:: Weddings:Unplugged - For Real ::
Needless to say I am not a photographer. I'm an event planner who LOVES photography and appreciates the value of it. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, photography is my number one priority for a wedding, because once the incredible and flawlessly executed wedding is over, the flowers have wilted and the champagne bottles have been recycled, the memories and photography is all you have left. Oh, and your new spouse and the future ahead of you of course.
My strong feelings about the importance of superb photography makes it a point to develop my timelines to allow for as much time as possible for photos and in the best light. During venue walkthroughs, I scout locations for what I believe to be excellent photo opportunities for a 1st look or bridal party photos with my clients. It's not a secret that my girl Brooke and I speak almost every day about everything work and personal related and I am constantly asking her perspective as a photographer on almost everything. Obtaining a photographer's perspective is a great tool for me to understand all of the many different angles of a wedding day (no pun intended).
That being said, I follow a lot of photographer's blogs and facebook pages and a very common topic among them to have their clients request (or require) for guests to leave their smart phone/ipad/laptop/Polaroid camera in their bag or pocket during the ceremony and major wedding events i.e. 1st dance etc. They aren't being snarky or difficult, but they are trying to have their clients have the "picture perfect" wedding album that they deserve. Failure to do so looks like this:
These photobombers have the nickname of "Uncle Bob" which is funny because coincidentally the guy below is my real Uncle Bob:
Photography Credit: Ashley Therese Photography
And this is my Uncle Tony:
Photography Credit: Ashley Therese Photography
Side note - I wish I had a wedding planner to tell me not to hold my bouquet like an Olympic torch.
I am writing this because I too am guilty of living through the lens and not the moment. Last night during a quick work break there was an incredible sunset. Within a second I grabbed my phone and Matty to walk down the street a few houses to this spot where there is an unobstructed water view facing the sunset. I walked fast thinking about my instagram caption the whole time and when Matty and I finally got down there and I pulled out my camera out only to find out that I'm out of memory and I had to delete some photos. Once I deleted a half dozen photos or so I went to take the photo and the sunset was gone. Nothing but an orange stripe and lots of grey. That was a serious realization that I needed to remind myself to live in the moment rather than trying to capture it to share on social media.
This is a prime example of what family and friends should do at weddings and why it should be requested that photos not be taken at wedding (or at least the moments that don't allow do-overs). Guests shouldn't be looking at that beautiful bride while trying to focus their lens, they should look right at her, her dress, her proud father and don't forget the humble groom. A camera can't capture the excitement you feel seeing this great moment play out before your eyes. Guests should soak it in and allow the professional photographers capture the moment as it unfolds rather than having your guests be a distracting part of it.
There are several polite ways to request that your guests enjoy the wedding instead of working as a 3rd shooter at the wedding. A cute and quirky note in the program or an announcement by the officiant is usually all it takes to ensure photo perfection. While it may seem like a strange request at the time, it will pay off exponentially for generations to come when that beautiful day is remembered so perfectly and without obstruction.
Until next time,
AC::
PS - Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for awesome yet non-monumental photos of recent weddings! :)