Bride is a wedding photographer

Bill Burk · Jun 5, 2021

Hoo boy am I in trouble or what?

Today (it’s past midnight now) I am attending a wedding for a young man who I’ve known all his life. His mom and my wife are best friends.

On the way up here, at the golden hour, we think we drove past the couple and their entourage in a meadow ringed with quaking aspen. (I was looking at the mountains, my wife saw the group.)

Hanging out this evening with our friends, someone said she’s seen a lot of weddings which is when I found out she’s a wedding photographer.

And it seems several of her amazing photographer friends are here from Utah.

I am a bit uncertain how this will turn out. I love taking pictures at weddings even though I am lousy at it.

I almost think it would be best to hand one of these young photographers my TLR, film and meter. Give them a quick briefing how to use it and turn them loose.

I know that would make my wife happy because then I wouldn’t be making a nuisance of myself.

foc · Jun 5, 2021

There is a saying that doctors and nurses make the worst patients......................................
Having said that I shot a professional photographer's wedding a good few years ago and it was fun. I think the fact that we discussed the details before hand helped.
Unfortunately, some of the guests who were also professional (press) photographers were the worst I encountered. Any of the wedding or social photographer guests were ok.

Bill Burk said:
I almost think it would be best to hand one of these young photographers my TLR, film and meter. Give them a quick briefing how to use it and turn them loose.

Give it a go and see what happens. Could be a very interesting exercise.

mgb74 · Jun 5, 2021

Personally, I wouldn't offer unless they take the initiative and show an interest. If they are photographers and want to take photos, they'll bring a camera. Offering them yours is a bit like telling them they should take photos. Plus they might not want to lose control of the images - unless they're able to take and process the film.

Of course, you could take 2 TLRs. One for you and one for whomever might show an interest. By taking 2, you can offer up 1 without them feeling like they're taking away your opportunity to photograph.

And, while it might no apply in this case, a close family member or friend can spot photos that a pro will miss. The professional photography has "must get" photos. Plus he/she doesn't have the family knowledge/history that might make a particular photo special.

BrianShaw · Jun 5, 2021

It might be better to put the camera down. Celebrate the wedding and the couple’s happiness to the fullest. Let their pro do the photography.

Bill Burk · Jun 5, 2021

I’ll have to find out but it seems her photographers ‘are’ her friends. So they At the last wedding (groom’s brother’s) I attended, their photographer friend was very interested in the camera.

I’ll be open to allowing the “kids” use of the camera. It certainly wouldn’t hurt for them to use as a prop in some of their sessions.

Bill Burk · Jun 5, 2021

BrianShaw said:
It might be better to put the camera down. Celebrate the wedding and the couple’s happiness to the fullest. Let their pro do the photography.

Who, me? I can’t resist taking pictures at a wedding. I’ll be discreet. Won’t be the 7 rolls I brought. But at very least I will take pictures of elder family members.

MatthewDunn · Jun 5, 2021

I have a good friend who is a professional wedding photographer. A lot of "pros" in that industry...well...

But you will find some who are very savvy - they just tend to think a little differently. In watching them work, they are all about trying to get first to a neutral exposure, then dropping the exposure by a few stops (respecting the limits of possibly not having leaf shutters, etc.) then re-building the exposure with mobile pack lights and fill cards. If you enjoy portraiture (and especially environmental portraiture), it's awesome to see how they think and work.

If you asked them about placing shadows on zone whatever, you'd get a totally blank stare, and yet they are doing fundamentally the same thing, in my opinion...

It's all about "the hook" - get them into our world by speaking their language...lure them to the Dark Side, Bill...use The Force...

Bill Burk · Jun 5, 2021

mgb74 said:
Personally, I wouldn't offer unless they take the initiative and show an interest. If they are photographers and want to take photos, they'll bring a camera. Offering them yours is a bit like telling them they should take photos. Plus they might not want to lose control of the images - unless they're able to take and process the film.

