Dinner shots?

[steve_gibbs1]

As a policy, I (or my employees) do not eat or drink at weddings, aside from

water. I always thought it looked a little tacky to see DJs and photogs feeding

their faces at an event they are being paid for. During the dinners, I usually

shoot some close-ups of cake & decor/building and stuff for backgrounds in a

StoryBook album (always think: upsale!). If the dinner spread is a big fancy

one, I'll shoot some of that also.

I just had a couple who said they were "very dissapointed" that I did not shoot

the people EATING. Is this something that other wedding photographers do?

Do you really want a cheesy 'table shot' of people with dirty dishes in front of

them and food in their teeth? What good image could possibly come from

people eating?

 

I'm not talking about a toast or a champaign pour, or cake smooshing........just

people eating.

[merlin]

I shoot a couple shots of the head table during dinner, that's it. I think it's rude to be in their face while they're eating. Plus i'ts a great chance for them to relax. I ususally take this time to do some detail shots of the reception or to take a break. If the b&g have invited their vendors to share in the meal, that's fine, but if not I'll pack something.

[jmichaelc]

Dinner/Table shoots are good to get. It is an opportunity to capture all invited guests. I try and get just one shot of all tables once all guests are seated. Nothing grand about it thats for sure.

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste]

I've yet to find any photographer who enjoyed doing table shots, the people don't like being interrupted from their food for the most part, the photos are not that much better than snapshots artistically speaking and it's an annoying bother.

 

If anyone does pipe up that they enjoy it then I'm prosecuting for treason to the society of world weary wedding photogs.... ;-)

[EricM]

I demand dinner. I do not demand a seat though. Even when one is set for me, I've never been able to remain there or even use it for the course of the meal. It's usually a standing dinner as there's too much to do and is often my pit stop to change batteries and get organized etc. I also take a fair amount of guests and family pics at this point.

 

However, my jaw droped this weekend when I noticed my first time assitant wandering around with a glass of beer...

[conraderb]

People look funny with a fork half in their mouth.<BR>

I never ask for dinner.<BR>

I always bring my own food.<BR>

You are hired to shoot photos. <BR>

You are not there to dine.<BR>

<BR><BR>

Why do people act like wedding photography is some herculean task?<BR>

Take your photos, collect money and go home.<BR>

Repeat.<BR>

It's not that hard.<BR>

[j_lam]

One of my heroes is the Taiwanese director, Ang Lee, who just won an award at the Venice Film Festival for Brokeback Mountain.

 

If you know his work, you know that food figures prominently in all of his films.

 

He never shoots people eating because he finds it unattractive.

 

I don't see any reason why people should be caught in such an intimate and unpleasant looking pose.

 

I hate table shots too. There are people who inadvertantly are in the bathroom or chatting with others in the room. I never seem to get a full table.

[todd1664878707]

I'm very surprised that some photographers choose not to eat during dinner. I always say "I will have an assistant with me so there will be two of us for dinner" and I never got so much as an odd look from my clients.

As far as picture taking. I really try to avoid taking pictures at dinner. Aunt Edna doesn't want to be remembered at her niece's wedding for stuffing prime rib down her throat. I also never do table shots unless requested.

[rob_m.___portland__or.]

Great Derek C. impression Conrad.

 

I try not to take pictures of people when they are eating, it's not very flattering. I find that there are usually plenty of people who aren't eating that I can focus on, or get details, etc. I've never had a client complain.

 

Rob

[jmichaelc]

Let me add to my above comment - when shooting table shots i always go wide - never up close and personal. When looking back, lets say 20-30 years down the road, wouldn't it be nice to have an idea of just who was at your wedding? These wide table shots will at least give one that to reflect on. These are not sellers, they are simply memory keepers.

[todd1664878707]

That's so funny Rob. I read Conrad's reply and I thought it was Derek C's until you just called him on it!

[conraderb]

Derek speaks tersely.

I tried hard to copy him.

Look! It did not work.

[EricM]

shooting dinner shots doesn't mean you have to snap when they have their mouth wide open with a chunk of salmon going down. It doesn?t mean shooting during dinner. it can mean friends and family with their arms around one another or toasting or posing nicely. i've found the guests most relaxed and happy at the dinner table, after dinner, that is. That's when I like to snap, after they've had a belly of food and a couple glasses.

 

not including yourself at the dinner is exclusionary and alienating to the event, imho. Wandering off to a corner to eat your own brown bag lunch looks as tacky as some wedding photographers can dress themselves, imho.

[larry schaefer - chicago,]

Our good buddy Derek would have no knowledge of the word "herculean" and one other thing Conrad; there are zero spelling errors.

 

Table shots should have a punitive a'la carte price.

[conraderb]

my above post was a haiku, but I didnt' format it properly, so it doesn't really look like one.

