First Wedding C&C please!

[Audell]

Oh, and where did the black kid come from? :greenpbl:

Maybe he's adopted or a friend of the family. What does it matter?

 

[bigtwinky]

I have a clause in contracts when shooting events about having other photographers around me and how this can be a breach of their contract as this may impeed my ability to deliver a quality product.

Just saying, ya know.

 

[page_tyson]

Yeah I should have mentioned that I guess. It was my best friends wedding, I brought my camera along to get some extra pictures for the family. I was also using a 70-200 mm lens so I wouldn't get in the way of the hired photog.

So you weren't a paid primary or second shooter, just a guest with a 70-200 mm and a camera. That's quite a bit different than a wedding shoot, where you are the one responsible and under contract.

I bet the hired shooter was tickeled to death you were shooting their set-ups and maybe even distracting the wedding party during the formals.

Wedding photographers post rants about wedding guests doing what it looks like you were doing.

Ha Ha yeah she might not have been too happy, if she wasn't, that's kinda her problem though. I was asked by both the bride and groom to bring my camera. I was the best man so for the most part I was in photos or doing things other than shooting. I just had about five mins when the couple first walked out that I was able to take a few pics for them and other family members. On that note however, I don't care if she wasn't too happy, she's the one that got paid! If I were the "paid" photog I wouldn't care for one second if someone took a few pictures or wanted to learn from what I was doing. Maybe it's just me but photography doesn't seem like a competitive thing, I'm all about learning from others and helping others learn. In no way did I distract from what she was doing, there were probably 15 others with similar cameras who I'm pretty sure were able to get on her nerves a bit though. I made sure that I didn't get in her hair.

Oh, the "black kid" is adopted. I asked for C&C, not if you could tell which kid looked different from the others? But thanks for noticing the obvious.

 

[ghpham]

Yeah I should have mentioned that I guess. It was my best friends wedding, I brought my camera along to get some extra pictures for the family. I was also using a 70-200 mm lens so I wouldn't get in the way of the hired photog.

So you weren't a paid primary or second shooter, just a guest with a 70-200 mm and a camera. That's quite a bit different than a wedding shoot, where you are the one responsible and under contract.

I bet the hired shooter was tickeled to death you were shooting their set-ups and maybe even distracting the wedding party during the formals.

Wedding photographers post rants about wedding guests doing what it looks like you were doing.

Ha Ha yeah she might not have been too happy, if she wasn't, that's kinda her problem though. I was asked by both the bride and groom to bring my camera. I was the best man so for the most part I was in photos or doing things other than shooting. I just had about five mins when the couple first walked out that I was able to take a few pics for them and other family members. On that note however, I don't care if she wasn't too happy, she's the one that got paid! If I were the "paid" photog I wouldn't care for one second if someone took a few pictures or wanted to learn from what I was doing. Maybe it's just me but photography doesn't seem like a competitive thing, I'm all about learning from others and helping others learn. In no way did I distract from what she was doing, there were probably 15 others with similar cameras who I'm pretty sure were able to get on her nerves a bit though. I made sure that I didn't get in her hair.

Oh, the "black kid" is adopted. I asked for C&C, not if you could tell which kid looked different from the others? But thanks for noticing the obvious.

What an assinine attitude. You impeded a professional her work, preventing the bride and groom from getting the most out of their money and photo's on their wedding day, and you...don't care!??! What goes around come arounds...

 

[page_tyson]

"What an assinine attitude. You impeded a professional her work, preventing the bride and groom from getting the most out of their money and photo's on their wedding day, and you...don't care!??! What goes around come arounds..."

