How do you Pros handle it?!

[Michelle Allmon]

Originally Posted by Howard Barlow

If it really got out of hand, I would stop, sit down, and put my camera down. When the bride, or MOB, asked me what I was doing, I would say, "I seem to be interfering with them. I'll finish when they are through." BAM! It was over, in no uncertain terms. I never had a problem once she or mom spit fire at them.

OMG, I can't believe I haven't tried that! When I used to work in a studio I did that all the time when the moms wouldn't stay next to their kids!

[Wes]

This all brings up something that I've been mulling over..... my neice is getting married in May, 2010. I refuse to be the photographer, and they don't want me to do it anyway. Nothing wrong with my work, but they want me to enjoy their special day as a member of the family and not feel like I have to work. Anyways..... I'd like to take my D3 with the 28-70 mounted on it but I'm unsure of how this will be perceived by the professionals that are hired to do the job. I certainly don't want to take any business away from them, but I also want to have a few shots of my own. Any thoughts on how I should handle this?

[Michelle Allmon]

Originally Posted by Wes

This all brings up something that I've been mulling over..... my neice is getting married in May, 2010. I refuse to be the photographer, and they don't want me to do it anyway. Nothing wrong with my work, but they want me to enjoy their special day as a member of the family and not feel like I have to work. Anyways..... I'd like to take my D3 with the 28-70 mounted on it but I'm unsure of how this will be perceived by the professionals that are hired to do the job. I certainly don't want to take any business away from them, but I also want to have a few shots of my own. Any thoughts on how I should handle this?

I was at a wedding recently where a relative of the groom's is a wedding photographer. He introduced himself, stayed out of my way and during the formals he stood off to the side and told everyone to "always look at" me. I thought it was very respectful and also good for the couple because they got a variety of shots between the two of us. He also used a long lens, I shot wide.

[brad]

Originally Posted by Michelle Allmon

I was at a wedding recently where a relative of the groom's is a wedding photographer. He introduced himself, stayed out of my way and during the formals he stood off to the side and told everyone to "always look at" me. I thought it was very respectful and also good for the couple because they got a variety of shots between the two of us. He also used a long lens, I shot wide.

This is exactly what I do. Tell him who (and what) I am.. and then stay out of his way. If people ask me about photographs, I point to him first.

[Imagebuffet]

My landlady is a minister who performs weddings. She has invited me to tag along to photograph the weddings that she performs, mostly for my own practice, but also to provide her with photos and to offer a photographer if the B&G need one. So far, I've been to 1 wedding with her. The couple are great people, but the wedding was disorganized. I know somewhat how disorganized it was because my landlady mentioned a few things, such as people working the wedding party--such as the guy who was apparently the main photographer--who she did not know. She said that, normally, the people doing the various jobs would introduce themselves to her ahead of time and they would coordinate what they are doing. I did my best to take good photos while staying out of the way of the other 2 photographers who were on the floor, apparently as hired photographers. I was asked only once, on an outdoor shot, if I would move out of the way of the frame.

I don't know much about wedding photography, or weddings in general, but I hope I don't annoy too many people while I learn.