Re: [Leica] Don't be shy (was wedding newbie)

[tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)]

Alan wrote:

>Teds usual good advice this time was flawed when he suggested that the
>photographer should be unobtrusive at a wedding reception>>>>>>>

Alan Mon ami,

Your advice is well taken for shooting a wedding reception! :) However, I
believe Ron is talking about a "wedding shower" where the usual gaggle of
ladies get to-gether of an evening in a private home and lay gifts and
words of wisdom on the bride to be.

As I re-call ( having shot a few before I realized the photographer really
didn't have any fun. Like shooting in a hen house at feeding time!) :) :)
They are lots of fun for the ladies as they get on with gift opening and
what to do and not to do on the wedding night. :) Usually not repeatable to
us unsuspecting men.. who are the  husbands to be. :) (might have changed
alot of our minds! :)

"Unobtrusive" is the in thing! As one doesn't want to appear as part of the
event, but a quiet recorder for the bride to enjoy images later in her
life. Don't forget we are the recorders of today's activities that become
"tomorrow's memories!"  What better than quiet unobtrusive images, than a
bunch of flashed out images the kind Aunt Maudie took with her instamatic.
:)

I'll clarify that: Ron will be using the "available light leica M6" where
he can unobtrusively shoot moments that will have greater meaning because
he captured the evenings ritual without anyone knowing he did it.  It
doesn't mean good old Aunt Maudie's insta-pictures wont be any good, it
means Ron's will be the smash images of the event.

>Nobody will remember the NICE photographer that blended with the
>woodwork and produced weak wishy-washy pictures.  Ted, I believe, is
>just protecting his source of income from newbies.>>>>>>>

Not a hope, You couldn't pay me enough to shoot a wedding unless I did it
"my way!" Quiet, unseen Leicas with B&W!!!! :)  Not shooting the usual
stand up look-a-like every other posed bridal pictures of the century! :)

>These are just a few tricks of the trade Ted "forgot" to mention.
>There are others,

Naw! ____The best advice____! Stay away from weddings as they are a big
pain in the ass coping with overly excited brides, her mother "who knows it
all!" :)

However if one is going to do this kind of photography....do it well and
charge every mega dollar you possibly can wring out of it. It's
compensation for putting up with the diddy annoyances of the day! :):)  I
mean if you are going to do an assignment that just gives you more
headaches and worries as weddings, you might as well be extremely well
paid.:)

Much easier covering a little league baseball game relaxed in the sun! :)

ted