Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]That's a pretty good description of the Compleat Wedding Photographer, and it explains why there are so few of them. If I ever went back to shooting weddings (had to go back to shooting weddings) I'd stay away from the pure reportage style. A wedding is to some degree a formal affair, and IMO deserves some degree of formality in the photography. The point of formal poses is not just record-keeping, it's also to make your subjects look as good as possible. This is something you simply cannot guarantee with a purist PJ approach. I was trained in a "casual" style that mixed formal poses, relaxed poses and pure candids in about equal measure. It was a wildly successful formula - clients could tailor the final album for the feel they wanted, and the photographer was assured of coming away with enough usable stuff to please everyone. Toward the end of my professional days I tried doing a few "pure candid" weddings, and the outcome was less successful than I'd hoped for. I liked the results a lot, but I got more than one statement of regret from relatives (rarely from the B&G who knew what they were getting). Ultimately, for a professional, word-of-mouth is king, and disappointing relatives is not the road to a prosperous future as a wedding photographer. You're not shooting just to satisfy your own artistic aspirations, you are expected to deliver results that meet your clients' expectations. Paul - -----Original Message----- From: "Michael E. Bérubé" [mailto:MEB@goodphotos.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 10:00 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Off topic: finding a portrait studio Being a wedding shooter (like being a photojournalist) is a cross discipline genre. In just about every wedding a good photographer should be able to shoot, editorial pictures (candids and the increasingly popular "PJ style" wedding), formal portraits (of couple and family and chosen guests), environmental portraits (mostly of other vendors) and product shots (rings, cake, presents, etc...) all in mixed and changing-by-the-minute light.