Of course, you could take 2 TLRs. One for you and one for whomever might show an interest. By taking 2, you can offer up 1 without them feeling like they're taking away your opportunity to photograph.

And, while it might no apply in this case, a close family member or friend can spot photos that a pro will miss. The professional photography has "must get" photos. Plus he/she doesn't have the family knowledge/history that might make a particular photo special.

Thanks good food for thought.

I would say the photographer gets full rights even if I develop and print the film. They might enjoy seeing what all the fuss is about with film and real prints if they had a decent print of something they shot.

BrianShaw · Jun 5, 2021

Bill Burk said:
Who, me? I can’t resist taking pictures at a wedding. I’ll be discreet. Won’t be the 7 rolls I brought. But at very least I will take pictures of elder family members.

I get it. At our wedding, many years ago we spent a lot of money on professional photography. We display 6 pictures of that day: 3 by the pro; 1 by the pro we didn’t select (a “trial” engagement shoot), and two pictures with the best memories by friends using who-knows-what for gear and great eyes for memorable moments. Whatever you do... you’ll make your friends happy, I’m sure.

Wallendo · Jun 5, 2021

Unless the "kid" photographers have used a TLR before, it is likely they would spend more time figuring out how to use the camera than framing actual shots.

If the bride sees you with a TLR, she may want you to take photos.

wiltw · Jun 5, 2021

Bill Burk said:
Hoo boy am I in trouble or what?

Today (it’s past midnight now) I am attending a wedding for a young man who I’ve known all his life. His mom and my wife are best friends.

...I am a bit uncertain how this will turn out. I love taking pictures at weddings even though I am lousy at it.

I almost think it would be best to hand one of these young photographers my TLR, film and meter. Give them a quick briefing how to use it and turn them loose.

I know that would make my wife happy because then I wouldn’t be making a nuisance of myself.

You are a GUEST, as the long time friend of the groom...ACT LIKE IT! Be one of many guests who brought their camera (or not). Take photos of things going on out of the mainstream, that the pro photographers hired to cover the event would typically not get.
IOW, complement what the pros do, but stay out of the mainstream and provide some photos involving friends and relatives, not shot by the hired guns.

Bill Burk · Jun 5, 2021

Yeah I know how to stay low key. Bride knows me well enough. They’re doing the portrait sessions now, I am not going to crash that.

Down Under · Jun 5, 2021

In this digi-everything day and age, most photographers won't know what a 'TLR' is. I can hear the chorus of, "where's the back screen?"

Maybe take a Leica LTM if you own one... that would really throw the digikids into a panic!!

Me, I would leave the camera at home and just hang out at the bar. Spectatoring (sorry!) at weddings can be as much fun as photographing, and if I end up indiscretioning myself, I would want it to be from too much good champagne and not flubbing all my images.

Adrian Bacon · Jun 5, 2021

Bill Burk said:
Hoo boy am I in trouble or what?

Today (it’s past midnight now) I am attending a wedding for a young man who I’ve known all his life. His mom and my wife are best friends.

On the way up here, at the golden hour, we think we drove past the couple and their entourage in a meadow ringed with quaking aspen. (I was looking at the mountains, my wife saw the group.)

Hanging out this evening with our friends, someone said she’s seen a lot of weddings which is when I found out she’s a wedding photographer.

And it seems several of her amazing photographer friends are here from Utah.

I am a bit uncertain how this will turn out. I love taking pictures at weddings even though I am lousy at it.

I almost think it would be best to hand one of these young photographers my TLR, film and meter. Give them a quick briefing how to use it and turn them loose.

I know that would make my wife happy because then I wouldn’t be making a nuisance of myself.

