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What Do You Dislike About the Way Other Photogs Do Things?


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1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I almost always have a Yankee cap on when shooting -- with the visor pointed forward. I'm wondering if you reach your elbow high when doing verticals? I don't. I keep both arms down and use my thumb on the release. I couldn't wear a helmet in combat though. 

 

 

 

I will have to do some validations, it happens more when i'm doing high movement photo, like birds, so maybe there is issues in my technique in this situation.  going out to test now

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Photographers not taking the lens cap off

 

but seriously, aperture, speed, exposure, DOF, etc are relatively simple to understand and I don't think it's too hard to take some good, well-composed, and well-exposed photographs. However today we live in a world where every Tom, Dick or Harry produces a phone and thinks they know everything about photography and can then put you right.

In the professional arena, the egos can't miss with 20fps+, anti-ballistic missile auto-tracking, company gear and think others shouldn't be there. Never has it been so easier in many respects.

 

You can wear your hat whatever way you like, carry your camera whatever way you like, have a big lens or a small lens but the lack of respect is awful.

 

Let's get back to actual respect and let you, I and others take their shots without snide comments or unwanted intrusion.

 

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The brand new neighbor across the street walking over to ask “what are you taking pictures of?” And scaring away the butterflies I was shooting.

The other neighbor asking how the guitar playing was coming along just as I released a new Monarch onto some flowers and was getting ready to photograph it. I answered the neighbor, looked down and my Monarch was gone.

Maybe I should quickly aim the camera toward them and watch them run back into their houses! 😁

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Can't recall ever been bothered by another photographer, had the occasional friendly conversation, but no agro. 

 

Other  motorists, however, cause me grief. Latest example, driving along a narrow country road when a car comes towards me veering to my side of the road. I slammed on the brakes sensing imminent impact, when the other driver suddenly became aware and swerved away.   Using her phone I think.

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I use the hood unless it’s a overcast day. But I always have a lens cap on when not in use. I have never banged or dropped a camera. Ever. I just invited Murphy’s law into my life.
One of the things that bother me is when I am trying to take portrait pictures of family, others notice I’ve gathered an adult couple or several children and jump beside me with their phones. So I get eyes looking at me, and other eyes looking at the person(s)who horned in. Drives me crazy. I should speak up, but I never do. I guess I don’t want to lose my “everyone loves Mimi” status by being testy, however nicely spoken. As a result, I end up getting grab shots mostly, where I can’t control backgrounds.

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I don't do weddings unless asked by a mate. Quite a few years ago, my mate Charles was getting hitched and asked me to do him a set of photos. I prefer candids, but did line up the traditional parents & cousins for the traditional snap, but a whole lot of the party lined up beside me and started shouting (& shooting) Fxxk it! you do it then! and put the camera away. The Father of the bride was so keen on this bloke and we, the rabble that he provided the most appalling cheep cheep wine. But perhaps he was right, it lasted just months

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7 hours ago, Robert M Estall said:

I don't do weddings unless asked by a mate. Quite a few years ago, my mate Charles was getting hitched and asked me to do him a set of photos. I prefer candids, but did line up the traditional parents & cousins for the traditional snap, but a whole lot of the party lined up beside me and started shouting (& shooting) Fxxk it! you do it then! and put the camera away. The Father of the bride was so keen on this bloke and we, the rabble that he provided the most appalling cheep cheep wine. But perhaps he was right, it lasted just months

There should be an announcement by the pastor before the wedding party enters for vows.
“Please allow the assigned photographer to take the photos without competition. Once he announces he’s finished, have at it.”


I do feel sorry for wedding photographers who face this. It didn’t happen much before the modern mobile phones.

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3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

There should be an announcement by the pastor before the wedding party enters for vows.
“Please allow the assigned photographer to take the photos without competition. Once he announces he’s finished, have at it.”


I do feel sorry for wedding photographers who face this. It didn’t happen much before the modern mobile phones.

