Hear, hear! And while you're at it, just watch the bride walk down the aisle instead of whipping out your iPhone and sticking it out in the aisle and filming her! Are you really going to watch all 5 hours of footage of your friend's wedding next week? I didn't think so, so just enjoy the moment!
I always take a different approach. I always watch the groom. My theory is, you have all night to see the bride, but only one chance to see the groom react to the bride walking down the aisle.
I try to be respectful of the professionals. But I ran into a conundrum when I worked for the newspaper.
A local wedding venue (it was a renovated plantation house - gorgeous!) organized a wedding give away and gave it to a woman who was terminally ill.
I was covering the story and went to the wedding to take photos to go along with the story and, well, it was my job to get photos of her and the groom kissing, etc...
I explained why I was there and jumping around to the photographer, but she kept giving me daggers the whole time.
My parents still insist on taking their camera to weddings and snapping shots the entire time. It's a nice DSLR but there is already a professional photographer (often with a 2nd shooter) there! I don't understand it.
My sister, who is a professional wedding photographer, says she hates this. She has a tough time getting her pictures (and it takes longer), because random wedding guests are sneaking up next to her and then saying, "Bride and Groom, look over here now" while they snap pictures. Usually the guests' photos look dumb because the bride and groom aren't even looking at THEIR camera, they're looking toward the professional photographer's camera.
It's so rude. If the couple paid for a professional, they don't need guests jumping in and "helping".
I hate this too! We film weddings. We had a guest with an SLR almost ruin our footage of the couples first dance and cake cutting. She kept standing in front of me to take pics and she kicked my equipment. It was very frustrating. I'm sure the couple would be PISSED if I missed their cake cutting due to a guest. She also was doing what you described to the photographer all night and she was pissed too. Seriously, and SLR doesn't make you a professional!
Hear, hear! And while you're at it, just watch the bride walk down the aisle instead of whipping out your iPhone and sticking it out in the aisle and filming her! Are you really going to watch all 5 hours of footage of your friend's wedding next week? I didn't think so, so just enjoy the moment!
I always take a different approach. I always watch the groom. My theory is, you have all night to see the bride, but only one chance to see the groom react to the bride walking down the aisle.
This is how I try to approach as well. At a good friend's wedding, I was so far back from the cake cutting, I couldn't see anything regarding the cake. I did however get a shot with both moms (of the bride a groom) and some other random shots. The bride and groom were super appreciative, because they wouldn't have got those shots, because well, the paid photographer was focusing on the bride and groom.
I stay out of the photographers way, and I don't ever tag people on FB, if I put them up. I send them an e-mail, letting them know I put it there, and if they want to tag, it's their call.
Post by Dumbledork on Sept 27, 2013 9:17:04 GMT -5
I actually just read an article about this from the POV of a professional wedding photographer. He basically said "Listen people, you don't really know what you're doing, and even if you did, you weren't the ones hired to get these shots. You were invited to come and celebrate. Stop ruining my/the bride's shots."
His accompanying images definitely drive the point home.