I've shot a fair number of weddings. I'd like to be better at it than I am, but I'm not really a slouch at it either. It's a lot of work, and you wouldn't believe some of the things you hear people say about taking pictures while you're working. The iphoners tend to think they can give you a run for the money. There's nothing wrong with those types of photos, but they tend to runneth at the mouth (especially the youngsters) until you pull out the big guns (both cameras and lighting) and start getting photos that they just couldn't get if they wanted to. That's when the smart ones quiet down. They have a moment of realization that no matter how good their iPhone (or point and shoot) is, professional equipment selected and tailored for the job will produce photos that they can't.

As much as it's the photographer and not the gear that makes the photo, at the same time, there are times when a big fat camera body and a big ole' fat lens with 1000 watt seconds of light says everything you need to say. Very few things communicate "I mean serious business here" more effectively and marshals client cooperation faster than looking down the barrel of a big honking lens. That doesn't mean you can't get good photos with small equipment, or even iPhones, you absolutely can (and should, when appropriate), it's just in my experience, people tend to take note and behave accordingly when you look the part.

MattKing · Jun 5, 2021

If the bride knows you well, and is a wedding photographer herself, there is a good chance you can have some fun and take some nice photos. And the fact that you probably know lots of the guests makes it reasonably possible that you will get the photo of second cousin Martha from Australia that everyone else forgot to include in the photos.
It really helps when there are a few people around who have some understanding of things like lighting and backgrounds and colour. So when you ask them to move or turn or do something that leads to pleasant photographs, they will probably understand.
I haven't been to a lot of weddings in the last few years, but at one relative's (my wife's cousin) daughter's wedding I took a Mamiya 645 Pro and a couple of lenses. As I did a lot of wedding work in the past, it means I know how not to get in the way, so I had no problem with the team of pro photographers hired. I did find it funny though that when I took the opportunity to pose the bride and her bridesmaid sister in a slightly unusual way, the pros rushed over to take advantage of my setup!
We were invited over to the bride's parents home a couple of weeks later. I went to the trouble of having really good quality proofs made from my shots. The professionals supplied images on a CD. The reaction I got to my photos was "they are so clear!".

Bill Burk · Jun 6, 2021

More later but it was a great time

foc · Jun 6, 2021

Will you post a few photo,s please?

Bill Burk · Jun 6, 2021

foc said:
Will you post a few photo,s please?

Of course once I get the film developed and printed.

Bill Burk · Jun 7, 2021

At the reception, our friends (the whole gang who were at our place Friday night) were seated with the photographers from Utah I’ve been talking about.

Everyone was in good spirits. I got a laugh when I introduced myself as a world famous Internet expert on black and white film developing. They asked about the camera and how old it was. I aimed the camera at grandma Alice and handed the camera to Shanessa who moved wine glasses out of the way and took the picture.

Later out on the deck she took a shot of me and an old friend. Video clip of that shot made it to her Instagram story, where she wrote “I got to shoot with the coolest camera ever.”

BarbarMariela · Jun 25, 2022

I really appreciate the work of wedding photographers. They have such a responsibility on the newlyweds' happiest day.

VinceInMT · Jun 25, 2022

My regular running partner has been a professional photographer for well over 30 years. Not a side gig. As he is winding down toward retirement, the first thing he did was to drop wedding photography. He said that working with the many “bride-zillas” was just not worth it.

For my own wedding, I didn’t even hire a photographer. I loaded my 35mm with a roll of color film and handed it to my dad, who was my best man, and had him snap a few shots.

BarbarMariela · Jun 29, 2022

BarbarMariela said:
I really appreciate the work of wedding photographers. They have such a responsibility on the newlyweds' happiest day.

Unfortunately, I know of many cases where guests have been unsatisfied with their wedding photos. When choosing a wedding photographer, you should pay attention to several points. First, as a professional, the photographer should have a portfolio of their work. Secondly, wedding photographers are very serious about the upcoming shoot. They hold conversations with the newlyweds, visit the location where the wedding will take place, send references for the photo session and discuss everything with the customers. {Moderator's deletion of likely promotional link}

Bride is a wedding photographer

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