Wow, Really? I assure you that I didn't impede a professional her work! Or interfere with my friends wedding. It's kinda funny that a camera man at a basketball game can sit under a basketball hoop and shoot all game long and not think that he's impeding while taking pictures of other professionals do their thing. Or 50 camera men can sit around and take pictures of some other event and not feel like their impeding while their flashes are going off and not feel like the other 49 cameras around them are impeding on their work. So what's the difference? The difference is in the attitude of the photographers! They go into a given situation knowing that others will have cameras and will take pictures! A wedding is no different! I was asked to take some pictures and I did. I only made that comment because it sounds ridiculous to me that someone could be upset by others taking a picture. We are all in control of how we handle a given situation. If I take a picture at an event, in which I was asked to take pictures, and another photographer get's upset, it's not my problem. I didn't "make" anyone mad. That person let him/herself get mad. What's funny is that I asked for opinions on some pictures. Someone noticed that they weren't all looking at me and asked if I was a second photographer, which I was. I appreciated the comment because I learned from it. Next time I'll either set up my own pictures, and or try to avoid taking pictures of someone else's set up. I can understand and respect a comment like that. He was right, it doesn't look great when no one is looking at you (I was just happy that they were all somewhat in focus), and it's not very professional.
But after he noticed that I was a second photographer I got slammed on how I shouldn't have taken any pictures and that I was not only hindering a professionals work, but I was possibly in violation of a contract. Point is, the paid photog and I were both asked to take pictures. The only difference is that I didn't charge my friends and she did. I stayed clear of her the whole day. There were no contracts, no hard feelings, nothing but a wonderful wedding. I thought I had a few good pictures from a wedding and wanted to share them and see what I could have done better (like not shooting another photog's set up. Lesson learned). If anyone else has comments about the pictures and how I can improve I would still love to hear from you. I never asked if I was in violation of some unwritten rules because I had every right to be there with a camera and take pictures. "What goes around comes around" I hope so! I was supporting friends and got some great shots that he, his wife, future children and other family members will love for years to come. I would hope someone does that for me!!

 

[AlexL]

I think considering that no one was looking at the camera, the photos are pretty good . The 2nd one has a branch in the way, that makes it less appealing.

 

[ghpham]

Half of the people looked at the main photographer, the other half looked at you, is that a good thing? You should not have hold that camera up to your face until the main photographer have completed with her task. Sure you physical stayed out of the way, but you did not do so with your camera. This is a valid criticism, because if you keep on doing this sort of thing, you will never get a great shot.

I wouldn't be happy if I was the bride and groom looking at these photo's. Not only that, in these shots, the paid photographer will have the same shot, unless she took another one.

I wouldn't have come down on you had your attitude not so cavalier about disrupting a professional's work.

 

[bigtwinky]

Its not whether the photographer was happy, its all about the bride and groom. If you made the photographer's job harder by taking pictures near them and had people looking at you instead of them, then you did the bride and groom a disservice by not allowing the photographer to do their job.

I've been a main photographer where there were other people who jumped out with their cameras and it made it so damn hard to get everyone looking at me, specially with bigger groups. Thats when I need to be an ass and get people to back off.

I spend time posing the couple, checking for light and so on, so I take the first images. Once I'm done, others are more than welcome to take shots, but if I have to constantly remind the couple or people to look at me and have to redo shots because others are there vying for the couples attention, thats a piss off and will impact the product I deliver and service I offer

If I were the "paid" photog I wouldn't care for one second if someone took a few pictures or wanted to learn from what I was doing. Maybe it's just me but photography doesn't seem like a competitive thing, I'm all about learning from others and helping others learn. In no way did I distract from what she was doing, there were probably 15 others with similar cameras who I'm pretty sure were able to get on her nerves a bit though. I made sure that I didn't get in her hair.

Shows you are speaking from inexperience. Again, its not about photography competition or you getting on the photographer's nerves, its about results for the wedding party, who are paying the bill.

What if I decide to go in the kitchen during a wedding and start adding my own spices to the food? Or decide to stand in front of the door where the waiters come out?

What if I bring my own radio and blast music that I like at the wedding, just outside where the DJ is so that a quarter of the people leave the main dance area? The DJ is paid to get people to have fun and will do so to the best of their abilities. If you remove a bunch of people, there is less atmosphere.

