Bring the camera. Most photogs became photogs because they like to capture nice images. A wedding is one of the best places for that. If you stay out of the way I don't see the problem.
Wow - I really unleashed a tempest in a teapot! I never dreamed of this many responses to what I thought was a simple poll of "should I or shouldn't I". The comedy was a bonus (thanks lisy!)
My motivation was very simple. When my daughter got married, a friend of my wife's took a couple dozen pictures at the wedding, got them printed the next day and put them in a small, simple album and brought them over to the house. Out of town guests were able to seem some pictures before they left. I thought is was a terrrific gesture and everyone loved it. That is what I was going to try and duplicate.
After reading all the responses, I think I'll reconsider.
Thanks for all the input.
I don't have any problem with guests and cameras. I had one job where the bride and groom kept telling people to put them away "they hired someone to do it" and I've had
other jobs where I think the bride and groom could not have cared less if I didn't even show up. I haven't shot a lot of weddings and still haven't encountered someone who could be considered a true "uncle bob", but I've had an aunt sue produce some really cool shots of the arrangements and decorations with a P&S.
I'm torn... I would like to just go and enjoy the wedding (well, more so the reception) and I'm afraid if I bring my camera I'll end up getting suckered into taking pics... But, I do have good friends getting married soon and I know they couldn't afford to hire a photographer, so I've been thinking of bringing my body and one lens, just to grab shots as I can here and there...
It's never bothered me. I also live in an area where few guests bring anything other than point-and-shoots to a wedding, so I've never had any issues. And it's fun to chat with enthusiasts about the gear - they get all giddy about it (kind of like some of the gearheads on this forum).
I honestly have never had a bad experience with guests, so it's tough to say. I have an example of how not to act, though: I was a guest at a wedding where I brought my gear - the photographer was only hired for family formals and a short portion of the reception. So I shot the girls before he got there, and tried out a new lens from my middle-of-the-pew location, and didn't take any more shots until after he left. I hope I didn't get in his way, and I talked with him before and made it clear that I wanted to try out a lens that day and was going to make sure I wasn't in the way (and they could smack me if I was).There was another guest, however, who managed to get in the pro photographers way nearly all night - he would step in the line of site, be in the worst locations lean into every place, etc. Just don't be that person and you should be fine. It's the difference between being an uncle bob and being a guest with a camera.
If you stay out of the pros way, it shouldn't be a problem. Also like was mentioned above, don't go to the pro and try and talk about gear, or try and impress him/her with big photography words. We know them, and don't really care what you know. We are there to work. And never tell the pro they are in the way of YOUR shot. My wife had that at her last wedding, thought she was gonna take her monopod out of her bag and "popsickle" the guy
Oh, and Lisy... That was the funniest thing I have ever read!
That was the funniest thing I have ever read!