What is your most embarrassing wedding moment as a photographer?

<p>I feel like I know a lot of you here, but would also like to hear a bit more from those of you I don't know on here. So, I'm putting it out here. What is your most embarrassing moment that has happened to you while on the job as a photographer?</p>

<p>Melissa, I don't do weddings, but I doubt that many photographers would want to put a description of the most embarrassing moment of their professional work on the web, where the clients who suffered that moment might find it. Think about it. You started this thread, but you had the good sense not to describe your most embarrassing moment.</p>

Oh probably my last wedding. It was a large wedding in an old stone church in New England near the ocean. It was an eight hour job as I started with the bridal preparation, went through the ceremony several miles from the hotel and then the reception. The bride is statuesque and she towed a ten foot train behind her. I was on my way out of my wedding business because I was getting old and was far too busy to keep up with the business I had started and grown for several years after I retired from my major life's work. Fortunately, the bride was really nice and was obviously in charge of the festivities. She wanted pictures of the wedding party in the rather dimly lit sanctuary after the ceremony. So when the ceremony was over I picked up my Bronica loaded with a fifteen picture back of Fuji film. Fifteen images was all I needed to really get in the sanctuary. I had to change lenses from a 75mm to a 50 mm PE lens to get the group. I confidently shot a couple groups that she wanted against the alter. What I forgot to do on the fifty mm was to manually change f16 to 2.8. I tried later to process the film but there was nothing there. After the group broke, while leaving the church I realized my underexposure mistake and I rushed to catch up with the bride to confess to the lovely bride. As I did so I stepped square on that ten foot bridal train stopping her dead in her tracks just as she was stepping into the sunlight outside the sanctuary entrance. I am an old broken down pilot and have been in some tough situations but I don't think no matter what the problem in an airplane I was never so chagrined as I was going out that church door. I caught up with her because I had substantially brought her to a stop. I confessed what I had done. She was unbelievably gracious and there was a really beautiful garden near us. We reformed the groups and made some new ones and I shot four five rolls of formals in that spot with just a slight amout of flash fill in the sunlight. Thank god I did not rip the train. She then wanted some shots as she got in her long white limo so rushing out to catch her as she left I was carrying a Bronica Body with the fifty mm and a canon body on which I was trying attach a 70-200 2.8 while rapidly walking down a cement walk. I confess I was a little unnerved . I dropped the long lens on the sidewalk from waist height. I was loath to use the long lens after it bounced about a foot in the air so I used a 28-70 from my nearby bag. I did get the limo pictures. There was a high cliff over the ocean where she wanted some pictures from on high with the ocean in the background. I had done pictures there before from above the subject while she was still about fifty feet above the water. She had the limo drop her there by herself and we spent a delightful half hour with my shooting from above down on that long, still intact train, The dress, the lithe figure and the train made some lovely pictures. It was a brilliant day and the ocean was really blue. The long lens survived and I still use it. So that's our, the bride's and my, story and we'll stick to it. She called me after she got the proofs and I sent her some enlargements. and then she called again for more pictures and I just sent her the entire batch of negatives and gave unlimited rights to use the pictures. i had never given up negs before but it was my last wedding and I really liked her and was grateful we got through my fiasco calmly without hysterics and she got what she paid for. It pays to get along with your brides. I had never failed to properly set my MF lenses before that. No chimping with a Bronica. When it rains it pours. So that was my last wedding.

<p>Delightful and funny (after the fact) story Dick. Yes, it does seem that when it rains it pours : -)</p>

<p>Having not met an out of town couple prior to the ceremony, I once asked the Groom if he was Father of the Bride ... : -0</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Dick, that is an awesome story :) I am glad you were able to end it on such good terms. I haven't really had too many embarrassing moments. The only one right now that comes to mind is falling while stepping outside the Salt Lake Temple doors in front of all the family who was waiting for the bride and groom to come out. They all clapped for me and fortunately, I did not damage any equipment - a slight sprain which I endured the rest of the day without them knowing. Still embarrassing though :)</p>

<p>How could I choose just one??? :)</p>

There's been a few, but this one will always be on my mind for life. Many years ago, way before digital, I was doing the formals in church. Well as I was backing up, without looking behind me and grandma was behind me taking pictures. I smashed into her. We both fell to the ground. Her on top of me, because I didn't want her hitting the floor. The bottom of her dress flew up over my head. Not a pretty sight.

<p>This is not a wedding story but a very posh eightieth birthday party that I had been requested to photograph. It was held in a very elaborate marquee and the 200 guests were seated and just finishing their meal. I was moving between the tables when an agitated lady ran after me calling "Oh, oh, you've got Aunty Mary's hair net." Sure enough, there it was hanging from a button on my jacket. I'd picked it up as I had brushed past her.</p>

<p>That might be the time I fell over backward while avidly trying to photograph a kid running up the aisle at a processional. It was outside in thick grass, which is why I fell over to begin with, and why I was perfectly fine--just embarassed. Turns out the grass hid a depression, which is where I stepped, and tripped.</p>

<p>The bride told me early in the day that her mother was a toughy and that I should probably stay away from her. They had gone so far as to assign a couple of minders to the mother-of-the-bride to keep her calm and avoid any scenes. She didn't want her picture taken and naturally I complied - but the bride and groom convinced her to have one taken with the 3 of them. She scowled at me and then forced one brief smile. I avoided her the rest of the day.</p>

