.

DJ Craig Loc: Payson, AZ (North-Central)

Thank you to all who have responded. At all receptions in the last few years, flashes are popping throughout the reception - probably more so during the cake cutting ceremony, perhaps in anticipation of the cake being smashed in the face of the bride or groom. I don't believe I've ever heard a photographer ask that others not take photos during one of the special reception events. If one did, I'm sure all would stop and let him do his thing. Maybe this young man was just frustrated about all the flashes going off and I was just the one he felt he could take out his frustration on.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

To answer your question, it is possible that you ruined some of his shots. Many, depending upon what he/she was doing. As was said, you are paid to provide the music and he/she is paid to provide pictures. Stuff like this is exactly why I quit doing weddings long ago. During the time I did, I never experienced a DJ also taking pictures and I would have, politely, asked him/her to stop if I ever did. Today everyone takes pictures at a wedding and it becomes that much harder to accomplish the task at hand. I don't miss weddings!

Mr. Brownstar Loc: Idaho

Dj's and the paid Photographer should in constant communication from the start of the reception to get the timing of the events lined out. Get the ducks in a row so to speak. A lot of frustration would be avoided. And at this time, you now should always ask if your flash would be a distraction.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I stopped doing weddings decades ago due to Bridezillas & the meddling mothers.... That said, I do take some courtesy shots at my relatives weddings (thankfully few & far between)