Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It doesn't matter who you are, how 'famous' you are as a wedding photographer, or how friendly you are with the bride and groom - you are 'hired help' when it comes to weddings, and have to realize that going in and cover yourself in every possible regard in a complete written contract with who ever is hiring you - bride OR groom OR ONE parent of bride OR groom. That contract not only has to specify what and how you'll shoot, but has to include things such as when and how you'll be fed. The problem is not so much that people are inconsiderate, it's that weddings are complex, chaotic affairs, and it's very easy for things to fall through the cracks. You of course need to specify things such as who will serve as your 'guide,' working with you with a list of attendees who 'must' be in some of the photos, and who will be the 'cat herder,' rounding people up for formals - unless you want to be a cat herder rather than a photographer. B. D. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Michael J Herring Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 3:27 AM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Doing your Kid's Wedding Hi Mark, You are absolutely right. I did wedding photography for over 10 years and all as I can say is it helped pay the bills. Wedding photographers are considered the lowest of the low and are treated the same way by many brides and grooms. Many of my fellow wedding photographers would tell "horror stories" to one another when we had a break during receptions. I am sure I could write quite an interesting book about my experiences with people during my wedding days. One of the things I found absolutely amazing was the fact that approximately 85 percent of the time the bride and groom did not have the decency to feed you! On many jobs I would start early in the morning shooting at the bride's house and work until very late at night. This I also thought was very strange because the members of the band would always be served a meal, even though they did not even begin to work until the reception. Are people really that inconsiderate or do they just hold us in such low esteem? Oh well, I am certainly glad those days are over. The only thing I miss are the Hasselblads and superb Carl Zeiss lenses, which I wish I had kept. At that point in time, the body, back and normal lens only cost $850! Take care, Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Rabiner" <mark@rabinergroup.com> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 8:09 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Doing your Kid's Wedding > On 4/26/05 3:57 PM, "Scott McLoughlin" <scott@adrenaline.com> typed: > >> At my brother's recent wedding, I took a ton of candids, color with a >> D70 and B&W with a Leica + CV 32/2.5 and FM3a + 105/2.5. My brother >> said he liked my pics better than the pair of official wedding >> photogs, but then I wasn't running around sweating a bunch of >> formals, trying to coral groups of relatives together and what not. >> >> Instead, I hung out with the grooms men while they got ready, sat >> near the bar, snapped pics in pitch black while they gussied up the >> car, made sure to get head shots of all the older relatives who could >> make it to the ceremony - stuff like that. And, of course, I only >> showed him the good ones after I'd had a chance to tweak 'em all >> quite a bit. :-) >> >> I never post photos, so ducking and running, some are >> online at this URL in the three galleries marked "wedding." >> >> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Family/index.html >> >> There's just a few salvaged/over sharpened pics among to satisfy all >> the different groups of relatives that attended, so kindly ignore >> those :-) >> >> Scott >> > > As a professional photographer who shot weddings I have to say that people > at weddings who: >> made sure to get head shots of >> all the older relatives who could make it to the ceremony - stuff >> like that. > > Were not my favorite people in the whole world. Not that I didn't get used > to it. > I think photographers are the least respected professionals in the > whole professional world. And that in no profession would a > "professional" be treated with such disrespect. > > Of course wedding photographers are the bottom or the barrel. But > there's at least one in every town whose work is worthy of respect. > > > It's like if I were an avid amateur nuclear physicist and I somehow > got into a nuclear physicist convention and a guy was up there making > a speech would > I stand up on a chair and start saying a bunch of stuff and start handing > out a bunch of stupid fliers about my own personal theory of nuclear > physics? > > No! > > :) > > > > > > Mark Rabiner > Photography > Portland Oregon > http://rabinergroup.com/ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 369 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. 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