Secret Shopper

[picman]

Just some observations I made during a couple of recent weddings I attended. I don't shoot weddings often, but I do shoot other events and these are just my opinions and nit picks.

Dress appropriately. If there is one person wearing a suit and tie at the wedding then so should you. At the very least you should not be the only under dressed person there. You are a professional, play the part.

Need to move? Stand and walk, don't walk on your knees. (don't ask)

Even if you are allowed to use flash during the service, use some discretion, it shouldn't look like a paparazzi event. Dozens of flash pops during the service is a real distraction. Even if flash was allowed during a service, I don't think I would given what I experienced.

You lose style points by leaving your lens shade on backwards. Put it on right or leave it in the bag.

Smile, make small talk, a quick "thank you" when you take someones picture. Every person there is a potential customer - treat them as such.

[Phisch]

Originally Posted by picman

Smile, make small talk, a quick "thank you" when you take someones picture.

It's been YEARS since our wedding but I will never forget our photographer and how he handled our reception.

Most (not all) of the photos of the guests at the reception had them looking right at the camera with the most gorgeous, natural smiles and not a single one of them remembers getting their photo taken. Yes, we asked afterwards. My favorite photo of my MIL was from our wedding (she has a camera smile if you know what I mean).

It's my goal to figure out what he did to get those shots. I lost track of him or I'd ask him myself.

[bthompson]

I agree with everything but the knees thing.. I mean, don't travel 15 feet on your knees but if you are down low to be inconspicuous and you need to move 2 feet, I see nothing wrong with it. Better than constantly jumping up and down which I think would be more of a distraction.

[carrbowl]

good suggestions..wish I would have read this before I did my first and probably last "wedding reception" I didn't follow some of those and should have.

[BenE]

I usually wore a tux when I photographed weddings; the exceptions being "real" cowboy weddings, and a couple that were casual an no one in the wedding party wore tuxes.

I do remember two guys who shot video, and they always showed up in jeans, tennis shoes, and red T-shirts. To make them appear more "professional", the shirts had large yellow letters that stated..."CAMERA GUY".

Needless to say, their reputation was not enhanced by their apparel.

[lscottpht]

We wear all black. I would never ask my second shooter to wear a tux or a suit and tie unless the bride and groom required it which they never do. I've shot some extremely fancy weddings, and I've never felt out of place. Also, if you are saying we should dress similar, I can assure you I am not wearing a dress, especially a long one, to shoot in. I have never been looked down upon at the way I/we dress.

[FireHeart Photography]

those are interesting comments - I agree except the dress part - I am not part of the wedding or wedding party - I dress nicely in all black and my assisent does as well - I don't wear jeans or look shabby - but I am certainly not dressed like the guest at a formal event. My shooting style doesn't lend itself to that - and I would never ask a male shooter to wear a suit... I also tell the B&G what we are wearing and get the okay from them - if they requested something else I would certain do it....

[LadyShutterBug]

dude. i would also never wear any kind of suit to a wedding. i usually wear dark slacks and a muted/black shirt that's dressy but easy to move in, or a wrap dress. i don't wear heels, ever,ever, ever. i have to do things that the guests don't have to do, and i dress as such.

i think walking around with cameras kind of communicates to people that i'm working. they certainly don't expect me to be in cocktail attire. i've never ever received negative freedback.

[BenE]

I am missing something? The OP seemed to be making a comment to men, because he said to wear a suit and tie. I am not sure where the female photographers are getting the idea he said anything about wearing a dress, or cocktail attire.

With that said, I have seen photographers, both male and female, wear very casual attire to weddings, and I think it looks very unprofessional.

A dress, for women, is not necessary, but I believe the OP might have had in mind wearing things like casual shoes, casual pants, and knit shirts., and I have seen that. To me I am never sure if they are a professional or a friend.

In my opinion, a male should always wear some type of coat. A suit is even better. I would a ways inform the bride and everyone else that I would be working before the wedding without a coat, but once I entered the church I was completely dressed, until the last shot at the reception.

No need for anyone to get huffy about what the OP said.

Oh yeah.. I have also seen female photographers take their shoes off. I asked one why she did it and she said.. "Duhhhh, the bride and her mom have their shoes off."

[lscottpht]

To each their own. That's why this biz is great, we can each run things the way we want. That might work for you, and you might look down upon us b/c my second shooter doesn't wear a coat and wears black tennis shoes, but 95% of my biz is referrals; so, we must be doing something right considering I'm almost booked out for the year. I run my biz differently from a lot of people, and it really works for me.

As far as leaving your lens shade on right or putting it away, does that really matter? I'm not going to get referrals b/c a lens shade is on backward? Not that I have any lens shades anymore, but if I did, I could care less if someone might happen to look down upon me for that.

I do agree about the flash during the ceremony. I try not to. If it is necessary, however, and my images will be better, and my clients don't mind, then I will do what I have to do. I always ask them ahead of time (if indeed we are allowed to use flash) if they mind that we use it. They always tell me to do what I need to do to get the images.

Oh, and I go barefoot for beach weddings, but again, my clients don't mind one bit.

[BenE]

I can only speak for my part of the state, where we are mostly rednecks (according to the rest of the state).

The people who would be considered as not looking professional, if they wore tennis shoes, while representing their chosen "profession" in no particular order:

New car sales people
Used car sales people (if affiliated with a new car dealership)
Clerks in up scale department stores (except the fad and teen stores)
Bank clerks (excluding fad and teen banks)
Bank managers
Attorneys
Attorney's receptionists
Funeral Home employees
CPA's
Accountants
Investment consultants
Hotel managers
Hotel clerks (in most any hotel that costs more than $41.25 per night)
Restaurant managers


Please everyone, put on your humor cap when you read the descriptions above.
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Lest there be any misunderstanding (good luck with that, huh?), I realize at weddings the photographers are on their feet for hours, but in my opinion there are alternatives to extremely casual attire. "Semi-dressy" shoes are available that can be worn with suits.

I dress for the occasion. In my studio, I photograph a lot of high school age people and I wear jeans, and leather casual shoes. If I go out to an oilfield location, I wear boots, etc. If I photograph an executive I wear appropriate attire, usually a sport coat, etc. I assisted at an event for the Bush family, and I certainly would have felt out of place in sneakers, or jeans for that matter.

I am not telling anyone how to dress. However, when I photographed weddings, I did have some people tell me that they selected me , over a competitor, because I looked professional, as well as my work.

As I mentioned before, there used to be two video guys who wore sneakers to weddings. No one really complained to their face, but I heard many tell me they would not use them because they looked as if they didn't respect the occasion.
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As far as my comment about bare footed... Well, naturally if you are at the beach that is different. But it looks a little back woodsy for a photographer to go around in bare feet at a country club, and that is what I meant.