Sunday, September 22, 2013
Pastor Blasts Photographer During Wedding and What You Can Learn From This Screw Up
As someone who has been a wedding photographer for a few years, I want to discuss this situation, that should of never happened. First, take a look at this short video.
How this could have been avoided...
Introduce yourself to the pastor/priest/officiant. Each ceremony is different. It's your responsibility as the official photographer to find the officiant before the ceremony to establish: What are the ground rules? Are you allowed to use flash? Is there anywhere that you can't stand?
You're a professional so act like it. The moment the pastor asked the photographer to move, he should have been gone, no discussion! Your role as the photographer is to capture the story, not become part of it. Yes, we all want great shots for our portfolio, but never at the expense of upsetting the couple.
Knowing all the odds and ends of a camera will not make you a great wedding photographer. That's only part of the story. As in any professional environment, you have to know how to act, what's appropriate, when to be humble.
The right equipment at the right time. Using a long lens and/or a wide aperture (at least f/2.8) is part of the reason why wedding photographer is so costly. Lens are very expensive. Most of them cost more than the camera. Had this photographer used a long lens, possible one with a zoom, he would not have to position himself so close to the officiant.
If you are inside of a building and the officiant doesn't want you to use a flash, you need at least a f/2.8 lens. Knowing how to use the lens is only part of the picture. You should know when it's appropriate to choose one over the other not only because of lighting conditions, but also because you have to respect the event.
Was the pastor out of place? In my opinion, it doesn't matter. I'm a huge proponent in taking responsibly for how your actions contributed to a situation. Since I've never been an officiant, I can only speak as a photographer. Whenever I'm asked to shoot a wedding, I feel incredibly blessed to have the responsibility of capturing this families memories. It's your responsibility to create a pleasant experience AND kick-ass photos.
Take every opportunity to create a pleasant experience. Sometimes you have to be assertive, especially when Uncle Bob is holding up his iPhone in the middle of your shot. Dancing between being assertive to Uncle Bob while being pleasant to your client, their family, and their guest is a part of your role. This separates the amateur photographers from the professionals.
What do you think about this situation?
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I agree, the photographer should have left when the pastor asked him (?) to. I mean, I'm surprised that the bride and groom weren't a little more annoyed. In my opinion photographers should be invisible.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Bride and Groom were just shocked by this pastor's actions? I agree the pastor was totally inappropriate, but once he said move, as annoying as he might have been, the photographer should have simply moved. I totally agree, during photographer needs to be as invisible as possible, especially during the ceremony.
DeleteThe minister could have handled it in a way that didn't embarrass the couple. BUT I agree that if the photog was up there with a 28mm lens trying to get shots, then that was obnoxious and needed to be addressed. The whole scenario could have been avoided.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post!
Agreed, the pastor was out of line. It was uncalled for but since I'm a photographer, I just wanted to approach the situation from that angle. At the end of the day, the Bride and Groom were probably embarrassed for no good reason and that's the part that really bothers me.
DeleteI think the way the pastor said it with his attitude had to do with part of why the couple seemed embarassed by the whole thing. He could of used his P's and Q's LOL but it was an important moment.
ReplyDeleteAlso I agree that the photographer should of talked to the pastor before hand and asked what was okay and all the rules for shooting. Using a zoom lens would of helped as well, plus he def. should of just moved the first time he was asked instead of making the akward moment last longer OMG.
I totally agree. You can see the Bride and Groom's face go from smiling to looking disappointed. Hopefully they're the type of couple that's able to bounce back quickly and enjoy the rest of the day. And you're so right, why prolonged an already awkward situation? They should have just moved immediately, simply for the sake of the couple.
DeleteMy wedding was a couple of weeks ago and I did not notice my photographers at the ceremony at all. Although they were not standing uncomfortably behind my pastor during the ceremony. I wanted good pictures, but I think that I may not have been able to fully focus on my ceremony if my photographer was right in my face during. I think I may have been a little peeved about it if they were. Clearly you can see and hear the annoyance from the pastor. If the photographer/videographer wanted such a close up shot he should have checked with the pastor first to avoid that situation. Which, I think, was the more appropriate and professional route for them.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your nuptials. Here's my unrequested marital advice for you and your husband: Don't take anyone's advice on marriage. Do what works for you ;-) <--- I tell that to all newlyweds.
DeleteYou raise such a great point. The Bride and Groom should also let the photographer know, what a comfortable distance should be in order for them to enjoy the ceremony. I'm a HUGE believer in hiring a wedding planner. They are responsible for making sure all key players behind the scene work in concert with each other. With better communication, the situation could have been avoided.
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ReplyDelete