 

The celebrant/priest/registrar will normally announce something along those lines for the ceremony itself where they ask guests not to take pictures and leave that up to the official photographer. But that is not an issue. It is the formal groups that can be problematic with other guests. 

 

The celebrant/priest/registrar has usually long gone before the group formals which are best done outdoors and away to the side. I choose an area based on lighting (can't be sun from the front) and background and I get the couple to delegate a guest or two who know everyone to call people over with a list. Formal groups are definitely the most boring part of wedding photography although I understand why people want them as they may well be gathering people together who will never otherwise meet and they want a record. 

 

It is about force of personality. I am nice to people but strong if necessary. I can have a very loud and powerful voice, Covid aside. I just tell people politely to move away and not stand beside or behind me when I am doing formal group photos. It is hard enough to get everyone in a picture to concentrate on a photo without others beside me distracting them. I might take a burst of 20 shots and get one or two usable ones where no one is blinking or looking elsewhere.  I don't even allow them to come back in to take pictures of each group when I complete each one as it slows things down. If they want their own groups, then they can organise a sideshow.

 

Everyone wants so-called natural photos but every couple wants formal groups as well.  I always caution the couple to keep the numbers down and most do but it is their day and that is what they are paying for. Last wedding I did where I got Covid I had over 30 formals which is a record - over 700 images. I am still going through them accompanied by choice language at times, aimed at a few serial offenders who never look at the camera.  

 

The vast majority of guests are nice people and totally cooperative. However, I did a wedding a couple of years ago where there was one guy who would neither join or get out of a particular photo. I made what I thought was a little joke and he got very agitated. I had two cameras with heavy lenses around my shoulders and unable to protect myself if he had become violent. Fortunately the groom took my side - he was a very big guy, a prison officer and not a guy to argue with. The other guy left the wedding and I got his place at the meal instead of going to the bar. 

 

However, it is amazing how much really raw emotion is floating about at a wedding which is one of the main reasons I really enjoy the work. There is no other type of people photography where you get guys breaking down in tears. Some of my all time favourite shots are of dads unable to hold back the tears when they see their girls all dressed up for the first time. Yes it is all very processed but each one is also different. Even the speeches can throw up some great emotions.

 

As for Edo's original question In the topic, it makes me smile wryly when I see other camera owners (some are photographers) say they don't do weddings for whatever reason but are often totally unaware of the skill levels involved. Nowadays you have to be able to shoot anything and everything in all sorts of lighting and locations, make very rapid but calm decisions, maintain focus literally for hours on end, pose couples carefully to get really natural, aesthetic images and so on. I aim at a basic technical level that would pass Alamy QC as well.  I use just about everything I have ever learned about photography whenever I shoot a wedding and I take enormous pride in my work including the editing. It really does mean something to get genuine positive feedback from couples. 

 

 

Edited by MDM
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One thing that bugs me with other photographers is simply not making the effort to make a half-decent picture into a good picture or a good picture into a great picture. This can be a very simple thing like moving slightly to get light or background right, it can be compositional in-camera or in post and so on. The basic principle is that if something is worth doing, then it is worth making the effort to do it properly. This goes out in to life as well and is not necessarily just about photography.  

 

Another thing that does not bug me so much as intrigue me is why so few photographers it seems print or have prints made of their work. I love making my own prints - it is the final step in the process for me. That said, I produce way too much stuff to print out even a fraction of it so I consider a decent monitor (say minimum 24" nowadays) to be an essential part of the whole process of viewing one's images. Why have gear that produces high resolution images and never actually see the detail. Edo probably won't like this of course as he is viewing his images on a 13" screen but that is understandable given his circumstances and desire to stay light. 

