While you as an amateur photographer/guest may want to capture those picture-perfect moments as badly as the professional photographer, she’s the one the B&G have hired and … (and I’m saying this in the nicest way possible because I know you love the family, you love the couple, you love photography and you really just want to capture those memories) … you’re making our job incredibly difficult. You don’t mean to, I know that. But you are.
“But why”, you might ask, “It will only take a second for me to snap that shot, no?”
When photographing large groups, the attention of the group gets lost with a large number of cameras (actually, anything that exceeds one camera/photographer) is pointed at them. I need to make sure that the photos I take (the ones the couple is paying for) are perfect.
People don’t know which camera to look at (trust me, there are always a couple of folks who will insist on looking in your direction no matter what) and the photo simply doesn’t look good with everybody looking in different directions. It won’t look good on anybody’s camera. Not on yours, not on mine. It’s like watching TV with everybody having their very own remote control.
So we have to take the photo again. And again. Usually, it will be hot (or cold), people will be thirsty (or freezing), kids will lose interest/find a dirt patch to play in/start crying, the parents of that child will eventually lose their cool, people will start to get hungry, bored, cranky … the mood drops with tension levels rising simultaneously (groom checking his watch “we need to be introduced in 10 minutes”). It’s a miserable experience for everybody and it will show in the couple’s photos.
So as a guest, this is the time to step back and allow the professional the room he or she needs so we can then take the shot and move on to the next group. Before you know it, we’ll have taken all the formal pictures in a fun and relaxed way and the couple will be able to enjoy cocktail hour with you and the other guests where you can take plenty of photos. Sounds like a plan? Awesome!!!!
The ladies below were absolutely fantastic, photogenic and so much fun to be around - making taking the "formals" super fun. With no distractions, it was a breeze.
Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
That is exactly what I saw in the photos I tried to take at a friends wedding. Everyone was looking all over the place. I feel so bad, that I may have messed up my friends professional wedding photos. Next time I will just wait till the pro is done and see if I can get one or two before everyone goes to the reception.
ReplyDeleteIt happens to all of us - we get carried away once we're in the midst of things. One suggestion: instead of waiting to snap one or two shots once the professional photographer is done, why not head over to the cocktail hour, mingle and take the photos I can't take (because I'm not there) to surprise the couple with later?
ReplyDeleteThe group that's being photographed will thank you for it (as will the couple) and you can always order a print of the "official" formals later on.
Kat