dirty dave

I was invited as a guest to a wedding yesterday the event was held outdoors. The heat was unbearable and there was a very large crowd. I have photograph hundreds of weddings in my life and always took about 20 to 30 minutes to shoot the wedding party and family after the ceramony and before the reception. I always have my shots planned for this and get them thru as fast as possible. Now sometimes there is a snag and I may be a bit longer bug not very often. This photographer yesterday decided to become creative at this point and took a little over 2 hours to as she said to give them the perfect pictures. She told the director that she was a professional and this is what it takes. During this time the guest are outdoors at the reception in the heat waiting one guest needed medical attention for the heat. Here is my question as a wedding photographer should you flow with the event or be creative? Was this photographer too consumed with her self and not being considerate of the event? Or am I.old and wedding photography has changed? Ok I am old. Also about half the guest left during this delay.

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

There is a limit to creative license. Common sense should prevail. I believe if it takes two hours to get the perfect photograph perhaps the individual needs more practice. My goal has always been to get the bride and groom to their reception in a reasonable amount of time around 30 minutes or so. How rude to keep everyone waiting for two hours

dirty dave

That is my feeling too. Thanks I thought I had gotten old and didn't understand photography anymore.

sherryb7 Loc: Livingston, TX

Been there. It's nothing but rude. Two yrs ago, we waiting 2+ hrs in the heat before my son's outdoor wedding started. Nothing but RUDE. If it wouldn't have been immediate family, most of the guest would have left.

dasloaf

I thought an hour was too much, but the bride had a list and all her pictures had to be taken, people who weren't in the pictures went to the hall, ate and drank and waited on the bride and groom. But two hours in the heat! WOW!

dirty dave

I always tell the bride that we can do relatives with the bride and groom at the reception and set up a little area for aunts uncles.cousins and so on. This seems to work in most cases. And gets us to the reception much faster. Always good to have a second shooter to help.at the reception.
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Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Unprofessional, inflexible, and inconsiderate as the heat was foreseeable.
I hope the "creative" photos with beads of sweat glistening on everyone's foreheads was worth it.

mafadecay Loc: Wales UK

I try and keep my formals to less than 30-45 Mins. You can normally get through even an extensive large family shot list in this time. Otherwise guests get titchy regardless of the weather (mostly dodging the rain here in the UK). I know if they are not included in the shots even 30 mins can seem like a lifetime. I also try and suggest keeping the shot list minimal before hand to save time.

I tend to take my groups off to an area slightly away from the other guests. Then once that group is finished with I kindly suggest to them to repose in the same formation around the corner so that if any of the other guests want to take their own shots they can. This also acts as a time filler but others have something to do and feel more involved and so everybody does not get bored as much.

krf4 Loc: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

I, too was at an outdoor wedding for the son of a very close friend and here is what i noticed. First this was at a golf course and the pavilion that was used for the ceremony was situated in such a way that the evening sun was behind it, which means the sun was behind the bride and groom. It was hot, but we did not have to wait long for the ceremony. The pictures being taken at first were the normal ones, parents and bride and groom. Then, and here is the difference, instead of the photographer saying here is what we will do next, it was the bride dictating what shots were to be taken, and then they drove off in carts around the course to take shots. Guests were waiting in the reception hall for a very long time. Good thing it was air conditioned.

Also, blame some of this on the digital cameras. In the film days you took maybe two shots of a pose to make sure you had it, now with the digital cameras, I noticed that I took four or five shots to make sure I had something, and the Pro seemed to be taking more than me. Of course I was to the left of the Pro and just trying to stay out of her way.

Yeah, things have changed, some good, some not so good. I probably will not opt to make my profession doing weddings, still life and nature do not talk back or get grumpy.

Just my two cents, thanks.

mgstrawn Loc: Atlanta, GA

I was at an outdoor wedding this weekend and, yes, it was 90 degree plus heat. They had already taken most of the family photos; the photos that didn't require both the Bride and Groom. As soon as the brief ceremony was over, the guests were ushered into the air conditioned reception where the DJ started the music and the guests were invited to enjoy a buffet dinner. While this was going on, they took pictures with the wedding party. About 20 minutes later, the Wedding Party was introduced, and they had their first dances and the cutting of the cake. The Bride and Groom disappeared for about 20 more minutes for photos of just the two of them, and came back to the reception to enjoy the rest of the party. I have experienced what many of you wrote about and I thought that this wedding was brilliantly planned for the enjoyment of all concerned. Great Photographer! www.ashleighdeesphotography.com

Coker Loc: Havana, IL

You, my Friend are right on the money! The wedding is not about photography, it is about a marriage! I have heard many times how the photographer ruined the moment because of the right photo! It is a mix of getting the right shot while not invading the moment. We capture moments, we don't invade them.

mgstrawn Loc: Atlanta, GA

Amen!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have been to weddings where the photographer took too long and ruined the mood. Two hours is ridiculous. So what was the final result? Pictures. Some consideration for others should have come into play.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Indeed! :thumbup:

allen finley photography Loc: Sunshine State.

I always tell my clients if you want posed shots then you wil need to set aside the time after the ceremony to do so. The time after the ceremony is called the cocktail hour for a reason. First shot groups are the entire wedding party guests and all. Next are requested shots with both the bride and groom with fam and friends that could not be taken before the ceremony. I release the guest at this point to travel to the reception which is not always at the same venue. I almost always have to have the wedding party re stage the ceremony as photography is not allowed during. Then release the wedding party minus bride and groom. I prefer this one on one time as they are then more relaxed and focused at this point. All of this takes time, your results are greatly sped up with the help of a great photography assistant and even more so with a wrangler. What's a wrangler? A wrangler is someone appointed by the bride and groom to point out key persons that the couple want to have captured (shot... I mean photographed ) and who will ensure their cooperation. Two hours?... yes, way too long. An hour is about average, unless the customer wants Journalistic style only, then it's go with the flow and predict where to get the next great shot.