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4 hours ago, MDM said:

As for Edo's original question In the topic, it makes me smile wryly when I see other camera owners (some are photographers) say they don't do weddings for whatever reason but are often totally unaware of the skill levels involved. Nowadays you have to be able to shoot anything and everything in all sorts of lighting and locations, make very rapid but calm decisions, maintain focus literally for hours on end, pose couples carefully to get really natural, aesthetic images and so on. I aim at a basic technical level that would pass Alamy QC as well.  I use just about everything I have ever learned about photography whenever I shoot a wedding and I take enormous pride in my work including the editing. It really does mean something to get genuine positive feedback from couples. 

 

 

+100% Wedding photography is probably one of the most all encompassing genres I can think of, everything from still life to portrait to candid and throw in crowd management for fun! Anyone who looks down on wedding photographers just does not understand the skills involved.

As for back to front lens hoods...eejits!

 

Phil

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35 minutes ago, Phil Crean said:

+100% Wedding photography is probably one of the most all encompassing genres I can think of, everything from still life to portrait to candid and throw in crowd management for fun! Anyone who looks down on wedding photographers just does not understand the skills involved.

As for back to front lens hoods...eejits!

 

Phil


Deffo Phil. There is no probably about it. It is multi-skilled and highly-skilled. The strange thing for me is that I never thought I would really enjoy it or be any good at it. In fact you were a big inspiration when I decided to actually do it. Thanks man. 

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7 hours ago, MDM said:

I might take a burst of 20 shots and get one or two usable ones where no one is blinking or looking elsewhere.

 

Hi Mick, Nice to see you back on the forum. Hope you continue to improve your health. Regarding the Quote above I did hear of at least one wedding photographer who, when the wedding groups were assembled, would blow a whistle to attract the participants to towards him and take the photo.

 

Allan

 

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11 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Hi Mick, Nice to see you back on the forum. Hope you continue to improve your health. Regarding the Quote above I did hear of at least one wedding photographer who, when the wedding groups were assembled, would blow a whistle to attract the participants to towards him and take the photo.

 

Allan

 

 

Thanks for the good wishes Allan. Health is improving daily but I am finding it very hard to sleep at night - pumped up with steroids which they use in hospital to suppress dangerous immune system reactions and gradually weaning down, so I spent quite a while in the middle of the night writing that long post.

 

I think I will stick to the list method for calling people over and use more subtle techniques than blowing a whistle. What I like to do is get a face on shot of each group first but then get them chatting among themselves - telling the groom how pretty he looks  makes for much more fun pics. With big groups I take a few static shots first and then get them to jump and wave which really gets them going. Even the grandads and grandmas get into it.  I am not a rabble rouser or master of ceremonies type at all as you know but it is interesting to find new talents. The results are usual worth it. 

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I've only covered two weddings, and those were small affairs before the arrival of cell phones. The complexities of doing a large social wedding were evident. I was commissioned once to write original music for a big wedding. The music was played from the back of the East Hampton church on my Korg M1. 

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Only done one wedding, my stepdaughter. 

Bright sunny day, white wedding dress, not the easiest of subjects. But they were happy with the results.

I have to say that I was so worried about mucking it up, I paid for a photographer as well.

 

Now my Granddaughter has asked me to do hers this coming March but this will be a smaller affair and I feel more confident.

 

 

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I remember doing my very first Wedding back in the days of film, 2 1/4 sq in my case then. It was a lovely village churchyard and I was doing the group shots working through their list, it was going well. I politely asked this gentleman to join the main family group. "You gonna make me", he glared! Seems he was the estranged father of the bride but no-one had told me. Welcome to Wedding Photography I thought.

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9 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

I remember doing my very first Wedding back in the days of film, 2 1/4 sq in my case then. It was a lovely village churchyard and I was doing the group shots working through their list, it was going well. I politely asked this gentleman to join the main family group. "You gonna make me", he glared! Seems he was the estranged father of the bride but no-one had told me. Welcome to Wedding Photography I thought.

Easier that way than the time I was asked to remove the father..........after the album was delivered. Before digital it was a scissors deal. I ran away from that job as soon as I decently could.

