Must have vs artistic expression

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

Of course there is artistic expression in the must have shots, it is what

seperates you from the pack, however I'm interested to know what your ratio

of 'must have' shots, even if they are your own personal must haves, i.e. what

you believe is essential to carry the story, to the shots which are purely your

artistic expression, your take on the uniqueness of the day.

 

For example it would be easy to define what are the shots you take at each

wedding. Yes the angles are different, the look, the everything, but you could

name the shot in each wedding such as 'ring on finger' and 'look between the

B&G straight after ring on finger', etc, etc.

 

So what percentage are the 'other' shots?

 

The weddings I do are extremely ceremony orientated throughout the typical 12

hour wedding. The people are extremely camera/posing conscious and typically

not relaxed in front of the camera. I work very hard to try and seperate the

two, the expected and normal and the 'me', the shots which make my work

different to my competitors.

 

Wondering what others take is on this?

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

Was just talking to my wife about it. How there are a couple of images from each wedding which are really wow, portfolio images, images that will always stick in my mind. How I wish I could make a whole wedding like that.

 

Her very astute comment was 'Yes but you're not shooting the wedding for you, you're shooting it for them. Of course it's boring for you to take similar images at each wedding, but for them it's their wedding, the first time they've seen your take of a particular moment, for them it's special'.

 

I suppose it must be much easier being a second shooter, when you don't have to get the normal shots you can have so much more fun!

[jenacolson]

You know, the thing I love about wedding photography is even when the images are the 'same', they're different. Each bride has a different look when she sees herself in her dress for the first time, each hug between the groom and his new father-in-law is a little different. I just love capturing the little personal details that make each couple's wedding their own. And I don't just mean the flowers and the cake--I mean the raw emotion (or lack thereof, sometimes) that comes out on that big day. It's the challenge of capturing the couple's relationship with each other, with their family and with their friends in the way that it truly exists. I love being able to look back at a photograph and think "this shot exactly caputures this couple." That never gets boring...

 

Of course, there are only so many angles you can take of the couple cutting their cake. ;)

[stephen dohring]

After my first wedding I went to the Joe Buisink and Marcus Bell seminar and one of the best things I learned from them and this is almost a quote: "Don't keep thinking about and trying and get the amazing artistic shots GO AFTER MOMENTS. That along with shooting from the heart, not with the thoughts of having the killer wow shot on your website.

 

Before a wedding I go through the day in my head and depending on the details, place, time look of the B&G, I look at my favorte photographers websites that have shots similar to the place I am going. Using that inspiration I will keep those ideas in my head during the day and try for things.

 

I saw a few average wedding slide shows from those guys and they were super high quality shots one after another but not all portfolio, 1st image on the web page shots. When you shoot long enough you build up those amazing out of the camera shots that just have the special something right out of the camera. A little more luck combined with skill and preparation and you get them, and then you get a killer gallery.

[William Michael]

Mr Rubinstein:

 

This is a very thoughtful and professional question.

 

I feel the question might be introspective, from what you might perceive, consciously or unconsciously, as a professional shortcoming and or your need to supply excellence and improvement to your clients at all times.

 

If I am correct in this regard, then I suggest you read on: if not, and you are really only asking for an arithmetic ratio, then read on anyway, it is a nice story.

 

I have a personality which works on adrenaline: and I work in the moment at hand. So as a photographer, I give wholeheartedly, and the artistry, I believe, is captured at the time, in how I see what I see, at the time.

 

Now I also went to school and learnt about business, and I understand perfectly why a `formula` is so successful.

 

As a business person I have a clear understanding of what will happen and what images I will come home with; as a professional photographer, I ensure I know well in advance, exactly what the client wants apropos specific shots and I endeavour to get that request 100% correct ever time; as an artist I interpret each scene I see and put my little piece into it.

 

Now, the bottom line is, amongst other `must haves` I have thousands of half shots, backlit, near sunset, flash fill, bride on chest of groom looking upwards him looking downwards. To me they are all very similar, reasonably artistic, but on viewing the third image in this set we both might both be a little bored, might comment, `nice shot`, but really we would probably agree, to us nothing really special.

 

But the kicker is, to the two people in the image: it was at that moment, just before I pressed the shutter I said to each bride and groom often with my arms around both of them, `in this image I want to capture the love you feel for each other at this precise moment in time.`

 

And when I say that, I meant every word.

 

I have some images with just the beginning of a tear in both of their eyes.

