I'm more like cousin bob because of my age but I'll bite too since I don't make any money at photography but first I want to explain how I approached the last wedding I went to.
I was asked to bring my equipment along to my wifes cousins wedding last November. She had hired a pro who she knew and asked if she (the pro) would mind if I tagged along and she didn't feel threatened in the least. I basically became a second shooter but there was no sharing of photo's and I at no time got in her way or messed with shots or anything she did that day.
I explained up front I was an amteur and there more to capture things when she was not around for. In the link below I laid on my back for the "circle shot" while she was prepring the bridal party for shots on the second floor, I took shot #30 from below while she took it from the balcony. I got the hockey shots while she took bridesmaid photo's on the steps. She stayed in the limo while the guys went for burgers at this hole in the wall joint I made a point of moving out of her way when she worked the room for the after dinner speaches yet I managed to get what I feel are a few terrific shots that captured the emotion of the moment while I stayed out of her way. She was no wear to be seen for the last two shots but no one can be everywhere and she can't be faulted for not being around impromptu shots through out the night.
If anyone looks at my photo's they will see they are not pro, the editing sure is not pro level (but I have improved since this and continue to learn) but in the end the bride said my photo's were shots the pro didnt get. If a pro is afraid of my quality then they have a lot more to be worried about than another uncle bob
Ok, so what did I get out of it? I LOVE photography and doing this was a blast to say the least as I am close with this couple and it had real meaning for me. We are very close to my wifes cousins and this made it personal, not just a chance to shoot away. The wedding was in Winnipeg and I live in Calgary about a 2 hour plane ride. Others also travelled to the wedding and some missed it altogether. My shots allow people to view the day because the pro didn't provide them with a disk, only photo's. It's much easier for people to re-live the memories when they can at least see my shots on the web vs. the shots in the b&g's album in Winnipeg which they have never seen.
I am not sure if it has come across in my posts on FM but I even though I aspire to be able to take those perfect shots I see here I believe more than anything that photo's capture memories. When you have an ongoing relationship with your subjects then you have insight into what you want to pull out of find in them. Pro's do this one way by knowing what makes a great shot, I do it by knowing what I know I can get from my friends/family.
So if I am uncle bob then I don't appologize because I am not out to accomplish what the average pro is, great shots that evoke WOW which many here do beyond anything I can hope to do in the near future. I am not the competition, I am a compliment to the pro's great work and the wedding albums they have purchased from the pros prove that.
I noticed that on the group formals on the steps, some of the people were looking at the pros camera and some were looking at you....in the same exposure....how did you guys work that ? Were you shooting off camera what the pro was shooting ? If so, why are some of the bridal party looking at your camera ?
That is one of the banes of pros......distracting eyes wandering NOT knowing who to look at .........
I've heard it time and time again over the years where a bride will complain that not everyone is looking in the same place..........I then explain that I can only do so much since SHE had many people taking photos at the same time and it wasn't my place to try to stop them..............
In the scope of an entire wedding, if a professional had TEN photographers shooting, they would not be able to capture EVERYTHING in the eyes of someone....anyone.......there would always be someone to fault them........just how many expos can a photographer be expected to shoot ?
Business is business........we sell a look, a style.......a product. We don't shoot just to shoot regardless of the amount of photos........guests have no limits.........and they have NO other weddings, portraits, commercial etc. jobs to work..............they shoot ONE wedding and can spend limitless hours working on it..................................
Personally, I would not take my camera to a wedding i was invited too.......why would i want to be running around when i could be enjoying food, drink and friends...........not sweating and working.
I'm just totally confused by that...but to a point i can understand being that you don't shoot weddings every weekend.........so for you it's unique time to have some fun at something that doesn't come around often............
Hassy, I understand what you are saying but I can assure you with 100% confidence that for "every pose" she did my camera ws tilted straightdown for at least the first 5 shots she fired (she took a lot btw). I shot some at the end of each pose and that is why they were looking two places in some instances. The expection to this was the jumping shots which we stood side by side and fired away like crazy for about 5 or 6 jumps. That was her idea as she knew how hard it is to nail everyone in these.
She was great to be around and when I offered to back away in a couple of instances she asked "why"?
I hope that helps, I just thought my first post was to long to begin with without every detail I could think of.
PS - I had more than my share of great food and time with people when the camera was parked on the table. No sense in missing that
I was just thinking, wouldn't it be funny to pull out a giant novelty camera and say "look at my camera please"? Just dwarf all of the distracting Uncle Bobs with your massive inflatable DSLR.
I made a point of moving out of her way when she worked the room for the after dinner speaches yet I managed to get what I feel are a few terrific shots that captured the emotion of the moment while I stayed out of her way. She was no wear to be seen for the last two shots but no one can be everywhere and she can't be faulted for not being around impromptu shots through out the night.
