love your wedding photographer

This is a special series as to why you should “love your wedding vendors”, you can read the intro here to catch you up to speed.

Today we are going to talk about your wedding photographer.

Let’s face it, photographers get a lot of credit and attention as a wedding vendor. Look at what they produce? They capture moments as they happen, setup gorgeous scenes and help us look fabulous (thank God for Photoshop, no?).

Our clients don’t make snap decisions when choosing their photographers. Why should they? Often their pictures are all they have for visual memories. Again, this is a key player at your wedding so you’ll want to feel comfortable and confident in your photographer’s ability.

Reasons why you should love your wedding photographer?

  1. Even though they have to carry around heavy bags of multiple cameras, they will keep on smiling throughout the day.
  2. While they have to be uber creative, they have to really be good with people too!
  3. They get a lot of work done under tremendous time pressure. Client-created-timelines sometimes aren’t as accurate as they should be (1 hour allotted for pictures after the wedding but there are at least 50 important family pictures to take). There just isn’t enough time for a human being to get all those shots!
  4. They have to work around your guest-amateur photo-enthusiast Aunt Martha that stands behind them with her camera taking their posed shots (did you know the flashes on her camera makes their large professional flashes go off)? This makes the portrait photos sessions go longer!
  5. Rarely getting to eat, except a quick bite, they are on their feet and surprisingly everywhere so they won’t miss an important shot.
  6. Mindful of your family, they work quicker when your grandmother and grandfather are standing for shots.
  7. Somehow they are able to get your ceremony pictures even though your wedding Officiant does not allow flash photography during your service.
  8. A professional photographer’s mind will always be working to setup creative shots, even if it requires them to visit the ceremony site they’ve never worked.

Behind the scenes:

This is a great story one of my photographer friends told me about a wedding she photographed this past summer. Apparently there was a church coordinator involved who was suppose to line up the wedding party before the ceremony (you know, the freebie coordinator). The photographer told her to wait until she got down to the altar before she sent the parents down the aisle. Church coordinator didn’t. Why? Who knows, but as soon as the photographer turned around she sent the parents down anyway. Missed shot for the photographer!

Then the church coordinator sent down the bridesmaids AND THE BRIDE before the minister, groom and groomsmen were out on the altar. Oy veh! What a mess! The photographer was close to the backroom so she slipped in to tell them they need to get out there. That’s when the minister said, “What the hell is going on”? Oh….did I forget to mention he was mic’d and it was turned on…so the whole congregation heard him. (forgive me for laughing here).

Missing those shots…the parents coming down the aisle, the bride coming down the aisle to meet her groom (oh, oops! he’s not there)….really upset my photographer friend, even though she knows it’s not her fault.

For her perseverance, restraint in not bodily harming the church coordinator and a-can-do-attitude, you gotta love your wedding photographer.

Tomorrow: love your wedding cake designer

feature photo credit:

plan on!

 

8 thoughts on “love your wedding photographer”

  1. Pingback: » love your wedding photographer

  2. Pingback: amusement of the moment + article « Cathy & David Photography Weblog

  3. Pingback: Love Your Wedding Photographer » Weddings - Are The Topic

  4. I know; as soon as I found out about the flash thing, I stepped my camera away from the photographer. Plus they have to get all the shots you want while working with church restrictions and are at the beck and call of “get this shot over here” and “isn’t that adorable, you should get that”.

  5. Gotta love JJ & Katie! One of my fave couples from 2005.

    And don’t forget about the weddings planned outdoors in July when it is 95 degrees in the shade!(and we wear all black) April & I had one of those a couple of years back and the bride insisted on having all of the shots outdoors at Kokie’s. Poor April (my assistant) had to run up the hill at least a dozen times to round up family members that were inside trying to stay cool. We drank about 2 gallons of ice water between us that day. But we got some great images! :mrgreen:

  6. Saundra, thanks so much for writing this post! Being a wedding photographer is a tough job at times, but the chance to document a couple’s special day with friends and family far is so rewarding and wonderful!

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