Wedding photography as a guest!

[Gixasix]

A question for the wedding photographers
on here.... Do you object to another photographer
taking shots as a guest??

In the last couple of weeks I've been
a guest at 2 weddings! I've taken my
camera gear along mainly to take
shots of the reception which is
generally never covered but I've
also taken shots throughout the day.
Both couples were happy for me to
take additional shots and happy for
me to use them in my portfolio and
share them on social media etc.

In both cases I was asked to do
the wedding photography
but politely turned it down as I'm
trying to gain more experience as
a 2nd photographer before I attempt
to take on a large wedding as the main
tog.

I should point out I never infringed
on the photographers work...I wasn't
standing over his shoulder stealing
shots and I wasn't using flash at any
point . I stayed as far away from the
pro as possible. Comparing our shots
from the day it could have been 2 different
weddings due to the very different
styles and viewpoints.

One of the photographers was lovely
he came over during a quiet time after
the meal and happily chatted about gear
compared some shots etc. Even offered
me a possibility of second shooting for
him in the future.

The photographer at the other wedding
seemed to have an issue with me taking shots
. He asked what I intended doing
with the photos and pointed out that he
had the contract for the photography!!
While he remained polite he definitely
wasn't happy at the thought of me
using my shots in any way.

Would love to hear some wedding photographers
views on this but also what others think about taking pro gear
rather than a phone or compact as a guest!!

 

[Phil V]

I'd have probably not spoken to you at all unless prompted - but if I did, it'd have been more like the former than the latter.

At every wedding there's guests with decent cameras - I'd not be doing my job if I spent time asking what they were doing.

 

[big soft moose]

is this written
as some wierd
sort of
poem ?


that aside, no I'm fine with guests taking photos so long as they don't get in the way - now that every second person has a DSLR or CSC (and the others all have phones) uncle bob is a fact of life

One point though - you mention using these shots 'for your porfolio' - in that regard shots taken as a guest tend to look like shots taken as a guest so they arent a great deal of use for portfolio purposes , also its a bad idea to misrepresent them to potential clients as "weddings" you've covered.

 

[Gixasix]

is this written
as some wierd
sort of
poem ?


that aside, no I'm fine with guests taking photos so long as they don't get in the way - now that every second person has a DSLR or CSC (and the others all have phones) uncle bob is a fact of life

One point though - you mention using these shots 'for your porfolio' - in that regard shots taken as a guest tend to look like shots taken as a guest so they arent a great deal of use for portfolio purposes , also its a bad idea to misrepresent them to potential clients as "weddings" you've covered.

Lol nah I'm on my phone it always messes
up forum posts!!!

I should have said the shots I am using
for the portfolio are the reception pictures.
Most of the stuff I do is gigs and events!
Be lucky if I will use 4 or 5 pictures for
my event portfolio... The daytime pics
were just for my own memories if the day.

 

[Gixasix]

I'd have probably not spoken to you at all unless prompted - but if I did, it'd have been more like the former than the latter.

At every wedding there's guests with decent cameras - I'd not be doing my job if I spent time asking what they were doing.

As far as I'm concerned I wouldn't
have spoken to either of them. In
situations where there is a pro doing
their job I just stay out their way.
Both of them approached me first!

 

[Serendipitous Sid]

... mainly to take
shots of the reception which is
generally never covered

Eh? That used to be the case 30 years ago, but we shot over 450 weddings professionally and we covered the reception at all of them.

One of the photographers was lovely
he came over during a quiet time after
the meal and happily chatted about gear
compared some shots etc. Even offered
me a possibility of second shooting for
him in the future.

Fine - but we wouldn't have done that, if for no other reason than we'd be working during any quiet time after the meal.

The photographer at the other wedding
seemed to have an issue with me taking shots
. He asked what I intended doing
with the photos and pointed out that he
had the contract for the photography!!
While he remained polite he definitely
wasn't happy at the thought of me
using my shots in any way.

There are miserable buggers all over the place, and some of them are wedding snappers. Same goes for very insecure people.

Would love to hear ... what others think about taking pro gear
rather than a phone or compact as a guest!!

Never made any odds to us what gear anybody was using. I just failed to find the file I wanted to illustrate the point: Andy Earl taking a snap with his Linhof Technorama while being a guest at one of our gigs ...

 

[Phil V]

Eh? That used to be the case 30 years ago, but we shot over 450 weddings professionally and we covered the reception at all of them.
...

I don't know where they hang out, but I still have couples who tell me that they've talked to photographers who won't cover speeches or quote extra for evenings or similar.

Saturday's couple are a case in point, the groom did a few songs with the band, several photographers said 'we'll be home by then', my attitude was 'even if it was well after my normal going home time, there's no way I'd miss that'. It takes all sorts.