I’ve been hearing horror stories about the many who made wrong decisions in selecting photographers or videographers. Some have shopped endlessly and tirelessly, others went with their first visit. But all have been more or less unhappy, and most with good reason.
The advice below is of two kinds, positive, and negative. What to do, and what not to do. Both are equally important. Some will find it makes great sense. Others may not agree, or even understand it. This is the very nature of life itself and is at the core of human nature, people’s response characteristics, the way we think, and how we see things. I am writing this because I believe it is important. Only through understanding can there be appreciation. Your comments are welcome, your opinions will be reviewed.
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Photo Prose: At the Wedding Part III
Unobtrusive? Everyone wants a photographer to be unobtrusive. I love when people say, “I did not even realize you were there!” That is part of a photographer’s talent. There are different methods of unobtrusiveness. Some photographers, work far back at a distance. While it might seem to be the perfect approach, it is not.
You cannot see into a manhole, to see the crew working in the street, until you get close.
Likewise, a photographer who stays very far back will not get the right angle on faces. Other considerations are involved.
But, there is another way of being unobtrusive. That is conducting oneself, in a way, and having a manner, which does not call attention to oneself. So you are aware of the photographer, but you just ignore it. There are many things that a trained photographer can do, and I am not sure I am ready to give away such valuable secrets on this subject.
However, one of those things definitely does not involve waving to the crowd, trying to get their attention, and having the Bride and her Mom, look up at the camera during the dancing! Nope. That is not how it is done.
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Photo Prose: At the Wedding Part II
To a photographer, there are many illogical assumptions at a wedding. A family will ask in the middle: “We haven’t had a portrait in a long time, could you just take a quick picture?” Later they will care how they look. “That is what the professional did?!?”
Some photographers strive to do the best that can be done. Most instead of analyzing, just do what they always have been doing, what they were taught by other who always did what they were doing, or what they were told they should do.
So you have a lot of photographers doing the same thing, and a lot of people planning very special, and unique events, who later will feel that the photography is nothing special. Worse, you have a few photographers who are concerned, creative, and caring, instead of being appreciated, they are being criticized, and misunderstood.
Should the photographer be unobtrusive, or control the wedding? Most readers, will say, NOT to control the wedding, and that they hate pushy photographers who try to control the wedding. I agree. So the photographer is to do the best that can be done at each stage of the way? Right? Or did I misunderstand?
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Photo Prose
Gary Rabenko
The perfect wedding! I had planned to discuss some common “disconnects” between photographer and client in this article today. But since my whole style involves a certain impromptu, go with the flow, and make the most of every moment approach, I have decided to discuss some positive things that actually occasionally do occur, and which can make your photographer’s job worth doing and the results worth viewing.
Why this sudden shift to the positive? Guess it all has to do with one of the most recent weddings I just had the pleasure of photographing!
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Most photographers have one of three backgrounds:
1] They became interested in taking pictures as a hobby and it became a money making venture for them. Their background is the background of a typical consumer, a person who is a picture taker. Therefore the way he speaks is not much different from you. You might relate to it, but should recognize that perhaps there might be more to being a photographer than just the professionalism that is implied by charging a fee.
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You want to love your wedding photography because your face, your body, your arms your fingers, your gown, and your waist line look good. You want to feel good because your wedding photographs capture the look in your eyes, a variety of your expressions, and because the feelings in your heart are so beautifully portrayed in your wedding album. You will find many other articles of interest in the various categories on my site. But this section is specifically for the Bride. Its your day! I have tips and techniques that you won’t find on other sites. I cannot put them all up right away. So keep coming back.
