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Wedding Photography
A Little Too far
Dec 11, 2021 07:24:04   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Hello
A few weeks ago I saw this sign at a wedding.

When the wedding started the first thing the Priest said was to feel free to snap video and pics of the event.
Turns out the sign was placed by the photographer and was not known nor requested by the To Be couple.

Thumbs up to the priest for overriding it. Two thumbs down to the photographers for over stepping their bounds.


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Dec 13, 2021 14:18:48   #
E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
 
Hamltnblue wrote:
Hello
A few weeks ago I saw this sign at a wedding.

When the wedding started the first thing the Priest said was to feel free to snap videos and pics of the event.
Turns out the sign was placed by the photographer and was not known nor requested by the To Be couple.

Thumbs up to the priest for overriding it. Two thumbs down to the photographers for overstepping their bounds.


I have been photographing weddings, professionally, for well of 50 years and have seldom had issues with guests or clergy. I try to keep a low profile so I do not interfere with the ceremony or become a distraction or in any way invasive. Oftentimes the clergy or the coordinator in the house of worship does not want everyone with a camera rushing the altar during the ceremony. It used to be a minor issue- most weddings had a hired professional photographer and perhaps a few cooperative amateurs taking snapshots. Most folks were polite and allowed the pro to do his or her work unencumbered. Since the advent of digital photography and cellphones, this has changed and in some cases, dozens of well-meaning but unaware folks tend to make the professional photographer job a living hell. They dart out in front of the pro at the most inopportune times, some use flash and cause the subject to blink and squint when the pro has to be shot in a split second. They get in the background of numerous shots and it looks obnoxious.

I do have a clause in my contra that makes me and my crew ther exclusive photographers, however, I will never become rude or mean to a guest- I am always polite and accommodating. I just need to have the authorization from the wedding couple, to control things if they get out of hand to the point where I can not work with reasonable access.

Putting up that sigh was obnoxious in and of itself- I would not do that, however, the professional shooter on that job may have been at the end of his patience.

What you may not fully understand is that most experienced and competent wedding photograher are well paid and have an obligation to come away with a top-quality job and "too many cooks can indeed spoil the broth"! and get in the way. The profession is not there to enjoy themselves- they have a job to do and oftentimes it is not easy. Meanwhile, all the other non-photograher guests in the congregation, want to see and enjoy the solemnity of the ceremony and have to dodge the "paparazzi" to see the highlights of the ceremony.

I want everyone at a wedding to fully enjoy the experience, take pictures and have fun. There, however, needs to be a reasonable balance. Some fol who object to certain restrictions have misconceptions about the professional wedding photographers' need for exclusivity. Believe me, most of us do not worry about "competition" and reduction or sealed due to amateurs' picture taking. Most work by contract for a minimum of remuneration and proved some kind of comprehensive package- we don't work on speculation. We get paid regardless! But we want to deliver a top-quality job will all the formal, casual, and spontaneous shots and like to do that without unnecessary interference.

An experienced and highly competent wedding photograher knows how to get along with people under all kinds of circumstances, various degrees of chaos, nervousness, sometimes even drunkenness. You get more cooperation with honey than with vinegar.

Anyway, You can not make a universal rule. Different churches, other houses of worship and wedding venues have different rules or lack thereof,. ffereif clergy persons have a different restriction or lack thereof. Professional photograher each have their own contractual agreements. In most cases, common sense has to prevail.
Mutual respect is always helpful and will make for compromise and workaround solutions.

Also- the PRO photograher must find out what the BRIDE AND GROMM expect and what he or she needs in terms of cooperation. All of this should be settled well in advance so gust, clergy and everyone else is advised accordingly.

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