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There must be a thousand stories about wedding photography, some hilarious, some tragic.

There comes to mind my nephew’s second marriage. He asked my husband to take the pictures. It was a budget wedding. Expectations were not high, they just wanted some simple images of the ceremony.  I was very nervous about it because at the time, my husband had no experience with anything formal, portraits, even.

He was using a Nikon with mounted flash, (argggh) and somehow had the sync wrong. All of the pictures except a couple of them (probably when the flash didn’t fire), we’re half black.

Just because a person can take great shots of landscapes, flowers, butterflies, doesn’t make them a wedding photographer.

Frankly, I can’t think of anything more demanding than shooting a wedding. Even fashion/runway doesn’t seem as hard. But then I have no knowledge of that.

There we’re a few people who brought small cameras, possibly my nephew got a few from them. I hope. I wasn’t even the photographer, but I think I wore a sack over my head for a month.

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There was one family wedding, at which I was official stills photographer, where someone with a movie camera had offered to film the wedding for them and not wanting to offend him said that would be OK failing to let him know that I was the wedding photographer on the day. I later heard he had asked the groom who I was and why was I getting in his way.😄

 

Allan

 

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I have a great deal of respect for those who shoot weddings and do it well.  I have done a couple for money and few more for friends/family....just enough to know how much I don't want to do them again.  Most of my shoots last an hour or two...I just don't have what it takes to be "on" for up to 8 to 10 hours straight. I have a close childhood friend who shoots high end weddings (many are celebrities) and has a book coming out this month on his 30+ years of shooting weddings...he is still going it at in his 60s!

 

Link to his book on Amazon, called The Perfect Imperfect, The Wedding Photographs of John Dolan

Edited by Michael Ventura
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12 minutes ago, Martin L said:

 

This seems to be quite prevalent in photography 🙂

Proud recipients of an IgNobel prize, but it's quite prevalent elsewhere in England at the moment, accounts for quite a bit...... I can think of a few who wouldn't recognise metacognition if its mandibles were in conjunction with their posteriors.

Edited by spacecadet
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I don't mean to be snotty about wedding photography, in fact it's one of the few areas of photography where one might make a living these days. No, I'm not greatly attracted to the whole concept nor socially addept enough to carry it off competently. My attitude was not appreciated by our son who was pretty uncomfortable about our status for a good few years, but he's long past school years now and I don't think it a problem these days.

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Things that bug me about other photographers: 

 

The "what kind of camera are you using" question. Which, for some reason usually comes from men who are somewhat new to semi/professional photography. By new, I mean someone who hasn't been at it as long as I have. It's like a competition and I won't mention which competition I compare it to. Sure some ask the question because they are truly interested in the subject, but most usually follow my answer with, "well mine is bigger, better, faster, whatever, than yours".

 

New photographers who think that photography is all about the tech, and that the camera takes the photograph, rather than the person. Photographers who don't study color theory and composition, don't crop with their camera (sometimes not possible, I know), and rely on peer thinking as to what they like or don't like. 

 

One hit wonders who don't realize they are one hit wonders.

 

Camera bags of any kind and camera holsters on a belt. I hate camera bags. I mean, a photographer has to use them for big shoots and all, but in my world, they just scream "I have a lot of gear here, so rip me off, please!" I actually do use padded camera (a holster no less) and lens cases, but I carry them in a nondescript bag. People where I live (in Techlandia) still carry their tech around in non-descript messenger bags and Timbuktu backbacks, so that's what I use. 

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43 minutes ago, kimba said:

Camera bags of any kind and camera holsters on a belt. I hate camera bags. I mean, a photographer has to use them for big shoots and all, but in my world, they just scream "I have a lot of gear here, so rip me off, please!" 

At the last count I have 6 camera bags.

I don't want to be hated or ripped off 😪

Edited by Martin L
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