guests taking photos during formals ?

[hotrod4x5]

Originally Posted by joshman

hey guys, i dunno how it's done in the states, but it certainly seeme a bit different than it's done here in australia, every wedding i've been to has pretty much gone this way:

Ceremony
in-formal shoot on church grounds
formal shoot off church ground with ONLY the photog and bridal party, possibly teh parents of B&G too.
reception.

that way, the family gets their photos, the professional photog gets their photos, which are unique in perspective, and location.

and everybody wins.

i think.

It is a mixture, sometimes there isn't an alternate location close enough or available, or there isn't enough time to go to one. Many times the reception and ceremony are held at the same venue.

[Kosherpaparazzi]

If you don't want anyone taking snaps during the formals it's best to get an assistant. It's also best to do the formals (or most of them) BEFORE the ceremony. That way you can get to the partying faster.

Just my ¢2 plus tax & inflation.

[DD974]

I never liked the idea of stating in my contract that guests couldn't take photos of the formals....but after a few incidents last summer I am tempted to. Most cases last summer I just politely asked those that flashed when I did or was preparing to flash to please hold off until I'm finished....and they obliged.

If I get into a situation this summer, I'm thinking of asking everyone to shoot away during my shots of the formals ....but the twist is to tell them to turn off their flashes...albeit, most probably don't even know how to disable it on their P/S....this might be asking too much.

I like the idea of letting the Bride take care of Papparrazi guests and let them shoot first without me finalizing the pose for them.

[SyCo]

I now think the answer is to light with off camera flash triggered by radio slaves You could then stipulate no one can use radio slaves in the contract which I think would be fair enough. Anyone can take any pic they like and none of them will be as cool as yours.

[littlegal]

Wow, this is a really old resurrected thread. But I guess it's still timely.

Here is my probably not so popular take on things:
If Aunt Betty can take a better photo than I can, I prolly need to hang up my Canon.

In fact, I LIKE when I see wedding photos on Facebook or wherever. Mine SMOKE when you compare the two. It just reinforces why I'm worth a whole lot more that Uncle Bob. The bride feels good, I feel good, and Uncle Bob says, "oh". Win Win. Let everyone shoot.

[SyCo]

Originally Posted by littlegal

Wow, this is a really old resurrected thread. But I guess it's still timely.

lol, yea timeless!

If you pose the group correctly anyone can get a reasonably nice picture. I agree that pricing high keeps the quality of Aunt barbs shots below the expectations of the bride and groom.

If hers are better than your's you might have found a new second shooter

[littlegal]

Not ever going to happen. They don't have our lighting. Sucks for Aunt Hilda.. Sucks bad.

[SyCo]

heh, just don't use optical slaves! Unless the flash is pointed backwards.

[Ellbee99]

Great idea...I usually let them shoot after...no more...I'll let them pose their own groups and shoot first from now on. The only problem no matter what I say the bride and groom never leave enough time for photos after the ceremony. I actually have been told how nice I am (usually several times during the wedding) and how great the images are even before they've seen a single image! Attitude makes a big difference. I'm amazed how many times I'm told how much better
(friendlier, helpful etc) I am than other photographers. So I may lose a few post image sales but, those are rare anyway. I get my money up front, get many wedding referrals and make the wedding guests happy as well. Nasty never gets you anywhere in life.

Originally Posted by deluco

I suggest that you change your perspective. If you continue this strategy, you will look bad to the guests, no matter how polite you try to be. In addition it is more aggravation than it's worth.

Get your money up front. Full package price one week before the wedding date. That way you won't be too concerned about a couple of follow up print orders that you may lose. Believe me, if you charge what your work is worth, anyone who will accept a point and shoot image will not pay you for a 5x7, even if the image is ONLY available from you.

Here's what I do: I let the snappers shoot BEFORE I shoot. That embarrasses them just a bit because they are now the center of attention and I am waiting for them to shoot. It makes me look like a hero because the last photographer who photograhed their neice's wedding (that would be Bill above), told them that they could not photograph the groups that they were lining up.

If I have to worry about a couple of 5x7's then my pricing structure is all wrong. Try not to depend on follow up orders. Be as wonderful to everyone as you can be. The only people who will give you follow up orders are the parents of the bride or groom. Everyone else is of little consequence.

[jfrancho]

Originally Posted by SyCo

I now think the answer is to light with off camera flash triggered by radio slaves You could then stipulate no one can use radio slaves in the contract which I think would be fair enough. Anyone can take any pic they like and none of them will be as cool as yours.

Not always. When there is a group firing away while you are, preflashes and exposure flashes will certainly influence the lighting in your picture. Murphy's Law dictates that this is a certainty rather than a coincidence. Let them all shoot first, then you get your shot. After about three poses, the bride, or mother of the bride will kick them all out.

[cman78]

Originally Posted by jfrancho

Not always. When there is a group firing away while you are, preflashes and exposure flashes will certainly influence the lighting in your picture. Murphy's Law dictates that this is a certainty rather than a coincidence. Let them all shoot first, then you get your shot. After about three poses, the bride, or mother of the bride will kick them all out.

