[bill8131]

I had a formal session basically ruined by the grooms mother last year.
I now make it quite clear during consultation and the day of, NO photos during the formals, and if there are any rebels that pop in, I will take their camera's away from them if they shoot at the same time I do, family or not.
I'm polite about it, I explain that I've enough images ruined by side shooters and that it's not fair to the B&G because their paying me to get them quality as well as quantity images. and if I have to wait for them all the time we won't get what we have planned finished.
As well, there are to many people in the wedding group who will look at the side shooter instead of me, or at least my direction.

In the case of the grooms mother last year there was hardly a picture where the groom wasn't looking at his mother instead of my way.

I came to the conclusion afterwards, that, that session was, and or,got out of control, and it was my responsibilty to keep it under control and I failed to do so.
As the photographer your being paid to get the shots and control the shoot and if something or someone is disrupting the shoot you need to take care of the problem.
In this particular case we were shorted shooting time because the church decided they had to practice a play prior to the wedding, which eat up an hour of our session time, so I was trying to push everyone along and keep track of where the G's mother was.

She constantly seemed to shot at the same time I would, there was a reflective polished stone wall in the background, I had mt lights set so there would be no glare from the lights, but she didn't, what a nightmare.
After that I no longer have a hard time telling people NO. Better off to be a bad guy during the shoot,then face the B&G afterwards.

As for the gal with the give away program hopefully nobody was looking her way during the shots.

An interesting question is: Since it is your set-up, your posing,etc,etc. is she stealing your copyright?

Good luck with this one.

Bill