 

by the way, I think that table shots, while somewhat annoying and tough to orchestrate, can be good publicity if you have smooth people skills. good publicity because a) the guests know that an image of them will probably be online, so they go to the website if you have internet proofing and b) the guests can see that you are a relatively nice photographer (if you are one) and aren't the stereotypical photographer. I have definitely had guests comment on how I'm the nicest wedding photographer they remember...and that's part of it.

 

Of course, if you are a grumpy photographer, then doing table shots is a bad idea... :-)

[david_schilling___chicago_]

As a rule I avoid doing "table shots" and assure the B/G that I will get some photos of most all the guests on the dance floor or in some candids. I'm happy to shoot a few groups at the table but generally not the table shots. And, this is typically my first real break of the day and my time to eat (but that's a whole other thread).

 

What I will offer to do when the B/G are really invested in the table shots is to suggest that if they are already planning on going from table-to-table to visit their guests and thank them for coming...then I offer to tag along and shoot each table with half the people sitting and the other half on iether side of the B/G who are standing in the middle. If I ask people to stand and take a photo with the B/G there, the guests will trip over eachother to get the shot...if it's just me & my camera most of the guest look at me like I'm an intruder or one of those "Cruise-line" photographers...<div></div>

[jon jacobson]

Depending on the type of coverage, 10 to 12 hours is a little long without a meal. If you as a photographer are expected to do a great job, a break to eat should not be unexpected.

 

Additionally, there's really little photography to be taken during the meal.

 

We mingle with the guests as if we are guests. It helps establish a report. Recently we were invited for the lunch before preparations at the church. It was an ideal chance to better get to know the attendants.

 

Most importantly, it's something that the B&G should know about in advance. If you tell them you will not be taking shots of people eating, they will not be surprised, and most likely appreciative. We tell them we'll be eating when they eat, so as to not miss anything.

 

As for drinking ... we had one bride exclaim "put down that cameral and have a beer!" Despite our no boozing at the reception policy, I had one.<div></div>

[bruce_rubenstein]

After 20 - 30 years, table shots are good for a game of "Dead or Alive" or "Who the Heck is That?". I, or any one I work with, do table shots unless specifically requested to. As far as taking pictures wile people are eating, I don't think anyone over the age of 6 looks good with food in their mouth. You can work the room looking for some animated conversations among guests, but that's about it. Mostly it's a good time for the photographer to eat also. Being served a meal is in every contract for the photographers I shoot for. Vendor meals are usually served late, when things are picking back up so it works better to eat during the cocktail hour.

[al_kaplan1]

Table shots are a pain to do but I always do them. I've had weddings where the bride and groom went around table to table and posed in all the table shot.

 

As for food, I figure it's part of my getting paid, part of the value I get for my services. With many ethnic groups they get insulted if you don't eat something, while others are impressed that you're open minded enough to try the food, which can be a bit off the mainstream for the average American. At one Jamaican wedding (when I was a bit younger and more limber...LOL) the bride's mother insisted that I go out on the dance floor and dance with some of the girls. I'd already had seconds on the curried goat.

[rich_dutchman1]

I'm trying to interpret their complaint, and it may be that they wanted more photos of all the guests. Some brides are like that - they like PJ work, but they also want many clear snapshots of each guest. If you accomplished that outside of dinner, then I wouldn't worry about it. Thank her for the work and move on.

 

As dead as it may be, I still get requests for "informal" table shots during dinner.

 

Not only should you take a break for dinner, but you should have a piece of cake too.

[steve_levine]

Table shots, as a rule should be taken before the chow is served. As for not eating at weddings. I put in a 8-12 hour day at a wedding.If they didn't feed me, I'd look pretty silly eating a bag lunch in a catering hall. I cannot go all day without eating anything.

[steve_gibbs1]

I forgot to mention, I can live on power bars and water for weeks. Must be a

little of my Outward Bound conditioned childhood. Thanks for the opinions

(and verse).

 

I don't eat at weddings because I think it displays a certain human

vulnerability. By "human vulnerability" I mean: it displays something OTHER

than your professional presence. I try not to visit the restroom for that same

reason (OK, that policy is harder to keep strict). Its not really rude, its more of a

psychological image factor. A good restaurant wont let their waitstaff eat in the

dining room with customers because it shows a more human element; a less

professional image. It's not rude, just reality. When people pay alot of money

for these "herculean" tasks, they dont want reality, they want fantasy. If you

just "take your photos, collect money and go home", you have provided pure

reality, and in my simple mind, failed at the job.

[derek_c.]

It's not supposed to be psychology.<br>

Go with the flow, use common sense.<br>

Eat when food is presented to you, eat when B&G beg you to eat... refusing would be rude.<br>

Don't eat when food is not presented...<br>

[rich_dutchman1]

Unless you shoot in a documentary style. Then reality is okay.

[stacy]

I always eat dinner and never photograph while people are eating. I agree with Derek- if they buy you a meal and you don't eat it that seems rude.

 

Conrad- your Derek impression was very good!