Wedding nightmare

[Vincent Oliver]

I generally talk to the photographer prior to the ceremony, I don't get in his/her way whilst they are shooing groups and I don't expect them to ruin the required shots, bride making her entrance, vows, exchange of rings etc.. One of the other annoying things is the beep, beep from their digital cameras autofocus, especially if they are shooting close to my mikes.

[Johannes Soetandi]

That's a real entertaining video! I cringe at photographers who use wide angle lens during ceremony >__<

I've seen a wedding in Indonesia where the photographers (3-4 of them) are just surrounding the table. The videographers had no choice but to get as close too.. In the end, as a guest, I was entertained by the excellent showcase of vendors backside..

I talk with photographer to plan ahead.. the good ones are easy to work with, the bad ones are just pain on the neck. I dont mind them getting into my view during prep but I'm less forgiving in ceremony since our cameras are static 90% of the time.

I've once actually worked with a solo photographer who is an absolute pleasure to work with. I can hardly see him in any of my footage.. plus when I was doing the classic rotating kiss shot with the B&G, he even took the effort to run behind me just so that he's not in the shot!!

Since then, I've been referring him to many clients I've met

[Vishal Gurung]

my 2 cents

We always talk to the photographers beforehand and that's before the morning preparations, before the ceremony, before the recessional, before the reception, before the speeches, before the first dance, before the cake cutting.

Communication is key and while 90% of the time the photographers are actually really good about being aware, the odd time they're not, is when the 2nd and even sometimes 3rd angle becomes a necessity.

That being said, really funny video and certainly well put together!

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Almost all the weddings I've photographed they were very strict about the ceremony. Either you're not allowed on the altar area, if you are then you need to stay in one location, and definitely no flash. That's why most professional photographers will go long with 80-200mm.

[Michael Simons]

[QUOTE=Johannes Soetandi;
In the end, as a guest, I was entertained by the excellent showcase of vendors backside..

This is a big concern of mine, blocking the guests view. I really try not to go up the aisle during the ceremony but sometimes I have to because the photog is standing 2 feet away from the B&G. Also during the First Dance, Toasts and Cake Cutting, I really hate blocking the guests views. I'd like to stand back, but someone (guest/photog) will no doubt stand in front of my camera.

[Johannes Soetandi]

It may be worthwhile educating the bride & groom on how to manage your vendors. If the client had insisted from the start for the vendors to avoid as much as possible blocking guest view or standing too close to the couple, then the photog and videog may approach the work culture differently. I do this for my own wedding coming up end of the year, I'll make sure they are not crowding the altar!

[Paul Mailath]

Originally Posted by Warren Kawamoto

Yes, this happens to us too. But a true professional covers the angles with at least another camera(s). Through creative editing, a professional makes the final product look good, no matter what kind of crap is thrown at us. As a professional, there is no excuse for bad audio, bad lighting, or bad white balance. We always cover ourselves and constantly move forward.

From this experience, you can either
1. Sit back, do nothing
2. Complain when it happens again the next time (Trust me, it will)
3. Be ready the next time, have a plan in place when (not if) it happens

I used to believe this but I've run across a photog who shoots so close he stands about as far away from the couple as the celebrant - there is NOTHING I can do so I simply refuse to work with him anymore. I run 3 cameras and 2 operators and he's still in the way - He's well regarded as a professional of long standing and says he works well with other video companies (maybe it's just me) - yes we did have a discussion about it!

and yes.. he is actually checking his shots while he's standing right next to the groom

[Vincent Oliver]

The other solution is to just do the shots that you normally do and don't worry if you get in the way of the stills photographer, just make sure you get your shots. I did exactly that on a previous wedding, I got some great footage. Not that I am suggesting you ruin the stills photographers pictures, just make sure that you get the clean shots you are being paid for.

[Vincent Oliver]

It's funny how wedding photography has evolved. I started out as a stills photographer and would cover a full wedding with 10 rolls of 120 film (120 exposures max) Now I see photographers with digital cameras shooting hundreds if not one or two thousand pictures at a wedding. They all seem to need re-assurance that the last picture taken was OK. Maybe this is both the blessing and curse for digital capture.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to go back to shooting film. (or tape for video cameras)

[Michael Padilla]

Yeah it was bad.. no doubt. BUT I should say that at least part, if not MOST of this abuse was YOUR fault. Now don't get crazy with me but let me say that yes we have dealt with this on a number of occasions and know what we are talking about.

1st talk to the photographer before the wedding!! Introduce yourself and show them you're work (if there willing). For us the photographer "gets it" right away and are on board with what we produce. They become a team player before we ever begin. The day goes great and we are happy to work with them again.

