August 29, 2010
Ceremony Wedding Photography Dos And Donts
Been at a church wedding and been taken aback by how obvious and unsmooth the wedding photographer is - such as being in very close proximity to the bride and groom and taking pictures willl-nilly as if the end of the world is coming and he’s wanting to get in as many shots as possible?
Regrettably, this kind of scenario has been repeated so frequently that many churches now have tough regulations and constraints for wedding photography. Why has this come to pass? Because part-time photographers have proliferated in the wedding photography industry and their lack of understanding has ruined things for the professional wedding photography field.
As a wedding photographer, you prepare yourself to integrate a multitude of limitations, some of which are patently unwarranted.
This is something to consider because obviously the ceremony shots are noteable - and can be quite lovely. There are many cool Priests out there who are aware that we all have jobs to do and when we work in concert as partners it’s a win-win situation: The ceremony maintains its sanctity and the photographer captures the photos. But then other Officiants have been tainted by their experiences with inept photographers so, reasonably, many of them will not take any risks when it comes to the wedding photography.
Making contact with the Priest before the ceremony is a given. Whatever you may think of your constraints, you are a visitor in their house - and it’s good to avoid angering the host.
Be like a ninja. So that afterwards, everyone will say they didn’t even notice you in the church until the registry signing. That is the ideal. To be sure, most Officiants just want the wedding photographer to have smarts - do what you must, attract as little attention as possible. As in life, common sense often comes with shooting a bunch of weddings - and it’s not actually that ‘common’.
Advice for the Bride and Groom: Be aware of the wedding photography when selecting your ceremony location. Ask your Priest or Minister about any limitations. If the pictures of the ceremony are paramount, check things out because you may be shocked on the wedding day to find out there are significant restrictions that may hamstring your photographer’s ability to effectively do his job.