Sunday, July 02, 2006

A tip for Brides

Note to brides:
If you have enough class to hire a real photographer, for God's sake don't put a bunch of disposable cameras on the tables at your reception.
Why?
Because the pictures you get back from your wedding guests are going to be 99% crap and it encourages your guests to interfere with the work of the official photographer(s).
We have a clause in our wedding photography contract that says:
It is understood that no other photographer, amateur or professional, shall be allowed to photograph at the wedding or reception while... (we are) working, and that any breach of this agreement will constitute a reason for non-completion of the job with no liability to... (us) and loss of initial deposit by the signing party.
We have yet to invoke this clause and walk out on a job, but as our experience in the business grows, we are increasingly aware of the importance of this understanding.
When you put disposable cameras on the tables there is a very high probability that they will fall into the hands of children who will use them to annoy other guests and get in the way of the wedding photographer(s) you paid anywhere from $500 to $3,000 or more. These cameras will cost you anywhere from $3.50 to $15 each and you will be lucky to get 5 photos from your guests that you'll want printed.
And there are few things more infuriating to a professional wedding photographer than an aunt or uncle or other guest jumping in to commandeer a set-up shot or, even worse, blocking the official photographer's shot at a critical point, like the bouquet toss or the cake cutting or a spontaneous emotional moment.
Once that moment is lost, it can't be recaptured and I can guarantee you that Uncle Fred's point-and-shoot photo will never be as good as the one Maria or I would shoot.

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