Photo Prose: Taking time to understand timing.
Most people who talk about photography will agree that timing is everything.
Being in just the right place. Watching for that special moment. Having the camera set just right. All those things involve timing. Yet “Photographer! Take our picture!” is a phrase heard often at simchas. Could it be then, that doing that shot when requested, is always the right time to do it? While some make an attempt at being polite, and ask if I would, I could, would I please, etc, others often at the biggest and best events, come up and practically demand that I take their picture RIGHT NOW! Of course we want to do it, that is why we are there. But timing IS everything, and being able to do it a few minutes later would make a huge difference in the client’s project. Certainly I understand that sometimes maybe one of them wants to show off, get attention, or really feels this is a special moment. It might be, and the client might really value the shot later. But this column is about getting the most from your photographer, increasing the likelihood of your satisfaction later. Understanding what and why things happen at an event, can make a huge difference in the result. Understanding why a good photographer is not always the one who stops and immediately “takes” the shot, but rather the better photographer might have the discipline to delay it, even if it will not lead to the best result for the client.
The photographer is using a camera, a flash, and probably some “radio” to wirelessly control a bunch of other strategically placed lights. It can take what seems like forever to adjust and change the variety of settings on those three devices. It can involve many little adjustments. Some adjustments require a consideration of the situation, changing of a lens, and meter readings. Major image problems could occur if interrupted, and distracted, so that one setting is not re-set.
Often the opportunity to do an interesting shot will not exist two minutes later. Often, something else will start. The photographer may have put a wide angle lens on to show the ballroom in its magnificence, including an impressive chandalier, glamourous lighting and the entire length a beautiful mechitza. To do the shot, he turned off three of the four remote lights, changed the power of his on camera flash, rotated it to a bounced position, slowed down the shutter, opened the lens wide, upped the ISO, and pre focused the lens to a hyper focal distance for maximum depth of field. In a moment the music will resume. The shot is based on the angle of ballroom and couple being visible, not blocked by a waiter or guest. Now he hears: “Photographer! Take our picture!”
Does he want to? Yes. Should he? What do you think? The one remote light will
create a horrific shadow on your face, the white balance will have you looking blue, your eyes will be dark holes, and your faces not only grainy from the high ISO, but either awfully distorted from the wide lens, or very tiny in the big ballroom, from his desire to not distort, and no time to change the lens. If you were the client, would you want that request done immediately, or after he took his planned shots, made sure to reset all his controls, and went to his case, to change his lens?
Suppose an important Aunt with children have just arrived. The Badeken might occur in any moment, and the photographer is deciding on the best position for his ladder, the exact location for the videographer, and needs to test his flash battery pack, before instructing his assistant on a background lights’ intensity setting and tilt. But the Aunt looks up, bangs on the ladder, and wants photos of her two children because they are leaving soon. What do you think?
One benefit to multiple photographers at an event, is so one can say yes more often and the other can cover the event or do special work to best convey the mood of the moment. But even this requires the requester to understand it could take a few moments for the other photographer to arrive from the other side of the room, or the building. When I set up my second camera with special settings and an odd lens in order to do candids (where people are not aware of the camera). Just then, two big guys ask for a shot. “Uh, see that that photographer over there…” “What’s the name of your studio” they ask, after I explain that I am doing special shots, and really cannot do the shot right then. “Just great!” I think, maybe they will forget the name! But seriously, what do you think?!?
Every experienced photographer will tell you how people spend more time talking about doing needed family photos, then the time it would take to just do them. Everyone wants their wedding to run on time.
Later you will want all your photos – pictures of many different individual family members as well as in different combinations with other important people. How long should this take?
Well while you are being photographed, are you happy and responding to your photographer? Or are you distracted, looking every which way, talking amongst yourselves, and very easily engaged by each new visitor to the scene, as your photographer is wondering if you wouldn’t be much happier, not doing the photo session today? A good thing to say, if you cannot simply ignore the guest is “ I am with the photographer right now, I catch you later”. This keeps you focused, and tells the photographer that you care about your photos. Very important information.