Wedding rant | guest overstepping their boundaries

[slantzero]

Must have been twenty years ago at my daughters First Communion when I setup my camcorder on the side altar (no one had their view blocked at all). A fellow father did the same thing unfortunately his daughter received her communion first and guess what the jerk did. Yep he went up to the side altar to turn off and pack his camcorder away while my daughter received her communion, by the way he stood in front of my camcorder at the time. I didn't realize what he did until we took the video to my parents as we wanted to show my father what his granddaughter looked like, he couldn't make the ceremony because he was dying of cancer. Boy was I mad and as I wrote this my pulse and blood pressure went up.

 

[MDWine]

Well played, sir!

 

[Braineack]

looks like the perfect spot to shoot a shorter focal length with...

So I threw on my 24-70 and got front row smack down in front of the camera. Well, 10 feet in front of it, but I did it on purpose. But I doubt I still blocked the view, it was more of a message to him, that I can go anywhere I wanted and he couldn't. Not even 2 minutes later the guy moved his camera to the far back side.

I then walked back, grabbed my 70-200 and got my shot. No words were said, no one noticed anything. Body language was all that was needed, I got all the shots I wanted and I needed the 24-70 shots anyways (it was just sooner than I wanted).

winner.

 

[JustJazzie]

Glad it worked out for you!

 

[robbins.photo]

Sorry guys, long night.

I did nothing. Heres why.

The video was not a hired person. It was a "Guest", hence the word guest in my title. It was a cousin-zillas son or something. Anyways, they were not asked to take video, hence they were a guest, if they were asked. Then to me thats not a guest, well it is, but its not. Because your there for a reason. Maybe not? Idk.

I always ask the bride and groom if there will be other photographers or video people there so I know right off the bat what I'm dealing with. 9/10 times I'm the only one. And then more often than not I'll run into the aunt or uncle who bought a dslr and shadow you everywhere.

Well either way, they weren't hired, told to, anything by the bride and groom. So heres what I did.

I wanted the long shot with my 70-200, obviously that was out of the question. So I threw on my 24-70 and got front row smack down in front of the camera. Well, 10 feet in front of it, but I did it on purpose. But I doubt I still blocked the view, it was more of a message to him, that I can go anywhere I wanted and he couldn't. Not even 2 minutes later the guy moved his camera to the far back side.

I then walked back, grabbed my 70-200 and got my shot. No words were said, no one noticed anything. Body language was all that was needed, I got all the shots I wanted and I needed the 24-70 shots anyways (it was just sooner than I wanted).

Oh sure, and now some future wedding photographer will have to pickup the slack and beat him to death later when he does the same thing at the next wedding he attends. Worse yet of course he's free to reproduce until then which will just multiply the problem geometrically.

 

[mishele]

Very nicely handled!

 

[Tailgunner]

Nicely Handled indeed sir!

I really have to tip my hat to you Wedding photographers, the stuff you have to deal with would drive me crazy. You people always seem to keep your cool and able to resolved the situation peacefully or work around it, I on the other hand would be a raving lunatic.

 

[FITBMX]

Great job, and no blood shed needed!