Wedding photographer's nightmare

[jamesbjenkins]

Welcome to the site!

The only part of your story that raises my blood pressure is that planner's daughter coming in with her DSLR and having the gall to shoot and post like it were her wedding. You definitely need to make sure that kind of bullcrap is specifically prohibited in your contract with all future clients. That's the sort of thing I make very sure to address in person before the wedding. I've had to walk up to other vendors before and tell them to put their camera away. I provide watermarked images to the other vendors for their personal use...

 

[Robin_Usagani]

Dont let that bothers you. It happens all the time. The only timr I would be pissed is if my 2nd shooter that I hired post photos before I blog it.

 

[gsgary]

Welcome to the site!

The only part of your story that raises my blood pressure is that planner's daughter coming in with her DSLR and having the gall to shoot and post like it were her wedding. You definitely need to make sure that kind of bullcrap is specifically prohibited in your contract with all future clients. That's the sort of thing I make very sure to address in person before the wedding. I've had to walk up to other vendors before and tell them to put their camera away. I provide watermarked images to the other vendors for their personal use...

Other shooters should not worry you if you are good, i'd like to see you walk upto me and tell me to put my camera away

 

[pixmedic]

Welcome to the site!

The only part of your story that raises my blood pressure is that planner's daughter coming in with her DSLR and having the gall to shoot and post like it were her wedding. You definitely need to make sure that kind of bullcrap is specifically prohibited in your contract with all future clients. That's the sort of thing I make very sure to address in person before the wedding. I've had to walk up to other vendors before and tell them to put their camera away. I provide watermarked images to the other vendors for their personal use...

Other shooters should not worry you if you are good, i'd like to see you walk upto me and tell me to put my camera away

are you saying you would not put your camera away if the bride and groom were under contract not to allow any guests to use cameras?
seems kinda crappy not to follow the rules at someone elses venue.

 

[tirediron]

Welcome to the site!

The only part of your story that raises my blood pressure is that planner's daughter coming in with her DSLR and having the gall to shoot and post like it were her wedding. You definitely need to make sure that kind of bullcrap is specifically prohibited in your contract with all future clients. That's the sort of thing I make very sure to address in person before the wedding. I've had to walk up to other vendors before and tell them to put their camera away. I provide watermarked images to the other vendors for their personal use...

Other shooters should not worry you if you are good, i'd like to see you walk upto me and tell me to put my camera away

are you saying you would not put your camera away if the bride and groom were under contract not to allow any guests to use cameras?
seems kinda crappy not to follow the rules at someone elses venue.

I have a 'exclusive professional' clause as well as a "if Uncle Joe gets in my way and ruins the shot, it ain't my fault' clause. I hope never to have to invoke either one, but they're there if absolutely necessary. I have to admit, the venue owner's daughter showing sounds VERY odd, and extremely unprofessional. That one would have been a tough one to handle.

 

[Braineack]

are you saying you would not put your camera away if the bride and groom were under contract not to allow any guests to use cameras? seems kinda crappy not to follow the rules at someone elses venue.

I wouldn't; I'd laugh.

 

[Robin_Usagani]

You put that on the contract to cover your ass if you have bad shots of important moment. You shouldnt really enforce it.

 

[pixmedic]

are you saying you would not put your camera away if the bride and groom were under contract not to allow any guests to use cameras?
seems kinda crappy not to follow the rules at someone elses venue.

I wouldn't; I'd laugh.

I think this is a sad statement about people and a lack of respect for professionals trying to do their job.
its also sad to think you would be willing to potentially cost the bride and groom money and/or pictures by causing them to be in violation of their contract.
im a little surprised that there are fellow photographers here that have so little respect for a field they have interest in.
I wonder if you would have that same attitude with someone distracting me from saving your family members life.

 

[pixmedic]

You put that on the contract to cover your ass if you have bad shots of important moment. You shouldnt really enforce it.

no, you shouldn't HAVE to enforce it.
you should not HAVE to use it as an excuse as to why you didnt get shots. the offending people should be stopped.
if the bride and groom want a bunch of people taking pictures, then they have no need to hire you to do it.

 

[Braineack]

are you saying you would not put your camera away if the bride and groom were under contract not to allow any guests to use cameras?
seems kinda crappy not to follow the rules at someone elses venue.

I wouldn't; I'd laugh.

I think this is a sad statement about people and a lack of respect for professionals trying to do their job.
its also sad to think you would be willing to potentially cost the bride and groom money and/or pictures by causing them to be in violation of their contract.
im a little surprised that there are fellow photographers here that have so little respect for a field they have interest in.

I have plenty of respect for professional photographers and I'm doing nothing to stop them from doing their jobs.

I couldn't even imagine going to a wedding where i would be asked not to take pictures; that's silly and disrespectful to the family and friends who wont to capture the event on their own for their own personal records. I'm also trying to remember the last time I went to a wedding and recieved my own photo album of the event from teh photographer...

I'm a little surprised to hear a photographer would be so egotistical and butthurt to suggest such a clause. You're shooting for the couple, they are paying you for your skills to take pictures and giving you access/time where guests wouldn't have it. So take pictures. Who cares is someone else there happens to have a camera?

I wonder if you would have that same attitude with someone distracting me from saving your family members life.

