How do you Pros handle it?!

[prncfarquad]

I am going to make a short story long but I have to rant.

I was at one of my good friends weddings Saturday in the woodlands and was appauled at one of the guests who had a camera out there.

The photogs were taking pictures outside of the church of the bride and her bride's maids, flower girl, ring boy, etc.. This guy kept snapping, snapping, snapping. Now I understand a dad wanting to get some pictures of his kids but he was doing it in the middle of the photogs shots!! not waiting for the real photogs to get done!!

The photogs were very proffesional and just kept doing their business, I however couldn't take it. After that I walked up to the man and told him that it was very impolite to do what he was doing, adding that when his red-eye reduction flash was going off it was affecting the quality and metering of the professionals work. He didn't seem sorry for being in the way and was even walking around during the service and then hung around for the after ceremony pics. ARG!!

My friend asked me to video at the last minute and I made sure the entire night I stayed out of the way of the photogs, asked them if there were specific places I needed to avoid or where the best places to stand would be to be out of their way etc.

I am not a professional photog but have ALWAYS thought it was common sense not to step in front of a photog, take pics at the same time, iterrupt their business, or affect the final product of the bride and grooms wedding pictures...JEEZ!

anyway thanks for the rant time.

[CaptainTom]

I will speak with the "intruder" and ask that they wait until I am finished with the shot before they fire off their camera.
If this doesn't work and it is really affecting the outcome, I'll possibly ask the bride (not the groom) to say a word about it.
If that doesn't work, I'll try to pretend that this person doesn't exist, and continue doing what I do. Getting upset never solves the problem and only interferes more with my performance.

I've been that "intruder" at weddings. I always speak with the main photographer and explain that if I get in their way they are to let me know and I will fade into the woodwork. As a matter of fact, last night I had dinner at a relatives home. I had attended their daughters wedding. I didn't take my camera to the wedding. The father of the bride asked if I would shoot a few with his D70 and I agreed. At dinner last night he very proudly brought out the coffee table book he had put together from all the family photos from the entire week before and after the wedding. He was very pleased to have the photos of the wedding that I had taken to include in this book. I was a little taken aback and asked about the paid pro who shot the wedding. He said that she hadn't gotten the photos to anyone yet (it's been 5 weeks) and that the bride and groom will be getting an album from the pro. The parents are likely going to also buy the album, but they are very pleased to be able to put something together from the whole week that the pro couldn't cover.

[toverman]

I've only shot seven weddings professionally on my own, but have never had a problem with others taking photos that affected my work. Like Tom said, it's a losing battle unless their shenanigans are actually affecting my photos. So many have cameras now. In fact, on this very forum there are really good examples of making the familyrazzi work for you. Taking a shot of Aunt Betty taking a photo can work, including getting a shot of her subjects in her LCD preview.

We can hedge against any potential for lost photo sales coming from relatives who give them away by charging enough up front to cover our work.

As for Tom's friends, my philosophy is that I process the photos before my clients and their families see them, but five weeks is pushing it. I want to capture the excitement left over from the ceremony and, at the very least, would give them an online preview of some of my favorites quickly rather than later. But that may just be me!

[newtune3]

Well, I hate to shoot weddings but shot two for siblings in the last month. I don't mind others thaking shots, but the issue is if they stand near when I am doing the required work, I can never get everyone to look at me even when a speak loudly look here, look here. Both weddings now have shots with eyes looking in several directions. That to me is a real issue. I try to do my best but others with cameras do make it much harder than it already is. There is my two cents worth.

[ngoduyviet]

Originally Posted by prncfarquad

I am going to make a short story long but I have to rant.

I was at one of my good friends weddings Saturday in the woodlands and was appauled at one of the guests who had a camera out there.

The photogs were taking pictures outside of the church of the bride and her bride's maids, flower girl, ring boy, etc.. This guy kept snapping, snapping, snapping. Now I understand a dad wanting to get some pictures of his kids but he was doing it in the middle of the photogs shots!! not waiting for the real photogs to get done!!

The photogs were very proffesional and just kept doing their business, I however couldn't take it. After that I walked up to the man and told him that it was very impolite to do what he was doing, adding that when his red-eye reduction flash was going off it was affecting the quality and metering of the professionals work. He didn't seem sorry for being in the way and was even walking around during the service and then hung around for the after ceremony pics. ARG!!

My friend asked me to video at the last minute and I made sure the entire night I stayed out of the way of the photogs, asked them if there were specific places I needed to avoid or where the best places to stand would be to be out of their way etc.

I am not a professional photog but have ALWAYS thought it was common sense not to step in front of a photog, take pics at the same time, iterrupt their business, or affect the final product of the bride and grooms wedding pictures...JEEZ!

anyway thanks for the rant time.

