Two days ago we got email from to be bride about that she actually wanted to hire uncle bob. I got some real laugh from that because of how people discuss it here.
excerpt, translated:
...you would pretend to be wedding guest, move along with other guests (means not disturbing the flow, jumping in front of us or do other crazy things photographers usually do). No flashes, group shots done together with other people with cameras (except we expect you to have professional camera --not so big one -- and deliver professional results).... You would not tell anybody that you are hired tog, just say you are friend of us?
I'm not a wedding photographer, but aren't you going to be very limited in shots then? Is she still willing to pay you the same knowing your level of work will potentially take a hit? It is kinda funny and I can see why she would want this, not hurting the uncle's feelings and all.
the pay was about same we do weddings for but we declined because i would not be comfortable doing it so.
i know they can have many reasons for that but power of wedding day should beat most of those i can think of.
The problem I've seen with brides is that their desires ahead of time can be very different than their expectations after. This bride sees your work, likes it, then tells you how to shoot it, but she is not really getting it that the work will look different as well. You were very right to pass on this.
exactly my thoughts. up to now we were always somehow successful in explaining that to really deliver something with wow factor, we need to be (big) part of the wedding, even when in some cases it might affect the experience of other guests (have been through all that "could not see you coming because of softbox and tog in the way, photographer is in my P&S camera shots, fighting with churches for agreements to shoot,...).
besides, i would have problem not only to say that i am just a friend, but also then deliver something which would not be happy with.
Beni wrote:
Tell her to buy you an M9, appropriate lenses (for the small unobtrusive look) and make a bullet proof contract
Are M9's that unobtrusive? It's rather big (finally saw someone with it (M8.2 actuall) recently) and quite an exotic non-standard camera which will get questions from anyone remotely interested in photography.
I'd say the S90 from Canon would work in this context. Sounds like a unique opportunity if you are into PJ.
Kittyk wrote:
Two days ago we got email from to be bride about that she actually wanted to hire uncle bob. I got some real laugh from that because of how people discuss it here.
excerpt, translated:
...you would pretend to be wedding guest, move along with other guests (means not disturbing the flow, jumping in front of us or do other crazy things photographers usually do). No flashes, group shots done together with other people with cameras (except we expect you to have professional camera --not so big one -- and deliver professional results).... You would not tell anybody that you are hired tog, just say you are friend of us?
I shot a wedding where I was hired and a close friend of the bride's family was a semi-retired "professional" wedding photographer gifting the photography to the couple. The bride and I had discussed things earlier and I held back, letting the friend take charge of the full day. Many lessons learned that day, including the fact that this person was no professional. It would have been better going in as only a friend, blending in more. All was good. The bride and her family greatly appreciated the way I handled the situation.
I'd meet with her, find out what's behind this. It actually could be fun, if she does realize the difference in the results and if there is a reason for this other than seeing too many pushy, flash-happy, in-your-face photographers. Two lenses, one body, find out what's on her must have list, and let her know that if anything goes wrong with the equipment you will not have back up gear immediately on hand and may miss some shots due to this, the binding requirements, etc. with everything written into the contract. If she seems flakey, no. If she seems fun and realistic, sure.
I'd jump at this in a heartbeat. As long as the bride understood the limitations and adjusted her expectations accordingly. Sounds pretty "stress free" to me. You could even stagger around with a drink in your hand and pinch the bridesmaids just to keep things real.
the only catch really would be when someone asks questions about how you know the bride and groom, it would not be something you really want to lie about if you are in the business of shooting weddings, depending on the scenario it could turn out okay, but obviously there are no guarantees doing it her way.
yea , we ummm, met in high school but then i got hit by truck and forgot everything! i am pretty sure i would also make the best "over the head" coverage of ceremony as well and D700+85/1.4 hopefunny also rates as "small camera" and actually having fun there, but only as long as they would not want all the photos from me
sherijohnson wrote:
the only catch really would be when someone asks questions about how you know the bride and groom, it would not be something you really want to lie about if you are in the business of shooting weddings, depending on the scenario it could turn out okay, but obviously there are no guarantees doing it her way.
"I want you to take professional grade photos with sub-professional equipment"
i'm sure u r not implying that 'professional' grade camera is a requirement to produce great images?
a professional photographer should be able to do quite well with modest equipment, such as a canon xt + some fast primes, 24L comes to mind,
epuja wrote:
a professional photographer should be able to do quite well with modest equipment, such as a canon xt + some fast primes, 24L comes to mind,
24L isn't "professional equipment" ?? They're not exactly giving them away.
, we ummm, met in high school but then i got hit by truck and forgot everything! i am pretty sure i would also make the best "over the head" coverage of ceremony as well and D700+85/1.4 hopefunny also rates as "small camera" and actually having fun there, but only as long as they would not want all the photos from me 
?