2nd, if they are still not cooperative then kick some but!!! I will tell the photographers that we need to get our shot that that they are no more important than we are, I will be very vocal if need be, in the end we will work at the same level with them as they do with us - an issue of respect. If they continually step over our feet, then game on. Part of this however is also being flexible with your shots, I noticed you guys are tripod shooters primarily, that is your fault not the photographers! Some photographers can't stand working with us because we shoot like they do, we are very active with capturing our artwork, and for them its intrusive.

3rd. Control the day. Shoot photos too. Roughly 60% of our events are fusion packages, meaning our team handles both mediums and we work as a team FOR each other. We can all shoot either medium on the fly, so if I need more help with photos or cinema I can pull accordingly. If a photographer on our team is getting in our way (usually Rebecka haha) we can just tell them to get moving :) However because we each know what we need to accomplish, the end result is much better and the day goes smoother.

Hope that helps.

[Dave Partington]

Originally Posted by Paul Mailath

I used to believe this but I've run across a photog who shoots so close he stands about as far away from the couple as the celebrant - there is NOTHING I can do so I simply refuse to work with him anymore. I run 3 cameras and 2 operators and he's still in the way - He's well regarded as a professional of long standing and says he works well with other video companies (maybe it's just me) - yes we did have a discussion about it!

and yes.. he is actually checking his shots while he's standing right next to the groom

Damn. I thought I was seeing a guy I had to work with last year in the UK. They look so similar, and similar issues. Stood so close while looking at his own pictures I could rarely get a clear shot.

I won't ever work with him again if I can avoid it.

The thing I can't quite get a grip on is how BAD the shots are from some of the tog I've worked with, yet they get paid MORE and work FEWER hours on the day and FEWER hours processing.

I'm a stills photographer too, but not doing weddings at the moment. I'm seriously considering offering it, and a photo and video package too. Not quite sure what's holding me back.

[John Wiley]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

When I was still accepting Asian weddings, I did notice that they always seem to have at least two, often young, over-enthusiastic photographers who seem to feel that the "use a wide angle lens and get in really close" is the golden rule for wedding photography.

I don't think "wide angle style" is limited to any culture, age-group or experience bracket of photographers. I think it is (unfortunately) something that is just in voque at the moment.

I had a wedding recently where the bride was English. She paid an apparently very famous English wedding photographer as well as an assistant to fly to Australia for her wedding. It was upwards of $20,000 from what I could gather. I honestly don't think this guy used anything wider that a 28mm lens (on a full frame camera!) for the entire day. It's not only intrusive, as well as blocking the guests views, it is also goes against all the standards and techniques of good portraiture.

I can only imagine showing my children* my wedding photos* in 20 years and having them ask "Daddy, have you had plastic surgery? Because your nose was massive back then!"


* As yet non-existant.

[Chris Harding]

Hey John

It might be the fact that young, "would be" photographers can't justify decent tele glass when they are starting out so they stay with 28mm .... Most Western weddings I do have a photographer than has the decency to shoot from behind me so the guests don't have to watch a photog darting back and forth. It was simply that every ethnic wedding I did in the 2009/10 season seemed to have 2 or 3 young photogs (maybe TAFE students) intent on shooting a minimum of 1000 frames an hour and no further tahn 12" from any subject!!! In vogue or not it's still not very professional to be "in the couple's face" consistently ...if it was my wedding I would have brought along a fly swatter !!!

Then again I did work with a guy with decent gear who decided that the correct way to shoot a ceremony was to do 4 frames from the right then run in front of the video camera and shoot 4 frames from the left..and then back again...the actual vows and rings (civil ceremony) took just on 8 minutes and he walked in front of my camera 14 times before I politely asked if he could just maybe walk around it???
Luckily he did!!!

Chris

[Vincent Oliver]

Maybe your right a young photographer can't afford a tele lens, perhaps he shouldn't take on a wedding without the proper equipment.

I can't understand why digital photographers have to take so many pictures, a sign of a lack of confidence maybe? There again, maybe it's just safety in numbers.

This all reminds of a wedding I covered a few years ago. I set a remote video camera up on the balcony for an overall shot. The stills photographer also decided she wanted to do some shots from the balcony and stood in front of my video camera. I ended up with footage of her backside for the bridal party exit.

Now I only do one or two weddings a year, they are too much hassle.

[Nigel Barker]

The up close & personal technique is part of the modern documentary style of wedding photography. The photographer in this Canon Masterclass says his main lenses are the 50mm F1.2L & 24mm F1.4L & that he is never more than 15-20 ft away from his subjects which should ensure that he features a lot in any video of the event Canon Professional Network - Wedding Masterclass