Would you be offended???

[KaraM]

This is for those who make their living doing weddings and wedding-related photography. Do you mind if family members take pictures while you are doing bridal portrait shoots (as long as they stay out of the way)?

[Daniel Bates]

This has been debated a couple of times I think, and it really comes down to the individual photographer and her business model. Some people make all their money off of reprints, and family members "poaching" shots hurts their margins; other people make all the money up front with the package, so they don't care.

I follow the second business model, so as long as they don't get in my way or distract the subject (too much) then I don't mind.

[akimartymar]

I try to make sure they know not to take any while I am taking them. When I'm done they can snap some with their own cameras. There's nothing like explaining to a bride and groom that you didn't capture a certain shot because a family member's flash when off the same time you snapped and totally blew the exposure of the shot.

[PeteQ]

I cover this aspect right up front in the consultation. When shooting formals, etc. I will have control of the B&G and I typically do not allow family and such to poach shots. Here's why, it's not a question of the $$ for resale because my model nets me 99% of what I will make before I even arrive at the venue. It's for time management. If you let the families get involved, then Uncle Bob and Aunt May want this and that and you end up being a traffic cop. And if you don't get a formal shot they were expecting, they will never remember it was because you had to stand their while 16 friends paraded by for "just one more shot"......

What I tell the couple is after I am done with their formal session then whoever wants to can make use of the leftover time to snap pictures if the B&G feel like having more taken. Otherwise you end up having to rush things because the extra folks are eating up your precious time and that affects your quality.

And yes, on a certain level, it is because the poses are part of your signature and style and they should be yours. Let the Uncle Bob's pose them as THEY see them. Remember, if later when they are comparing your shot to Bob's and they are the same they are going to wonder why they ever bothered paying you, and they WILL tell others that you were really no better than Bob, just more expensive.

Just one fool's opinion....

[adirty1]

after i drop the shutter i dont care.. just let me get my shot then I leave it open. i even ask if everyone is done. I play the odds that when mine is posted it will look better than the others and if they want to buy they will. people that are poaching are not going to buy in the first place but granny and others that dont have a camera are going to buy no matter who is shooting. so why be labled the D#ck and not let others shoot...

[PeteQ]

Adam, you shoot your way, I'll shoot mine. No problem, it's a great big world. You play the odds, I win every time. That's what I am being paid to do, not rely on odds. I care about my clients from the consult until my final product is delivered and then some, not until just after I have "dropped the shutter".

As I said before, it's not a question of people buying the images, my model isn't based on print sales, it's based on keeping things flowing and getting the shots that I have been paid to get with minimal disruption to the days events. If the B&G want time for their friends to shoot, that's fine, we factor that in during the consult and it comes AFTER I have gotten what I was paid to get. They think 15-30 minutes sounds like a lot of time between a ceremony and reception until you have 10 people wanting to shoot each and every pose you line up.

Use what works for you....

[PeteQ]

Originally Posted by KaraM

This is for those who make their living doing weddings and wedding-related photography. Do you mind if family members take pictures while you are doing bridal portrait shoots (as long as they stay out of the way)?

Kara, the thread comes down to this... They NEVER stay out of the way. They say they will, but they won't. You will find yourself competing with a bunch of family members for the B&G to look at you. Then you will be cloning eyes in post, etc....

[Clint_Smith]

This is kind of a funny thread because tonight I almost lost my cool with an "Uncle Henry." If it were not for my wife, I would have probably caused some problems....thank God for my wife! Anyway...

Photography was supposed to start at 4 PM the wedding was to start 6 PM. The bride showed up at 4:45 with no flowers, the bridesmaids showed up at 5:15 not dressed (but they did bring the flowers) and the Groom and groomsmen showed up at 5:45.

All group shots were to be done before the wedding, because of travel time to reception. But with everyone being late, it threw off our entire schedule. Not a huge deal but something that we were prepared to deal with. So after the ceremony, we tried to rush the group shot because of the fading light. My wife and I were shuffling people around, posing ect ect.

I generally don't care if a family member wants to shoot. I always have my wife stand between the "family paparazzi" holding a slave anyway, so their shots usually have my wifes butt in it as she adjust dresses and such, but today I had one family member that kept wanting to get in front of me and between myself and the wedding party.

But when he blurted out to the wedding party, " DON'T WORRY, I'MA GONNA GIT THE UN'S THEY DON'T GET FER YA!" I couldn't hold my tongue anymore. Fortunately my wife was between myself and this guy and she, in a rather polite yet scathing way, informed him that his presence was disrupting the professional services that the bride and groom had hired and on behalf of the bride and groom ask politely if he would honor their judgment in the hiring of their photographer.

Did I say that I thank God for my wife.

but not to hijack the thread, I get my money upfront and I generally don't have huge print sales after, but "Uncle Henry" can get to be a pain in the side. On a bridal I will say no to the presence of someone else taking snapshots mainly because it causes the bride to be distracted.

[CaptainTom]

I did this once. Felt good..

I posed the bridal party and then I stood there with them and made the following announcement. " Everybody can take all the shots they want right now. When you are done, I will expect to have 100% of the attention of the bridal party while everyone else heads off to the reception." I didn't move away from standing next to the b&g. A few flashes went off, but there was mostly a little grumbling, and the obvious expectation that I would move out of the way. After 30 seconds, people started to leave and I had the bridal party alone.
However you charge for the service is not that important. I think that if you have control over the situation you will be able to get the best shots possible, and Uncle Frank will get over it sooner or later.

[redqueenlady]

Funny thing! I shot a wedding yesterday and a lady was MAD at me for being in her way from shooting. I just kept stepping in front of her like she wasn't there. She and many others were just snapping away and yes it is very irritating!

[akimartymar]

Originally Posted by redqueenlady

Funny thing! I shot a wedding yesterday and a lady was MAD at me for being in her way from shooting. I just kept stepping in front of her like she wasn't there. She and many others were just snapping away and yes it is very irritating!

I did that last night as well. He was dead on in the middle of the aisle while I was about to do the formals so I just acted like I didn't notice him and stepped right in front.

[boxofrocks]

there's another problem I haven't read yet--darting eyes of the subjects. With a buch of folks geting ready to pop a shot behid you, invariably your subjects will not always be looking at your lens.

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

there's another problem I haven't read yet--darting eyes of the subjects. With a buch of folks geting ready to pop a shot behid you, invariably your subjects will not always be looking at your lens.

There lies the main problem to me.

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by boxofrocks

there's another problem I haven't read yet--darting eyes of the subjects. With a buch of folks geting ready to pop a shot behid you, invariably your subjects will not always be looking at your lens.

That and blinking from other flashes would be the main problems IMHO.

[Kathi]

It is stated in our contract that we are the exclusive photographers present at the wedding. If "Uncle Joe" wants a picture from the formals, he can purchase it from our online proofing. A) This cuts down on the time that it takes to finish up the formals (no one wants to be kept waiting!); B) Everyone's eyes are looking at my camera, not Uncle Joe's; C) I don't have to worry about some else's flash messing up exposure; D) Being the only person present with those images, value is now given to my images and, in turn, adds value to hiring a professional photographer. Society, in general, has lost sight of the value of professional photography and it is up to us, as professional photographers, to remind them of that value.