<p>Toward the end of the evening, after many drinks and having loosed herself from her minders, she caught me at the reception, backed me up against a wall and much to my embarassment began screaming at me. Among other things, she said that if she saw her picture on the internet she would shove that camera right up my ass. Any attempt to calm her only escalated the scene and people starting gathering around. Thankfully her minders came and led her away still demonstatively screaming and pointing her finger at me. Whew! Everyone was extremely apologetic and we all let it blow over but the vision of a 24-70mm lens up my you-know-what has haunted me ever since! :)</p>

<p>Many, many years ago I was shooting weddings for a local studio which offered a $75 2 hour wedding package (told you it was a long time ago!) for which I think I got $20. I shot the 3rd or 4th wedding of a bride and, when I asked where the reception was, was told to "follow those people over there."<br>

They drove home.<br>

I was somewhere in northern Connecticut looking for a VFW hall that no one had ever heard of. I ended up calling the studio and telling them I had lost the bride and groom. I don't think I got my $20 that day.</p>

<p>Oh,,,, mine's easy. I was working a crazy Fri. night wedding in a restaurant in Union, NJ. It was raining quite heavily so I set up my canvas and a big umbrella downstairs in the basement area so I could shoot solo bride and some couple shots, plus the parents and gp's seperate. I got all my shots, all good blah-blah, and we were well into the reception, so I decided before we get into the cake bit I would go down and pack up my stuff while everyone was having dinner. So I go to pull my canvas and stands however, behind them is a couple from the bridal party missing some clothes and into some pretty heavy activity. I said, not to worry, I'll clean up a little later ;-)) and so that's how it went, ha ha.</p>

<p>These are all so funny! I enjoyed laughing and hearing a bit of the lighter side from everyone! Thanks so much for sharing!</p>

<p>Back when dinosaurs roam the earth, I had a wedding gig:<br>

The grooms father is a big shot at a church. The church just built a new sanctuary and this was to be the first wedding at this new facilty.<br>

The place was gorgeous and like all church constructions ran over time. Father used his pull and $$ to get the church finished so the son can have the wedding on the planned day.<br>

The sod was laid Friday afternoon during the beginning of a thunderstorm which ended early in the morning.<br>

Saturday - wedding went well, I had a good time working and them - everyone to the front of the church for the big 400 people group formal. <br>

Photog grab his camera on tripod (4X5) and started backing up onto the grass. Then I got this weird feeling that I was sinking. Sure enough the new sod over the wet ground that has not settled was sucking me in like quicksand.<br>

Fortunately there were still constructions equipment around and some of the contractor and crew was at the wedding. They used the heavy equipment to pull me straight up. I then took advantage of the equipment to get a slightly elevated shot of the group.<br>

After that fiasco 35 yrs ago I always carry an extra set of "wedding work clothes".</p>

<p>Ha ha--Danny... I had a similar experience. Almost lost a shoe in the mud and then had to walk around for a bit to complete formals with one foot encased in a mud pack. The things we do to get the pictures!</p>

<p>This one used to happen to me almost every wedding, I switch lens quickly, and I go to hold it up to take a shot and haven't taken the lens cap off. I look through the view finder and I'm like D'OH! Then the people go, um, LENS CAP! I'd feel soooo dumb! Finally I'm getting better at remembering this.</p>

<p>My most embarrassing moment as a photographer came while shooting a business lunch, not a wedding, but since it happened just hours before I found this thread, I wanted to share it. It's good for therapy.</p>

<p>I'm new to the business & trying to get my name out. I'd volunteered to shoot the annual business meeting/luncheon for a prominent local charity at a greatly reduced rate. This was the second gig I'd done for the charity. The meeting was in a large hotel ballroom. Among the 400 in attendance were the mayor and most of our biggest business leaders. The superintendent of schools was giving his keynote address. After getting a couple close shots (bounced flash) from right in front of the stage, I was working my way round the perimeter of the room with my 300mm lens & no flash. I finished my circuit at the front right corner of the room (the wall behind the speaker, about 50 feet to the speaker's left). The doorway to the kitchen happens to be in that corner. I was leaning against the wall, trying to hide in the shadows. All of a sudden, right in the middle of the keynote speech (which is being video taped), I heard a loud mechanical noise behind me and both 4' kitchen doors swung wide open, scaring to death both me and a couple kitchen workers on the other side. I quickly realized that there was a pushbutton panel to open those doors in the corner right where I had been leaning. I must have bumped it with the camera bag on my hip. When I realized what I'd done, I almost darted into the kitchen & didn't return. Fortunately, the doors shut on their own after a few seconds, and I found a nice, big pillar to hide behind for the remainder of the speech. I'm sure I was beet red the rest of the afternoon.</p>

<p>It ended well, though. The charity staff assured me that everybody (except me & the kitchen workers) got a good chuckle out of it, and they've asked me back to shoot another meeting at the same venue in a few weeks. I'll be sure to look before I lean this time! They say in showbusiness, the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Problem solved...</p>

<p>In the attached photo, the speaker is by the flag at camera left, and that's my doorway at camera right.</p><div></div>

<p>Never had an embarrassing moment photographing a wedding but some of the clients that worked for have. About 10 years ago I was at a wedding rehearsal and the couple realized that they forgot to get their marriage license. They had to call the chancery clerk next morning so he could open the courthouse for them to get their license. At another wedding just a few years back at a small church the couple had neglected to make arrangements to have a sound system. They had to bring in portable equipment only an hour before the ceremony.</p>

<p>I once asked the bride's mother if she was the bride's grandmother. I quickly turned the color of a lobster when corrected. :s</p>