How do you deal with annoying people at weddings?

Tony Parsons · May 9, 2020

Has anyone thought of turning up with a Gandolfi and wooden tripod, then using flash powder ?

mikemorrell · May 9, 2020

Hi @hectorroldan, good post! I'm an amateur and I've never done any wedding photography. I have been been photographed at a couple of weddings in the UK and NL.
The situation you describe sounds very chaotic! Other wedding photographers have given their reactions from their professional experience The only additional things that I can suggest are that you:
- negotiate a contract to be the only official wedding photographer on-site
- as part of this agreement, stipulate that any other 'lurking' professional photographers will be denied access to the wedding, even if these have been 'ínvited' by guests.
- make it clear that you will only accept a contract to deliver the wedding photos if you are the exclusive professional wedding photographer.
- Yes, many guests want photos too and they get in the way. Something that - in my experience in other situations - helps is to wear a a yellow vest with something like "official photographer" printed on it. This simple 'badge'' distinguishes you from the guests. It gives you the authority to direct the photo sessions, ask guest photographers to get of the way, stand in front of them, etc. Being the (only) official wedding photographer gives you a lot of leeway.

I have no idea whether this is practical in Guatemala. It just seems to me the more you're authorised and able to take 'exclusive' wedding photos, the more valuable your photos wil be, But this is not a simple answer. The situation you describe sounds like a photographic 'free for all.I'm not sure whether you can change this pder contract.

Best wishes,

Mike

hectorroldan said: ↑

First please let me explain. I live in Guatemala, Central América (just below México and next to Belize). Wedding photography is a hot business here, yet I don't participate for personal reasons, it is annoying, people here are often (mot of the times actually) annoying. I wonder how do you deal with this if you ever face such situations.

The usual thing around here is you get hired and when you show up you discover there are about other 3 photographers hired by other members of the family, and around 3-5 freelance photographers that are permanently present at the churches/temples looking for work. Yes, it is common to end up dealing with about 8 photographers at the same time, not to mention the guests with their tablets. If you think this sounds like some poor town wedding: yes, it's kinda like that, at times it's like diplomatic events where people fight over a picture and in the process will ruin other people photographs.

Well, that's the easy part of the problem .

The worst part is the family and guests. It doesn't matter who hires you, and it doesn't matter what part of the wedding is taking place, you will surely have to face random people telling you at any moment "hey you, hey... you, picture me, picture her, now a group photo". They believe the photographer has been paid by the family to serve anyone and everyone for free, and they will be rude. If you are thinking this only happens on poor weddings you are wrong, sadly this is very common and often caused by far related family, not even direct family of the people getting married.

I have seen photographers kindly explaining "sorry I was hired to... " [interrupted, then told something rude]. People will actually get up, walk to you and grab you by the arm or touch you in the shoulders to interrupt you (no matter what you are doing) to take pictures of a random kid in cheap ugly looking tuxedo or a lady in a dress, things can be that annoying. If you try to explain or just turn around you are likely to engage in more interruptions where people explain/demand why you should do what they are asking you, and how rude and pretentious you are by refusing. Things turn into a long uncomfortable interruption, often with complains to the family.

I don't do wedding photography because of this. I find the money being paid ends up being too low or too dirty/complicated/nasty. Talking and explaining when hired that you won't do that but only focus on the husband and wife means nothing, things will happen anyway. Here... it is very rare that weddings take place in really private ways with access control (no strangers). As explained many temples have permanent freelance photographers that have caused a big part of this issue because they try to serve anyone and everyone to get paid. It was easier in the past because FILM and instant pictures were expensive. Today they take pictures of anyone because digital is free and they can later try to sell it.

Well... that was a long detailed explanation. I have talked about this with fellow local photographers and asked the what they do, the answers vary but everyone shows how irritating this is, how they also hate such situations (hate is a strong word I'm not using lightly here), and often brings all sort of short stories of irritating events taking place at weddings. One guy method is telling people "sure sure, I'll be back right away" and moves away, if asked again he repeats, he basically plays the fool. I don't think such attitude is pretty but he faced less annoying situations than other people trying to explain why they can't interrupt their work to picture silly things. BTW photographers refusing to talk and just carrying on get it worse. I don't pretend or expect exclusivity but such things around "the job" make it cheap and easy to end up hating it.
Click to expand...

How do you deal with annoying people at weddings?

Tony Parsons Norfolk and Good

mikemorrell

Share This Page

How do you deal with annoying people at weddings?

Tony Parsons Norfolk and Good

mikemorrell

Share This Page

Useful Searches