what to say during a shoot to the others who whip out their gear and saying look here

Bevel Heaven · Jan 2, 2008

Hey I know you others get into the same thing........

I have a group of folks all bunched together, spacing is perfect, am trying to get em all looking at a certain spot, they are all doing it I am clicking away and some relative or friend comes over and whips out their little P&S [or whatever] and says HEY SMILE GUYS - OVER HERE :grumpy:

And now half are still looking at you, the others are looking at them.,.

:er:

WHat I want to know are some KIND and NICE ways of telling the person to back the fuc& off so I can get back to shooting.

I have pissed off too many people now... I need some help on what to say to get em to put their camera away until I get my shots etc...

Sideburns · Jan 2, 2008

Nothing. Who you talk to is the people that're taking the picture.

Before you start shooting say "ok, if anyone else comes up saying "look here"...don't do it...just wait till I'm finished please"

Then the P+S'ers will just give up.

Peanuts · Jan 2, 2008

Unfortunately that method doesn't always work, because they all know Aunty Suzie's Great-grandmother's cousin's husband's dog's previous owner's brother is more likely to send them a mass email with the file so that isn't the most reliable method. I would turn around, in my kindest tone say excuse me, I will take several and once I am done I will allow everyone else to take an image *click**click* "Ok go ahead" (wait 8 seconds) *walk into the shot and start rearranging people*

astrostu · Jan 2, 2008

This is something that's usually included in wedding photo contracts - the exclusivity clause saying you're the only photographer. So while you're covered there, I would suggest - if you're willing - to politely say, "Please don't do that, it takes me a long time to set these up and get the poses correct and you're messing it up." That should make them go away.

If they don't go away after that, then you call over the mother of the bride and sick 'em on the interloper saying (a) it's in your contract that no one else can do photos, and (b) if that person keeps taking photos, yours won't turn out right and they'll be left with a sub-par album.

That should wrap it up "nicely."

Bevel Heaven · Jan 3, 2008

Thanks for the coments, but it is ALWAYS the kids who can;t keep focused on my camera and look at whatshername with the camera standing over yonder. No matter what I say. SOmetimes I can get just the folks who are going to be IN each individual photo to come into a seperate room or whatever and that ends that but it also takes a bunch more time.. In an open setting it is just plain difficult.

I think the mom of the bride is usually the worst with the camera.

But that isn;t a bad idea telling her to keep all camera wielding in laws at bay...

astrostu · Jan 3, 2008

Bevel Heaven said:
But that isn;t a bad idea telling her to keep all camera wielding in laws at bay...

I didn't realize when I wrote it, but actually part of that comment comes from experience. I've been at/in one wedding since I've had my SLR, and I was a groomsman so was there for all the photos. While the pro was setting up, I specifically asked him if it was okay if I took pictures, too. He said yes. So I took photos from slightly behind and to the right of him just after his own shots. I also took some off to the side against a stained glass window with people he wasn't using at the time.

Well, the mother of the bride eventually saw me taking photos (with my tiny built-in flash) and she blew up at me, chewing me out in front of everyone that I would mess up the photographer (I was a friend of the groom so had just met this woman a few days earlier). I had had it up to "here" with her by that point, but I tried to calmly explain that the photographer had given me permission and that I was shooting after he had so I wasn't messing up his metering and then I turned and went back to what I was doing.

She later apologized to me (I was astounded) and I got some great shots. But I think I'm an exception since I wasn't a, "Hey look over here" just after the photographer posed them and before they took the shot kind of person.

I guess my point was to give an example of how having the mother of the bride on your side in those matters can really help control unwanted cameras.

elsaspet · Jan 3, 2008

When shooting formals, I turn around and say in a nice loud voice.

"DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS WHILE I AM TAKING PHOTOS. YOU WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PHOTOS AFTER I SHOOT EACH SET".

This always works. I get the ones where everyone is looking at me, and everyone else gets the ones where people are looking here there and everywhere.

Big Mike · Jan 3, 2008

This is indeed a problem faced by many wedding photographers.

I have a section in my contract where it's laid out that I am the hired professional photographer and that if other people are taking photos, I have the right to stop shooting and even leave. (I would never do that though).
The idea is that as the photographer, you need to have some authority over the situation.
I make this clear to the clients and I ask them to be the 'police'. It's much easier if the bride says "Hey, put away your cameras and let the pro do his job"...than trying to do it yourself and looking like a jerk.
A big motivator is money. You are the one getting paid to take photos...the other probably are not. So it's in their best interest that they do their best to help you get the shot...not auntie Mable.
I explain to the clients that other cameras will distract the people in the shot, which makes for poor shots.

Of course, we want to be as nice and accommodating as we can. So I will usually let people shoot but I ask them to wait until I have my shot, then I give them a few seconds to shoot.

emogirl · Jan 3, 2008

if I am having a problem, I simply say..."i dont mind you taking pictures, please but please wait until I am finished, after all they paid me"....everyone laughs and backs off...in all my years, I only had one fella who didnt get the point and I had to stop and be very firm with him to stay out of the way. the bride & groom are also equally appreciate of you asserting yourself with guests, as they get tired of the 'over 'here' and all the extra smiles!!!

Peanuts · Jan 3, 2008

Kim brings up a good point. I will sometimes go onto bride forums where they give reviews of photographers and the most often 'complaint' is that they weren't assertive enough therefore they were "looking away from the camera in half of the formals" (truly, I think it is a 50/50 blame game between the individuals and the photographer on that one)

petey · Jan 3, 2008

I've had good results with saying no smiling allowed until I say to smile.

amandakifer · Jan 3, 2008

Yeah I would never tell people they are not allowed to take pictures of my posed stuff... my cousin's photographer, when I was growing up, at my cousin's wedding used film. Well the photographer would not allow any one else to take photos or 'she would leave' and after the wedding she lost ALL of the posed photographs. The only posed portraits my cousin has is the stuff my father took with the photographer yelling at him.

Before I start I let everyone know that I will take the first couple of shots and let them know when they can take theirs.

I'm not sure I agree with astrostu with including a clause in a contract saying you are the only photograper. It is the bride's day... if she wants to hire an army of photographers she should be able to do it. Last year I participated in a couple of weddings where I was hired after another photographer was also hired because they either felt that photographer may not have capable skills but already paid them (that wedding we worked together as a team... it worked great) or a couple had a huge wedding and wanted two different photographers to get two different perspectives. That is just my thoughts on the matter though. I understand why some want to maintain being the only photographer.

astrostu · Jan 4, 2008

amandakifer said:
I'm not sure I agree with astrostu with including a clause in a contract saying you are the only photograper. It is the bride's day... if she wants to hire an army of photographers she should be able to do it. Last year I participated in a couple of weddings where I was hired after another photographer was also hired because they either felt that photographer may not have capable skills but already paid them (that wedding we worked together as a team... it worked great) or a couple had a huge wedding and wanted two different photographers to get two different perspectives. That is just my thoughts on the matter though. I understand why some want to maintain being the only photographer.

I'm not necessarily advocating including this, I'm just saying that I've seen it in sample contracts and you can include it if it's important to you.

emogirl · Jan 4, 2008

Yup, pretty standard clause to be the only photographer...(not including the guests with point & shoots)...you are there to make money and if you are among 2-3 hired togs, the re sells are spread out amongst them!!

amandakifer · Jan 4, 2008

Yeah I know it is.... I just don't agree with it. In those cases I charge enough for my time that I don't need to make money off the prints. Usually those brides have lots of money... both cases they bought the largest albums I've ever sold and lots of prints. So it ended well for me. I just don't feel I should be demanding what vendors a bride can have at her wedding.