This is the way to go. We've done it and had success every time. Our first wedding we asked that no one shoot and it was not a big deal to anyone. But after I read the above advice two or three iterations of this same thread ago. We have used this methodology.

If we get everyone posed and are ready to shoot and I see Uncle Bob with his 30D stand up, I just step aside and give him the floor. No kidding after a couple shots bride or mom will tell Uncle Bob to go wait in the damn hallway till we need him. No Joke It Works. And you get to be the nicest sweetest most patient guy/gal in the room.

[stan43]

I made a discovery! When using my Alien Bee's(B800's) for formals I found that the flashes from other cameras set them off. The people quickly learned every picture of theirs was grossly overexposed and they quit. Short of that I get my money upfront, aks the bride to announce no pics during the formals if it is a problem. Not perfect but it seems everyone has a digital camera and many DSLRS,

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by stan43

I made a discovery! When using my Alien Bee's(B800's) for formals I found that the flashes from other cameras set them off.

I don't rely on optical slaves in that type of environment. Too much possibility of off-sync. Radio slaves for the Bees or IR for the 580's.

[jfrancho]

I made a discovery!

More like learned your lesson. Get radio slaves.

[Ed Shapiro]

Yup- Here is this whole old thread- once again in rises for the mothballs and comes back to life. This is because it is still an issue for some photographers.

I have written an entire dissertation on my views on the matter so there is little use in repeating them.

Just to clarify my position on the matter as to WHY have my by amateur shooting policy. I am not worried about competing with amateurs or guests for sales. All of my minimums are pre sold and my bank account will not suffer if everyone at any wedding shows up with two cameras each. I just don't want to have the compete for attention from the bridal party and not be able to get my work done in a smooth, painless and professional manner. I don't want to argue with anyone or have to defend my position in the middle of a joyous and oftentimes spiritual event. If people sneak in the odd picture- so what? I am not gonna chase them. If thing get so far out of control tha I have to ward off the "paprazzi" I want to have the right to do that in the interest of my clients.

During the evening after the church and formal sessions are over, I don't usually care what goes on at the reception unless it really gets crazy.

I hate it when photographers sabotage their own work by not working all of this out in advance and then complain bitter that someone crimped the style at a wedding. Thinking that there is never enough time to make good formals at a wedding is outrageous. Why is there time for everything else? I allways convince every couple that the have to put aside a reasonable and proportionate time for their photographs. The operative word there is "their"- yes it is "their" photographs that I am making for them and I want them to get every ounce of value that I can give them- believe me- it works.

Common sense must prevail! Kindness, courtesy and logic when applied properly will work each and every time. You can't walk in to a wedding like Grant took Richmond or be a pussycat while people destroy your working environment. There has to be a balance.

Ed

[osimages]

I had this problem for the first few years in this business. This was the film days when everyone had a 35mm. Wasn't quite as prolific but still the same principle.

I began a program of doing all the formals before the wedding, including those of the bride and groom together. Doing it this way, allowed me to get those important images of the bride and groom alone and together, and also allowed me to control who was in the shooting venue at the time.

Of course, there is a technique to being able to get the bride to commit to doing all the photos before the wedding and I was very successful at using it. Once it got going, brides would come to me for the initial consultation and tell me they wanted everything done before the wedding before I ever even mentioned it.

I am not going to go into as to how I accomplished this here because it would take too long to type it out. Suffice it to say, it worked well for me and since changing my way of doing business, I have never had a bride refuse to do them before the wedding.

Just something to think about.

[francesam]

What is the matter with you all, a wedding is a family affair and of course people want there own photographs of the day. It's true a lot of people will not see the wedding photographs at all, so want some of their own. Having had 4 daughters and one son married i never had any hassle from professional photographers at all, and we have always bought loads of their shots. After all you cannot get as good a shot as the professionals and most people know that.
Have you ever thought of difusing the situation jokingly, i.e. Come on folks ,i've been paid to do this job, let me get on with it. Might just work

[DD974]

I really don't care if guests take their own photos....where I start to have problems is when it encroaches into the time I need to do the job I was hired for. The way I've done it to this point is to take my own photos first, but politely ask that everyone behind me hold off on taking theirs until I'm done...briefly explaining their flashes will affect my exposures. I get my money upfront, do the job and and PP and give them their DVD....and move on........never do I factor in the "after-sales" by guests.

[SyCo]

Originally Posted by osimages

I have never had a bride refuse to do them before the wedding.

I always offer this option but I've yet to have a Bride and Groom want to do it before. I Have always got the guys shots and the girls shots individually before but never the bride and groom. I can understand why. On my wedding day I had no idea what my wife would look like and the moment I saw her is etched on my mind. Who are we as photographers to take something so special away.

But I still ask

[DD974]

Originally Posted by SyCo

I always offer this option but I've yet to have a Bride and Groom want to do it before. I Have always got the guys shots and the girls shots individually before but never the bride and groom. I can understand why. On my wedding day I had no idea what my wife would look like and the moment I saw her is etched on my mind. Who are we as photographers to take something so special away.

But I still ask

I use the same workflow on wedding day...I never met a bride that wanted to see the groom before the ceremony.