So your wedding is coming up. The most miraculous day of two lives joining together, and I offer you two separate prices. One for a solo shooter (myself), and the second for myself and a second shooter. I promise you, I am aware that two photographers costs more than one – but let me tell you WHY we offer that, and why I will insist upon the latter.
Lately, I’ve experienced a phenomenon which I’ve come to refer to as the iPhone Photographers. Your friends, family, guests and the like, have a tendency to hop into the middle of the aisle and use their Nikon Coolpix/iPhone/Android to try and video or photograph the event for social media. And please, I totally understand -why-. Before I moved into my career, I was often that person. I wanted the best angle, moment, lighting, and probably would’ve run over a small child in the aisle to get it.
Hell, AS a photographer now, I can say that I have (gently) moved many a child, and grown man out of my way to get my shot. However – I only started doing that when I realized – I AM BEING PAID, AND YOU ARE IN MY WAY. Please know that when I am trying to get these shots for my hard working, paying clientele, that I am not in any way trying to offend the guests, the uncle with the small video recorder who wasn’t hired or asked to take video, but is in your face for that close up shot while you exchange rings – or even the ten year old with the little wind-up disposable camera who wants to get a shot of the newlywed couple. I am not looking to offend anyone. BUT
Get the H-E-double-sippy-straws out of my way. I am here to take your photograph. To capture the important moments. AND YOU HAVE PAID ME. Now, I don’t expect you to pull aside your guests individually and say, ~Ludacris’ song starts in the background~
“MOVE BI***, GET OUT DA WAY!”
Because get-togethers don’t ever happen that way, and I don’t expect them to, whether you’ve hired a professional or not. However, I digress back to the original statement – this is often why I insist that hiring the second shooter that will save us from missing anything. We’ll be able to acquire different angles, and won’t have as much interference from the people you’ve invited to your beautiful wedding, and it will save us, and you from having to ask those invited to move out of the way repeatedly.
You’re excited about getting married, your guests are excited about you getting married, hell, I’m excited about you getting married! I cannot WAIT to be apart of that day – but missing the important shots – like the “you may now kiss the bride” moment – is BEYOND infuriating. For me, for you, for EVERYONE. So maybe what I’m saying here is – yell at your guests to sit the heck down, or just hire a second shooter when you hire us, and save us, and yourself the confrontation.