 

Never lose sight of the fact that you are cooking virtually the same dish each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Such repetition sometimes can deceive one into thinking the menu should change: often this is only a deception.

 

Remember, the moments you are charged with capturing, are, at that time the ONLY instant these two people will enjoy that specific fare: to them the capture is unique.

 

WW

[William Michael]

Addendum:

 

I downloaded the question and wrote my answer before you made a second post including your Wife`s opinion.

 

Your wife is indeed are very astute, and it seems very caring and considerate of you and your photographic practice.

 

WW

[stephen dohring]

"Never lose sight of the fact that you are cooking virtually the same dish each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Such repetition sometimes can deceive one into thinking the menu should change: often this is only a deception. Remember, the moments you are charged with capturing, are, at that time the ONLY instant these two people will enjoy that specific fare: to them the capture is unique. "

 

Well said Mr. William that is helpful experience passed on!

[fotografz]

I'm curious as to why you think these are mutually exclusive concepts Ben?

 

Why do "must have shots" have to be lacking in "artistic expression" ?

 

I wonder if we all don't just prejudicially category certain shots, and in a way creatively

blow them off?

 

I remember some time ago a really accomplished fashion shooter asked for advice because

he was about to shoot a Japanese wedding ... which was to be the first wedding he ever

shot, and certain images were expected. I offered an opinion that he should go about the

subject matter in the same creative way he shot fashion. The results were absolutely

breathtaking and original, but every "must have"shot was there. His clients were delighted.

 

We all have to get those "Bridal Shots", yet we have a huge array of creative options

available to us to exercise ... while shooting ... and afterwards.<div></div>

[savagesax]

Steve's comment and Monte passing on this week reminded me of the many seminars I took and still attend. One time Monte was showing posing with a "Live," bride/model. It was just amazing how just a slight 1 inch tilt or turn of the head or the shoulders can make a photo into a masterpeice. Even after several years of doing weddings I can't sleep until I see my work and wonder how I could make it better. Guess we are never satisfied. Interesting subject Ben!

 

Marc, nice images of the bride! Very classy.

[susan_flewelling]

Well for me I would say that there is about 150 must have shots during the day and I take about 2000 (2500-3000 with an assistant). So that leaves a lot of artistic shots but I do agree that must haves have to be as artistic as all the rest.

[rob_s___san_francisco_bay_]

I try to make every shot creative in some way. Whether or not it's "art" is arguable. Certainly

not every shot is amazing. But I'm always shooting for myself as well as the couple. I think

(or hope) that part of why I'm hired is because of what people see in my work. To shoot any

other way would be a compromise to myself and to them. In other words, it's hard to

separate the "must have" shots from the "artistic expression" shots.

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

Maybe I should reiterate that in no way do I mean that the must haves are not artisitic, just that they are repetitive when shooting 2 or so weddings a week, there is a limit to how different you can make the must have shot when there is always a common denominator. The ring will always be going on the finger, the cake will always be cut, the B&G with the parents will always be the B&G with the parents, etc, etc. Yes they may look different but I bet that however they look, you could apply a specific title to each must have shot and that title wouldn't change between weddings.

 

Maybe it's good that with the above in mind I'm constantly looking for that something extra and different for each must have shot. I suppose that the drive for diffrentiation is what makes me different to my competitors (only one left now!).

[picturesque]

By your last definition, I would think the "other" shots constitute a very small percentage of the total--maybe 5% and less.

[William Michael]

> Maybe it's good that with the above in mind I'm constantly looking for that something extra and different for each must have shot. I suppose that the drive for {differentiation} is what makes me different to my competitors (only one left now!). <

 

Which, IMO equals

 

> This is a very thoughtful and professional question. I feel the question might be introspective, from what you might perceive, consciously or unconsciously . . . as your need to supply excellence and improvement to your clients at all times. <

 

Sir, if you do so walk the talk, then it would be my privilege to break bread and drink at your table.

 

WW

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

Thank You Sir! If it wasn't that I was on the other side of the planet I would love to meet you and learn from your years of experience, I think far too many people dismiss the decades of photographic experience just because the style wasn't modern then, how wrong they are..

[russ_butner___portland__or]

We should all shoot an event or picture, in the way that we see & feel it. That's the beauty of it. We all see and feel things differently. Get the "must have" snaps, in your own unique way of looking at it. Basically, isn't that why they picked you over the other photographers?

 

Russ