Dawei Ye
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
|
 p.3 #4 · C&C: Friend's wedding as an Uncle Bob | |
Thanks for the additional feedback! Some interesting views!
marti.g3 wrote:
So do you ever "socialize" without your camera ? I mean to just enjoy an event without thinking about taking photos ? Seems obsessive don't ya think ? It's like an alcoholic who can't live without taking a drink.
I understand what you men - but it's just as OCD to actively refrain from taking photos out of a sense of pro photog's honour code.
As Chuck alluded to, taking photographs is a form of enjoyment for me. Ironically, to force myself to not take photographs is actually "obsessive" and unnatural.
I accept your view, but to me, it is as strange to Uncle Bob an event, as it is to actively leave your camera at home and "take a break". I just do what is natural and I am happy with - and as long as it doesn't intrude on others, I don't think anybody cares. People are too busy having a good time! The world isn't going to end if an Uncle Bob turns up to the wedding if they stay out of the way.
Kittyk wrote:
tell that to the sad brides, who wants their day to be their day and it gets ruined only because some guests think it is about them. you are not a woman, are you?
if i would want a party for a guests and make it a guests day, i would make a party and tell them i am throwing a party for all the guests and will be watching them having fun, never mind me, the bride in the back.
wedding is a bride's day. the more distant you are from this fact, the more distant you are to (most probably also your average) wedding customer. period.
when the day is over, you, as the couple, want more from it, then being happy that you provided (and paid for) lot of noobographer's opportunity to master their art of snapshots
besides, always keep in mind, that not every invited guest on the wedding is bride's favorite. many are invited from political reasons, as attachments to important persons, or for any other reasons. you can be damn sure, that bride will always want to be center of it, then having it every random guest's party day.
...Show more →
Because the photographers in this set are friends of mine I won't go into the rationale/specifics of this case, but I've Uncle Bobbed 3 other weddings and I wanted to post what happened in those instances. What I'm going to post below is the truth, however, I don't blame you if you are sceptical over the details as it is only one side of the story.
I confess in the back of mind, I have an ulterior motive, which is that I distrust other photographers. I'm not great, but the industry in Melbourne is on average much, much worse.
I disclose this so I can be condemned for who I truly am. No I am not an annoying Uncle Bob who interferes and figuratively jerks off over useless images. But I am not totally innocent. Please damn me for what I truly am 
CASE 1:
Bride saw some of my photos on facebook and wanted me to photograph her wedding. I respectfully advised against it as she was my friend, and instead. She said come anyway, even if I didn't photograh. I said I'd come along and take some background shots for her to complement what the Pro could not take. Eventually she found a very expensive photographer who prided himself on his website on using Hassy's.
On the day of the wedding, as soon as she saw me she interrupted her own preparations and went to grab a pre packaged gift for me (wine, chocolates etc.) and told me to make sure I enjoyed myself. I was very appreciative for the thought (Not surprisingly, it also turned out to be one of the best weddings I've been to.)
Photographer took some really nice photos for them during the "bridal party shots". During the ceremony, the photographer stood in the front row and all photos were from that angle. Without my photos from the back, the bride would have had no photos of:
- The guests
- A non wide angle perspective of the wedding
- The view from the back of the church
After the wedding, bride was ecstatic at the photos I gave her, because of the nature of my role, and my different style to the Hassy tog, I had no posed shots, and all were photojournalistic photos which she didn't have much of in her set. Also, a 5D2 + Canon L primes kicks a Hassy's butt during the reception speeches, cake cut etc.
Was a bit disappointed that such an expensive photographer could not get more rounded coverage, but oh well.
CASE 2:
Photographed a friend's (bride) engagement's party. Loved the shots. Didn't charge, was just a guest there and took some shots for her. Unedited, DVD, bang. She took the photos and made her own coffeebook out of them.
At actual wedding, she got sold (sucked in) on the venue's official photographer.
I attended as a guest and bought along my 5D2+35/85 only, and acted as a guest fully. Bride did not ask me to take photos, therefore I did not go out of my way to take any. I was literally an armchair snapshooter.
I observed the official photographer. was using a 5D2+24-105L+580 direct in the reception. Doesn't take a genius to work out the photos are going to suck. I took some fun shots (PJ style) and forgot about the photos for a few months.
2 months later, bride asked me if she could get a copy of the photos I took as she knew I was a keen photographer and knew that I would have brought along my camera.
B+G caught up with me for dinner, paid for my dinner just constantly thanking me for taking the photos and going on about how I had gotten all the key moments that the Pro had missed. The level of my surprise was matched only by my disgust at the Pro who had stuffed up their wedding.
---
As a result another motivation (in addition to the fun aspect as Chuck describted) of bringing my cameras to a wedding is in my arrogant belief that I can provide a "backup" function for the couple and often give even better output. Am I right or wrong? Probably both, but I stand ready to be damned for what I truly am - a concerned friend who is only trying to do what's best for his friends!
|
