Do you ever shoot "photos" during weddings?
 

I have heard from several photographers I work with in Southern California that they have encountered videographers shooting some photos during weddings, receptions, etc. Not to the amount that a photographer would but they basically keep a 5D around their shoulders at all times shooting moments here and there.

Photo & Video
 

Hi

Since we added photos to our business we have tripled our business. As a matter of fact we shoot photo and video and will not take a video only or photo only job. This way we control the whole day. No photo guys in the way. My wife knows where to be at all times, she is my photographer. A small learning curve but it has worked for us, and the brides love it. One stop shopping.

Good Luck.

I include a slideshow set to music from the wedding of 'candid' stills that I've taken (prep, receiving line, reception - no ceremony shots). I also use the stills for menus, labels, case inserts, etc.

I use a 40d and take about 100-150 candids during the day. My contract specifically states that the photos can not be purchased and are used for the purposes above only.

I have a discussion with the photographer about my contract and why I'm shooting stills ahead of time and let them know that I will never shoot shots that they have set up or created (with the exception of 1 couple shot and 1 group shot for dvd covers ... and then I will shoot my shot only when the photographer gives me permission to shoot) I've never had any problems and I think its all about professional courtesy and respect for what the photographer has to do and how they make their money.

Steve Pustay

Shoot a front picture for the case and a family picture for the back. Remaining two pics are stills from extracted frames of the HD video. As I add a T1i to the arsenal with Nikon lenses I hope I don't come across as the photo guy as I just want to use the cam for b-roll footage. To answer your question, only for cases.

We also do both at times, but prefer to do one or the other, makes for a less stressful day.
When we are doing video only, and their is another photographer, we only take a few stills with the XH-A1 for menus etc.

We do a mix - so yep, I'd probably have a SLR around my neck or in my slingbag - but if there's a primary photog, I'd probably not shoot much, particularly if they were willing to let me have a few photos (though I can pull decent stills from HD video anyway...).

Increasingly the line between still and video is blurring. The only problem is it's hard to do both... but I'd rather have a few interdisciplinary shooters for best coverage - I'm comfortable shooting either format, my wife prefers stills, but will shoot a bit of video here and there (photog with small video camera - reverse the OP scenario!), and I have recommended at least one photog I work with regularly buy a DSLR with video mode as their next purchase.

Good point Dave, if I were asked by someone doing video to share a few photos I would be fine and gladly do it. If every time I turned around I had someone taking photos of poses I created and in good lighting I would wonder if he was going to try to sell to the b&g.

I did have a videographer ask if he could take a few stills with his video camera for menus, and I had no problem at all posing the group or B&G for him. Communication is the big thing.

I worked with a production company that did a large volume of high end weddings in southern california. We typically brought along a still camera to take pictures for use in the dvd menu and cover/label graphics. Usually we could pull a good picture for the cover and label from the video since we only shot HD, but often times we would use the still camera to get high resolution images of textures or setting shots. We primarily did Indian weddings, so we got some great shots of their custom made dresses and henna art that we integrated into the menu/cover/label design.

I've talked to a videographer in a local wedding show. Their studio offering both video and photo service. It turn out, the videographer is doing video and photo at the same time. He operate 2 video camera on tripod and a DSLR camera and his wife operate a third camera. He said he frame the video cameras on both side and then walk off to do photos for the couples.

dave, do photographers ever feel uncomfortable with you shooting stills of any kind?

i've shot some weddings where the bride had a "paid" pro photog, AND had another non-related dedicated photographer who was there also shooting but for very cheap or even for free to build there portfolio....nevertheless, the paid photographer was not happy with this situation.

As a full time Pro Photographer I will tell you why this can be a thorn in our side.

We spend the time, and money to go to training schools etc to learn correct posing, lighting and deal with years of stress of wedding day drama. Now we have someone who wants to shoot a wedding as a Part Timer, charging a couple hundred bucks going to take a picture of our pose, in good lighting and use it in his portfolio. Now he uses that portfolio to book weddings at a fraction of the price we do.

How we handle it, is let them get their photo, then we pose in the lighting we want take our photo and change the group before they can re shoot our pose. If it is just a family member, with a point and shoot, we do not do this, only if its obvious someone who will be getting into our pockets if we let them.

Hope this was not too much of a rant.

denny, not a rant at all....i wouldn't be cool with that either. with the one's where i saw the "additional" photographer, they weren't shadowing the paid photog with posed shots or any shots...they did there own thing.
what it comes down to imo, is he bride/groom....THEY were the ones who wanted this additional non or low paid photographer. The main photogs were actuallu very high paid photographers....I did not see any reason for the bride to have additional shooters from another company or someone building their portfolios....they were spending a lot of money for some very talented pros already.

The advantage the non Pro photographer or videographer would have is they can concentrate on Just the Bride and Groom, where as the Pro has to do the entire ceremony.

Just imagine a guy with half your talent and just a HV30 and walmart tripod at a wedding but only shooting the Bride all day, am sure he would get some fantastic shots too.

Many pro photogs (and videogs) have something in their contract saying that they DO NOT allow anyone else to take pics (except family members). So if the B&G signs the contract and brakes the rule by hiring 2nd shooter, it might get nasty between all 4 of them.

We have this in our contract as well and really only enforce it during the formals. We explain that they allow us 45 minutes to get all the shots we have agreed on, and this takes a fast paced flow. We do not have time to wait for even aunt sussies camera to finally click, or for her flash to fire. We also need all eyes on our camera, not each person looking at a different camera.

Our churches are usually dark, and I love the b&g getting everyones snap shots, and photos with on camera flash. Makes them realize the importance of hiring a professional.