Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/12
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Last year we shot about 12 weddings and it looks that this year we will
triple that. This year there are more weddings in the USA than for the time
between 1990 and 1999, hence, the demand is just overwhelming. We tripled
our charges to make the stress worthwhile.
Katariina shots color with two R7 and (mainly 70-180 and 35-70, TTL Metz
flashes, R6 is spare) and two Hasselblads and I shot B&W with two M6
(Noctilux and mainly 90mm tele-elmar, no flash, Abrahamson winder). We only
cover the whole event, usually we are there from around 2PM to 10 ...
midnight. Katariina does always pre-wedding fun B&W shots two to four weeks
before the wedding where she gets to know the couple. Those fun shots are
enlarged to 11x14 or even 16x40 and displayed at the reception and has
created a lot of business for us. Most important, though, is that Katariina
gets to know the couple. During the wedding we are so stressed out that we
don't eat and only drink water. We feel that the greatest compliment that
people give us during the wedding is that they didn't even noticed that we
were there.
Mark is so right: Everything GOT TO WORK! This afternoon I spent almost
$300 for all kind of spare cables, batteries, etc. Two months ago we
learned an expensive lesson: Saturday morning we noticed that the flash
wouldn't fire. No time to investigate. Straight to Photobarn and $500 for
new flash. On the way to the wedding one of us dropped the R7 and rendered
the camera useless (John van Stelton did an excellent job fixing it in a
week, what a great guy!). During the wedding one of the Hassleblad film
magazines locked the camera. What's wrong? ... is the camera broken? The
couple and the family are in front of the altar and the grandmother is sooo
tired and needs to go to the restroom ... OK, new magazine .. thank you ...
good ... oh no, there's only one picture left .... hurry.
Before we had the radio slaves we used the flashes to fire the Photogenics
.... pam .. pam ... pam ... "Please, not now. DON'T shot with your P&S ...
Thank you ..."
We are married now for 32 years and photography is just my hobby. Katariina
went to photo school few years ago. Why in the world do we do this?
Because it feels so good when you do something together and we survive
another crazy wedding. This IS war and you better make sure that you win
EVERY time.
.... OK, Schatz, let's have another Merlot ... or better, gimmy a Kelt ....
Jörg Willems
> Nothing beats having survived a good wedding and knowing how much you
saved them
> from one of those "wedding" photographers!:)
> Weddings are looked down upon by other photographers but the real reason
is NO
> GUTS. They don't know what TRUE FEAR is and don't want to know.
> I shot about 100 weddings in 20 years the truth comes out. Nothing beats
those
> deviled eggs and polyester dresses!
> No redos' with weddings!!!! "Fly'em back in!!" Everything has GOT TO
WORK!
> Anything less that technical perfection and being more than two places at
once
> results in the family making a little photograph voodoo doll which
gleefully
> gets pins put in it for the duration of the known continuum.
> Now there's a WAR for you!!
> Mark Rabiner
> Never shot one with a Leica though, but have done one or two with a twin
lens Rolleiflex!