Rules in the church - Questions

[simonabunaphotography]

<p>I read here about churches not allow flash lights and I don't want to ask again about this, but I just want to be sure I understand correctly a sentence what I just found in the Church website about photography( I will photograph the wedding in November 21, 2009):</p>

<p>"Only time exposures are permitted during the rest of the ceremony(preferably from the balcony)." This means long exposure in their words, or what?<br />Juts for information, these are the rules, they make me frustrate because I know I will not have enough space to move on. If you are in the same rules what you do? You recreate, for example, after the ceremony the kiss and the rings exchange, for a close-up?<br />"</p>

<li>Flash exposures of the wedding processional may be taken from the rear of the church, </li>

<li>Only time exposures are permitted during the rest of the ceremony(preferably from the balcony). </li>

<li>A flash picture of the couple kissing is permitted and flash may be used for photographing the recessional. </li>

<li>The photographer shall not be visible to the guests or wedding party during the ceremony. </li>

<li>Videotaping of the ceremony is permitted from the balcony of the Sanctuary. Videotaping from the Chancel area or the floor of the Sanctuary is allowed if approved by the officiating pastor. Videotaping from the Chancel area must be by remote control. </li>

<li>Guests are greeted by a sign discouraging them from using flash photography during the processional and the wedding ceremony " </li>

<p>Thank you</p>

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

<p>Gotta work within the rules of the people in charge. <br /> I usually go to each rehearsal and work with church folks letting them know that I believe this is a sacred event and can you help me with the guidelines for the wedding photographer. Most times by attending the rehearsal and operating in a professional manner, they see you respect the building and the event, they usually will work with me. But whatever they decide I work with them.</p>

[l_e]

<p>First of all you need to translate their choice of words...<br>

"time exposures" - they probably mean no flash<br>

"The photographer shall not be visible to the guests or wedding party during the ceremony." - so they want you out of sight, which means either the back of the church, or off to the side in an alcove maybe<br>

but... you are allowed "A flash picture of the couple kissing..." so at some point you will be visible to the guests, but it might be very distracting if you were to walk all the way down the aisle to get the one photograph.<br>

I agree with Bill, make it a point to attend the rehearsal and chat with the church attendants and the officiant performing the ceremony. You might find they are willing to bend the rules, if you demonstrate your professionalism. You might also find that the rules of the church are created by the church attendant/event coordinator and have nothing to do with the preferences of the religion or the officiant. Also, it helps to go over the rules with the couple, so they know what you will be working with on the wedding day. Sometimes if everyone (you, couple, officiant, church attendant) gets together you can come up with a working agreement.</p>

[sherijohnson]

<p>Many times when there are these types of restrictions there are some "posed" shots to recreate the scene. This has been happening as long as I can remember.</p>

[sam_ellis]

<p>Find out exactly who the officiant for their wedding will be. I've met many priests and pastors who are less restrictive than their church's policy. One priest even showed me how to access a side door to the altar area. On the other hand, I did a wedding where the pastor was not in her home church and the church lady restricted me during the service.<br>

I agree that you must follow the house rules, but it never hurts to introduce yourself and discuss their policy and the client's wishes. I would at least get clarification about the time exposures, sounds like the wrong wording to me.<br>

Sam</p>

[walter_degroot]

<p>it's called " legalism". many things that were not in existance when chritianity or Judaism or other<br>

faith may be forbidden, discouraged or even banned. Many faiths adopt year one rulles<br>

( this is year 2009) and even add to the rules or expand them.<br>

we took a wedding cake to a church. and both the caterer and us were from another "sort of" similar church. we both had a goof laugh about the posted KITCHEN rules, especially the 9 pm saturday restrictions.<br>

If you want to ever take a wedding in THAT church, you must abide by their rules, even if the "<br /> happy couple" or especially the mother - in-law disagrees.<br>

You might even create a scene and stop the wedding.<br>

that said, aunt tilley or uncle floyd may snap away ignoring all the rules. and get away with it.<br>

be upfront so the B&G will not be dissapointed and blame you.</p>

[simonabunaphotography]

<p>Thank you very much for your answers.<br />I will go at the rehearsal to see effectively where is my place :) and to speak with the officiant . I already wrote to the Bride and I told her about the situation, I'm not so concerned about the not using flash rule how much I hate the idea of balcony at the ceremony time.<br />An idea just pop out from my head , if I have the second camera without flash and a remote control hidden at the altar or somewhere, of course with the accept of the house, maybe this can work at a point, I just have to use some pre settings and manual focus.<br /> I still have some time until the wedding.</p>

[shawn_mertz]

<p>A long time ago a lot of photographers called anything shot on a tripod a time exposure, meaning a long exposure without flash. The church you are talking about actually used common photo terms for when the rules were written. They also have given guidelines for when flash is allowed. Consider yourself fortunate they have defined the rules well. I know a photographer that got kicked out because the pastors rules where more liberal than the co-ordinator's and he got caught in the middle. </p>

[picturesque]

<p>What I do is follow the rules. It does not pay to break them unless you have spoken with the actual 'person in charge' and have gotten permission from that person to do a certain thing that is normally not allowed. Otherwise, I re-create some highlights after the ceremony if I feel I haven't gotten the basics of the ceremony. I make sure the officiant knows to stay after the ceremony (a lot of them vanish the instant the ceremony is done).</p>

<p>Some notes:</p>

<p>I always ask the 'person in charge' exactly where I can stand for the processional. 'Back of the church' means different things to different people.</p>

<p>Time exposures is a reference to the olden days, as Shawn mentions. It means long shutter speeds--the kind used long ago when all one had was ISO 100 film.</p>

<p>The rule says 'preferably' the balcony, not 'absolutely', so I'd get clear on this before giving up and thinking you are trapped in the balcony. If you are though, be prepared with long lenses. Rent them if you have to.</p>

<p>It seems a contradiction that flash is permitted at the kiss, yet you are not permitted to get close. I always ask whether I can walk up the aisle at the very end of the ceremony to photograph the kiss with flash. Otherwise, if the aisle is long, you may not be able to get good images--they might still be very small in the image. If I am not permitted to move up the aisle, I photograph the kiss with no flash (maybe still on my tripod, with a tele lens), and then quickly get the camera ready (or pull out my second camera) for flash exposures as the couple walks toward me.</p>

<p>Most churches that don't want guests to see the photographer word it as 'behind the last seated guest'. This normally means you aren't allowed up the side aisles either, so I don't know how the wedding party would 'see' you. In any case, they see you if you are anywhere in the back, because the wedding party normally faces toward the guests and/or the couple.</p>