Same for the photographer.

 

[vtf]

We need an icon "shaking head in disbelief".

 

[mrpink]

I like how you watermarked these photos as if they were your own creative work. If I were the primary photog and saw this I would be more than a little put off.




p!nK

 

[Christie Photo]

I like how you watermarked these photos as if they were your own creative work.

Yeah... I think I'd go a bit farther and say these images aren't really yours, as they were made under the direction of another. It's a bit like taking pictures of a picture. It's nothing at all like making a photograph of your own.

To reiterate, this isn't your work. Any critique would be directed at the photographer.

Sorry.

-Pete

 

[kass617]

I like how you watermarked these photos as if they were your own creative work.

Yeah... I think I'd go a bit farther and say these images aren't really yours, as they were made under the direction of another. It's a bit like taking pictures of a picture. It's nothing at all like making a photograph of your own.

To reiterate, this isn't your work. Any critique would be directed at the photographer.

Sorry.

-Pete

Kinda like bringing a camcorder into a theatre, and then saying you produced a movie? lol

Honestly, I hope these are rare instances that you got half the peoples attention, and that the real photographer got some good pictures.

 

[Ryan L]

I think the crowd may be being a bit harsh. I understand everyones points. But until the OP heard all of this....NONE of this came to his mind. He has never done a wedding.

Here's how I see it. Let's say you run over your dog backing out of the driveway going to work. Everyone in the family thinks your the bad guy for running fido over, telling you how you "could" have been more careful. You should have looked around the vehicle before getting in, then yelled, honked your horn and reved the engine twice before leaving. You would feel guilty, maybe a little angry....dog shouldn't have been behind the car! Not my fault! Thought he was in the house! But you can't change the past, and it wasn't intentional. Like in the dog scenario. If you were to run your dog over, I bet you would triple check the next time you get a dog, make sure he's in the house, maybe double check when backing, more aware of the situation. Same applies here, I am sure those thought will cross his mind when he is at another wedding. He was there not as a photog, but as a friend. If the pictures turn out horrible, I imagine he will feel a little guilty. But he didn't intentionally try to sabatoge the wedding photographer!

When attacked you go into a little defensive mode, even when some may see it as CC. There are no emotions attached to the words on the forums, and it's very easy to mistake, sarcasm, anger, feeling in general. Why people are coming down so hard is because they feel for the professional photog.

I can see how he would never have thought twice in the situation, I bet he will from now on.

(No I have never run over my dog...just the first comparison that came to mind.)

 

[page_tyson]

Thanks for the comments, I have honestly taken what was said to heart. And if there ever were a similar situation I'll opt out of taking pictures if there is another photog in the area. Again I stick by my word when I say that I didn't distract from her work. If you make the group picture larger you can see that not one person is looking at me. I went through all of the pictures to see if I had distracted anyone in the pictures and I assure you that I did not. However, I totally agree that it still looks dumb that no one was looking at me and that I put a water mark on when it was someone else's work (I shouldn't have done that). The point of asking for C&C on it was wanting to know if I got the lighting right or wrong and depth of field I'm still trying to master taking a picture of a group and having everyone in focus. I did learn that it is easier and saves you embarrassment when asking for C&C and you can show 100% original work not just a decent photo (big lesson learned). The one with the mom and groom was set up by his sister asking them to stand together. She had a point and shoot camera and the setting was very casual. The photog was taking pictures of the brides parents or something. And the picture with the grooms parents was 100% my picture, the mom got my attention (again before the photog was there) and asked for the picture, the dad looked away cause he likes to mess with me. I just happened to have liked the shot. Sorry if I got so defensive, that's just me. I felt like I had been judged on false assumptions. I love the thoughts of Twinky's "it's all about making the bride and groom happy" and "I get the first shot and then others take take a pictures if they want." That is very understandable.