Steinmetz Loc: Oregon based

Gots2learn

Anyone can take a picture but the work, attitude, experience and how the pro handles the subjects and the guests is what puts them apart from the rest. I agree that the pro needs to make it clear that his time and talent cannot be hindered by others trying to get the shot he needs to be professional about handling the guests as well because they are also part of his subjects unless he is specifying that he is not taking the guests or any candids.

catzeye Loc: South Carolina

I just photographed a wedding for a friend of mine, which I had told her I would only shoot the photos after the wedding and we would restage some of them. Well, she insisted just before she walked down the aisle that I take them. I should have said "NO" but I was trying to accomadate her because we were friends. Ofcourse, my location was bad because I came in last with the guests. There was no announcement made that after the wedding I would be taking photos and then everyone else could when I was finished. Well, I had people walking in front of the frame, I had the bride telling the bridle party to look at Aunt Sue, then look at aunt so and so, then look at my photographer and when she wasn't saying that, other guest would tell the bridle party "look this way" just asI started to press the shutter button. So the results are the pictures have everyone looking in all different directions, moving, I had one girl at my shoulder in the dressing room, shooting her camera as soon as I did. I didn't need any extra light from her camera. So, now, I have a mad friend.at ME.. When I do another wedding for a friend I will have a contract with a clause in the agreement about when guests can take pictures ( I was doing this for free so I felt I could not run everyone off so I could take decent photos.) Maybe, your nephew can get his agreement modified so you can take photos after the professioal takes his. I understand why the professional photograhy has placed this agreement in his contract. I hope this helps you understand a little more also of what a professional or amateur photographer goes thru if he/she can't control who,what, where at a wedding.

bfphoto Loc: Houston, TX

Wow, this thread has really brought back some memories. I am now 78 years old and quit doing weddings a few years back, with the exception I photographed one of my granddaughter's wedding this past year. (This made me realize why I quit doing weddings).

Now, Uncle Bob, a lot of good suggestions have been offered, but everyone seems to have missed one. If the professional is giving the bride and groom a dvd with all the images from the wedding, you can still do a great slide show for them using the pro's images. This is one reason he is charging $4500.00 for the wedding. He probably will not get any reorders from family or guests which is where most pro wedding photographers made a profit in years past.

I know of some pros who are charging anywhere from $5ooo.oo to $10,000.00 for a wedding...but these guys are really good and have a reputation.

Back in the film days I was trained by Monte Zucker (some of you old pros will remember him) and his starting price was $5000.00. I never reached that level, but if I was shooting wedding today and had a studio, I wouldn't consider a wedding for anything less.

Now about guests shooting at the wedding. I never really had a problem with that. One thing I learned from Monte was to shoot all the formals before the wedding ceremony began. We always started formals with family 3 hours before the wedding and finished about 30 minutes before the ceremony started. Bride and groom had to agree to see each other before the ceremony and consequently we always had great shots of the bride and groom you could never get after the ceremony.

After the ceremony we stayed in the background and did candids with the exception of the cake cutting which we directed. At the reception I didn't care who took pictures and today it would be impossible anyway with everyone having cell phones that take pretty good pictures.

Anyway, this is just my 2 cents worth.

Biker Loc: Allentown, PA

Sorry but I have to agree with some of the comments made here favoring the "Pro" photographer. I've been doing weddings for quite sometime now and every since we have gotten into the digital revolution, every hot shot with a SLR is a professional. I usually try and say to people in a proper way to please let me take my shots first and then you can take all you want after I'm finished getting mine. That's what I'm being paid for and the Bride and Groom have hired me for this occasion. It's their money that is being spent. I have no problem with people trying to get the shots for themselves but please do not interfere with the man/woman that was hired to do the job. I think for the most part people have the courtesy to let you do your job but on occasion I have had instances where people were very rude by stepping in between my camera and my subject just to get what "They" want. Finally one of the wedding party stepped in a made an announcement to this affect. No fist fights were encountered.

jdmjesse Loc: Montclair, CA

For all you uncle bobs and everyone else that gets in the way of pro photographers: Stay the hell out of the way !!!

DaveMM Loc: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

No, but I have seen him balancing on a rock at the top of a cliff in Cornwall taking the landscape of the year! :mrgreen:

jdventer Loc: Wallingford, CT, USA

The Pro wedding photographer has the responsibility to provide what they are being paid for. It is a difficult job to do well under the best of conditions. Does the couple want to lose out on the photos they reasonably expect be cause some one got in the way?

mikeysaling Loc: essex uk

Surely posed pictures started in the days when cameras were using glass plates and the photographer was under a shroud and the shutter speed was maybe 1 second - things have moved on now. Why not video the whole thing with several cams and then make a 'film' of it . Stills can be extracted from the video these days at a good enough quality for 8 x 10 .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HptmXm956oI

nice but old hat

LouEllen

I WISH we had professional photos of our wedding. We are coming up on 40 years and those photos would be worth far more than $5000 to us. Our 'pro' botched the job - not ONE photo. Not one. All we have are some snapshots taken by friends/family. Oh, and we tried to re-shoot the wedding several months later when our best friends got married. Problem was that by that time, I was a couple months pregnant and had acne from hormonal changes, etc. Not to mention our attendants weren't there, hair was done differently, flowers were different, etc.

I'd say if the nephew and his bride-to-be hired the professional photographer for $4500, then they must want the type photos he is known to provide. Let him provide it.

AND...... you may find it a very liberating experience to be able to relax and enjoy -- with no level of expectation from you. I have found that some of our family expect me to take all the photos -- at no charge. When you give something away, rarely is it valued.

Lou Ellen

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Good suggestion . . . but he did say that the contract included a disc with all of the images from the pro. He can use those to make his slide show and still be a hero! He should make sure that the disc comes with a written permission to copy and print from the images on the disc.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

You sound pretty expensive . . . there are at least 1000 "photographer" here in my city that would give them what you offer for less than $500. We should all get fired and all wedding coverages should now be less than $300.00 by the new wave of "shoot & burns"
:roll:

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Yep . . . 2 or 3 at each wedding! :roll:

fototaker27 Loc: Dumfries & Galloway Scotland

Esther P, now that is how it's done. when I talk to the Couple I ask them tongue in cheek, who's the most important person at your wedding.The answer is always the same the Bride, I say wrong it is me The photographer.The surprise on their faces.I tell them once it's all over and the dress is hung up the cake is all gone I'm all they have left. It's only meant as a joke, but it does get the idea of the Pro getting his shots. I have very little trouble with uncle Bobs or anyone else at weddings

lorne Loc: Calgary, Alberta

WoW someone else who trained with Monte Zucker... What I do at weddings and have been doing it for a long time is be Professional. I look at my conduct as a stage and I am trying to get more portraits and weddings from that event. I think the point is lost here. As a professional photgrapher I feel I am that good that I can normally take better images than the guest. I will organize the party into a group and then tell the guest they can take their phots first. After they are done flashing away then I go in and arrange the group the way I want it. I think if the professional photographer is that afraid of Uncle Bob out shinny him then he should get out of photgraphy. I usually pick up 1 or 2 portraits and every second wedding I book one of the Bridesmaid for their wedding. I am their to market myself and have the confidence that I will supply the Bride and Groom with fantastic images. I have no problem with the Uncle Bob"s it just makes me a better Photographer. Keep shooting Bob and have fun. Also forgot to mention every wedding I take I wear a Tuxedo, I joke with the Bride when they see me that if the Groom doesn't show up that I will fill in...These Professional Photgrapher are just chickens and in reality are more than likely not that good.