Patrick, yours is not really a rant...thanks for understanding, and I do wish more people would have common sens like you. A few weddings ago, I had Two family members stopping me at every formal shot to take their own. A small nudge at another relative that was in charge, she came over and told them they are wasting their & my time since I'm giving the B&G all the negatives anyway, then it stopped.

Another one a while back, an uncle got steamed after the father told him pretty much the same thing, and he kept on pushing it. I just ignored him and kept on doing my job.

Sometime it can be helped by a third in-charge figure, and others it can't. We just roll with it

[BeccaJ]

Originally Posted by ngoduyviet

Patrick, yours is not really a rant...thanks for understanding, and I do wish more people would have common sens like you.

ditto. but unfortunately....thhhaaat isnt the case most of the time. i dont shoot weddings alot...i think formals are what turn me off the most about weddings, mainly for this reason. hahaha

[prncfarquad]

I guess this is why you guys are the professionals It is just that people like this guy are the ones that give people like me ( passion for photography with the understanding that I am not the paid photog) a bad name.

I have had several times at my son's ball games the paid guys give me dirty looks when I show up with my 100-400L attached until I speak to them and tell them I am just there to shoot my son and that if I am in the way to please let me know. After that they let their guard down and are usually very friendly.

[Tom]

When I meet with a B&G/Family, I let them know that having other people there taking pictures with their cameras can keep me from coving the wedding to the best of my ability. Their flash can ruin my shot or metering, they can be physically in the way and they distract when I am trying to get group shots so that not everyone will be looking at the camera in the group shot.

I do have a couple pics I have printed where I was shooting the kiss at the same time as a few other Auntie Point-N-Shoots and the flashes ruined the shot. No bride wants that.

[sldi]

Two things...

1. as society devolves into a puddle of muck, the idea of "I am here and what you going to do about it" takes precedence over common sense and good taste. The incidents at the wedding are only one example, you can see similar attitudes in many areas of life.

2. A good assistant can work wonders on "intruders", mine is a very bitchy hairdresser/makeup artist.

[brad]

As for the situation you describe...

I'd say something to the photographer first.. as Tom said.. ask him to kindly wait until I was done. If we are limited on time, I will tell him to please stop altogether so that he doesn't ruin the bride's day by ruining her pictures.

Second, if the venue has a wedding coordinator, I will sick that person on the intruder... because usually if there is a wedding coordinator, we ARE limited on time... and that person is much better at it than I am.

Third, I will sick the Mother of the Bride (or the person who paid the majority of my bill) on the intruder.. by telling the MOB that this guy is interfering with the service they paid for... and that I won't be responsible for missed images caused by this guy.

Only as a last resort will I get the bride or groom involved. Its their day, they don't need to listen to me whine when other people can take care of it.

Originally Posted by prncfarquad

I have had several times at my son's ball games the paid guys give me dirty looks when I show up with my 100-400L attached until I speak to them and tell them I am just there to shoot my son and that if I am in the way to please let me know. After that they let their guard down and are usually very friendly.

This is a great approach for when *we* are the intruder. I use it, too.

[Jenny Z]

Originally Posted by sldi

1. as society devolves into a puddle of muck, the idea of "I am here and what you going to do about it" takes precedence over common sense and good taste. The incidents at the wedding are only one example, you can see similar attitudes in many areas of life.

So sad, but so unfortunately true :(

[CaptainTom]

I've never actually had to ask the bride to intervene.

but the issue is if they stand near when I am doing the required work, I can never get everyone to look at me even when a speak loudly look here, look here.

I'm 6 ft. tall and weigh 300++ lbs. I have a large Canon with a Q3 soft box attached. It's hard to not pay attention to me.

[Tom]

I would never get the bride involved. I will ask the bride's mother to intervene, though.

[Michelle Allmon]

This is very common and annoying. Recently, I was at a wedding where the church was very strict about time. We had 45 minutes to the dot to get the list done. Everyone with their cameras slowed things down. I was polite at first and then became very impatient. I told them we were running out of time and to please stop and let me get the list done for the B&G. We got kicked out at 45 minutes and the bride & groom did NOT get the shots they wanted. We tried to finish outside but the Best Man took off. The family members also injected their own groupings that were not on the list, and the B graciously (& regretfully) allowed it.

Also, I was recently at a church that would not allow photography at all because of how disruptive it was. I talked him into letting me shoot from the 2nd floor, but guests still pulled out their cameras and used flash.

Earlier this year, I had a gorgeous shot of the new family (they already had a kid together) leaving the altar ruined by someone's flash. I took a few in a row, but that one was the keeper.

I only see this getting worse in the future. Personally, I think it would be nice to have the other cameras deposited into a box during the ceremony & formals. All other times, they can shoot 'til their fingers fall off.

[Howard Barlow]

I would always state all others were welcome to take all the pictures they wanted, as long as they let me shoot first. Mostly, they behaved, but occasionally, I had to ask a particular person the second time.

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.