Strawman.

I've had to walk up to other vendors before and tell them to put their camera away.

And as far as asking a vendor to put the camera away...that's just silly. Instead, wallk up and say, hey I'll take pictures of your food/cakes/flowers and even print you some postcards for free to give to potential clients. Then after the event, create a 2-sided postcard with a few samples of your wedding photography and the pictures you took of the vendor's stuff. Put their logo on the side with their stuff and yours on the other with your pictures along with your contact information. Congratulations, you now have a strategic marketing partner instead of a vendor who would never suggest to a client to hire you.

if the bride and groom want a bunch of people taking pictures, then they have no need to hire you to do it.

They they wouldn't of had a wedding in the first place. They hired you to take the pictures, they have no expectation that all the guest who take pictures are going to take professional level photos, post process them and present them to the couple once they are done so they can print from them or make photo albums.

 

[tirediron]

You put that on the contract to cover your ass if you have bad shots of important moment. You shouldnt really enforce it.

no, you shouldn't HAVE to enforce it.
you should not HAVE to use it as an excuse as to why you didnt get shots. the offending people should be stopped.
if the bride and groom want a bunch of people taking pictures, then they have no need to hire you to do it.

I think it's also good practice to discuss this at the consult; ask the B&G if they have an "Uncle Joe Photographer" in the crowd and explain that while you don't mind family getting a few snaps, if they get in your way, you cannot be held liable. If there is an 'Uncle Joe' I would also suggest talking to him; treat him like a second shooter and see if you can 'assign' him tasks (away from you). A lot of people would be very pleased to be given a job by the professional and will make both your lives a LOT easier.

 

[tirediron]

I have plenty of respect for professional photographers and I'm doing nothing to stop them from doing their jobs.
I couldn't even imagine going to a wedding where i would be asked not to take pictures; that's silly and disrepectful to the family and friends who wont to capture the event on their own for their own personal records.

You're completely missing the point. I don't think there are too many wedding shooters out there who care how many relatives drag out their P&S/cell phones. What they care about is being blocked. For instance: Next event is the boquet toss, as the professional, you know where & when, and have done a recce, and know exactly where you're going to stand. You get in position and are all ready to capture the moment when Uncle Joe steps right in front of you with his brand-new Best Buy special (for which he's not even read the instructions) and you lose the shot through no fault of your own. THAT'S what the clause is for.

I'm a little surprised to hear a photographer who be so egotistical to suggest such a clause. You're shooting for the couple, they are paying you to take pictures and your skills. So take pictures. Who cares is someone else there happens to have a camera?

You might want to tag along as a grip on a wedding or two with a pro just to get an appreciation of what goes on before you start running off at the mouth quite so much!

 

[Robin_Usagani]

No.. You should still take kick ass photos even with those photographers messing your shots. Guest with a DSLR is no different than a guest with a point and shoot or phone camera.

 

[pixmedic]

I wouldn't; I'd laugh.

I think this is a sad statement about people and a lack of respect for professionals trying to do their job.
its also sad to think you would be willing to potentially cost the bride and groom money and/or pictures by causing them to be in violation of their contract.
im a little surprised that there are fellow photographers here that have so little respect for a field they have interest in.
I wonder if you would have that same attitude with someone distracting me from saving your family members life.

I have plenty of respect for professional photographers and I'm doing nothing to stop them from doing their jobs.

I couldn't even imagine going to a wedding where i would be asked not to take pictures; that's silly and disrepectful to the family and friends who wont to capture the event on their own for their own personal records.

I'm a little surprised to hear a photographer who be so egotistical to suggest such a clause. You're shooting for the couple, they are paying you to take pictures and your skills. So take pictures. Who cares is someone else there happens to have a camera?

Strawman.

is it egotistical when other people trying to take their own photos are in your way? or when their flash is getting in the way of your flashes?
I never said people should not be allowed to use their camera at a wedding. I am ONLY referring to people with cameras that are getting in the way of the paid photographers. please note the distinction.
what is silly and disrespectful, is for the bride and groom to hire a professional photographer, and then have guests totally disregard that photographers
needs for movement, space, and lighting because they just HAVE to get that iphone shot to post up on FB during the reception.
and your right. the couple is paying US to take pictures, so give US a little courtesy and respect and let us do the best possible job for the bride and groom.
the clause in our contract does NOT say you cant bring a camera. it does not say you cant USE your camera.
what it DOES say, is that you cannot use flash of any kind during the ceremony or formals, and that you cannot get in our way, or impede our movement.
I think it is FAR more disrespectful for a friend or family member to be intrusive of the hired photographers than it is for those photographers to ask them to stop.

thus far, we have been fortunate in the fact that we have never had to "ask" someone to stop shooting.
I think we are actually pretty liberal as far as letting other people take pictures, but that doesnt mean
we should let ourselves be impeded from doing the job we were hired to do.

 

[pixmedic]

No.. You should still take kick ass photos even with those photographers messing your shots. Guest with a DSLR is no different than a guest with a point and shoot or phone camera.

ive never had issues with any particular TYPE of camera. it isnt the camera that is the problem, it is people jumping in your way.
You are pretty awesome Robin, but even YOU cant get an awesome shot of the bride with uncle Joe standing in the way.