Pro Photographer to Pro Photographer Etiquette?

[devine]

What are thoughts on etiquette if you go to a friends wedding where they hired a different photographer instead of you. You take photos at the friends wedding and post online with your watermark? Is that in poor taste if you were not the hired photog? Thoughts on this?

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[icassell]

I think that's inappropriate. Go as a friend and share your photos with the bride if you'd like, but don't behave like you're the wedding photographer. They may have felt they were doing you a favor by not making you work at the party.

[NateWagner]

I would say don't even bring your camera. Doing so only makes things more complicated in the future (as to what you do with the images, and if you delivering them results in lost income for the pro photog etc.) Just leave the camera at home and have a good time at the wedding.

[Mike_E]

+1 ^^

[KmH]

What are thoughts on etiquette if you go to a friends wedding where they hired a different photographer instead of you. You take photos at the friends wedding and post online with your watermark? Is that in poor taste if you were not the hired photog? Thoughts on this?

Yes, it would be in very poor taste, IMO.

[epc]

Trying to look at it the way I bride would, I might get the impression that you felt you should've been hired. In addition, depending on how well I know you, it might concern me that images of my wedding might be getting you clients. If we're good friends I would consider that a good thing, but if we don't know each other very well, I'd probably feel like you considered attending my wedding more a business and advertising experience than a chance to join us for our special day. It might even give the impression that you're trying to sell them something, or using this as a chance to mke money off prints.

[outamyway]

You thank God that you didn't get sucked into the trap of shooting a friends wedding. You then attend their wedding as a guest and have a great time due to lack of expectations and pressure. Spend a good amount of time either chuckling @ their bad choice of photographer, or getting some ideas for your photography that you hadn't thought of.

[IgsEMT]

You thank God that you didn't get sucked into the trap of shooting a friends wedding.

That's funny it's also one way I'd look at the situation. Another is, at least in my experience, I bring the big camera and maybe take 1 or 2 frames of B&G while the rest of my wife and kids and bunch of our friends. B&G hired someone to concentrate on them so I concentrate on friends

[FrankLamont]

Well, posting a watermark on an image and using it online would come under commercial usage. It's making reference to your name. And since you wouldn't have a model release... yes, it'd be in poor legal taste, too.

[pmcphotography]

Yep, it would be tacky and in poor taste. If you MUST bring your camera, get stuff the pro wouldn't get (guests mingling, etc.) and try and stay out of his/her way.

And have fun!

[bennielou]

It's in poor form, and here's why.

Some photogs look to make money on the backend. So if you put up your photos with a watermark, people will expect they can buy them, thus taking food out of the paid photogs mouth. As you are a photographer, surely you understand the frustration.

However, I shoot lots of photographer's weddings. (It's weird because about a third of my clients are photographers...anyhoo). So naturally, they have lots of photographer friends. And I don't mind those friends taking photos. Unless they hinder me, and then I get all pissy.

So go. Take some shots. Just stay out of the paid guys way, and if you want to gift the b&g with a disc, then I think that's cool. But I wouldn't post with a watermark. Just my 2 pennies.

[C.Lloyd]

Go to your local drug store and buy 2 or 3 disposable cameras to take with you and leave your equipment at home. That way you're not tempted to try to "get just this one shot".