10 GOOD RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
- Make it as clear as a bell, you are their Photographer and the BRIDE is the sole boss at the Wedding, regardless of who is writing the check. Her wishes are the ones that count.
- The latest legal contracts and agreements for weddings stresses and reinforces that during the time and at the venues of the wedding, I am the sole professional Photographer there.
- Thus, this reduces legalities to only two people if it comes to that. You and the Bride, other parties are listened to, but don’t count. Learn this point well and spell it out in WRITING. That’s the only thing that counts and wins in COURT.
- It’s a two way street and as long as I have NO interference, I have NO objections to the other folks shooting pictures. This is a happy compromise, for all parties. To tell them no one else can take pictures are foolish and in some cases can cost you the job.
- The giving part is you will make sure the guests get pictures if they work with you. Explain it from a standpoint of cooperation, not one of starting a conflagration or bushfire you have to put out later.
- You are the insurance agent, not the town bully. Photographers are starting to charge by time rather than exposures because all weddings drag as adjustments are made and “going over” is part of the game. At no time lose control of what has to be done.
- You were hired to do the job and not to have to run interference with Uncle Herbert or Harry or CELLPHONE Clara. Especially after Herbert has had a few. Uncles sometimes do this. That’s because Uncles are fathers too. And it’s the Mothers that planned this shindig.
- The key is you are the one who is responsible and that should be clear to the Bride that you are the only and official photographer for the occasion. It is not meant as a power play, it is meant to protect the Bride’s interest. Things happen quickly at Weddings especially today with all the booze, coke, meth, some grass and most good photographers can handle this ever changing situation.
- You prefer that everyone with cameras please respond to you as to when they can take their pictures as in the case with most weddings there is a schedule to adhere to. This will make things easier especially when a wedding is running behind schedule as almost everyone for me has in past forty years.
- Brides are expected to be late and it is well within their rights. Trust me. But if you are late thats another problem and set things off on a wrong foot. So to keep your foot out of your mouth get there early and scope the situation as explained previously.
THE GOSPEL OF SAINT JACOBS
and LION HUNTING
Never shoot a wedding without a backup, spare everything, Camera, Flash, Lens, a 2nd shooter if you are new.
Even if this is just your first or a one shot experience, I wish you the best of luck and may I forward you my nephews phone number, just in case, your case, if you fail he is an Attorney in Washington.
On that note, ever wonder why most big game rifles in Africa are what we call “doubles”? First the doubles gun is two chambers, separate triggers, in essence, redundancy and simplicity. Two guns in one.
No clips or stack feed hang-ups to shut this baby down. A miss is backed up by a complete self contained barrel, chamber and firing mechanism.
The second point for the doubles gun is that it is fast, very fast. Another rule of caution is bring extra ammo when what you shoot has bigger teeth than you and they appear in this photo to be well taken care of. No sweets
This prevents, providing the user is qualified to shoot it, from being eaten or mangled by what YOU intended to eat or mangle. Thus, I made this site to make you think and give you some clues as to what to do so that you can pull it off.
It’s no fun being a mere burp in a Lions belly or eventually a participant in Dung Beetle Football.
Your best “A” rig goes bad during the processional. Unlikely you are going to stop the whole thing telling the bride to stand still while you fix the camera. Don’t think so. The pro reaches over and grabs the backup, continues on. The amateur has just lost the battle…
There will be lots more on this subject but briefly a few points. Just a short sample of what we will discuss and how fast you can get in trouble. Some newbies are so hyped up with their newfound toys and minor successes they have nothing to fall back on.
When I learned to shoot weddings. I went out with a gaggle of pros for almost four months, actually four different guys to observe, grasp and learn to gain something from each of them. They each had a style and other than the required shooting for the albums did things differently.
When I first started satin dresses were the hot item, the newer synthetics may be just as reflective but you will find out what moiré’ is. So, if you haven’t a clue as to what happens to bridal dresses with high Rayon or shiny Silk content or don’t know how to meter a Black Tuxedo, learn quickly. The Rayon will create a moiré’ or specular pattern and a Black Tuxedo can throw the whole scene off if you let the pipper in the viewfinder land on it.
Know your gear, what’s that error message? Simply put you don’t have the time to drag out the book at a Wedding. No time outs in this game. Is your gear suitable for the job at hand? That 50 mm lens won’t work from the back of a 200 ft. Catholic Church with dim lighting. Neither will a 300 if it’s a F 5.6, has no image stabilization, you forgot the tripod.
No FLASH allowed as is the case with most Catholic Churches.
The beautiful male lion on the left is MAX. AT about age six or seven he became the mate of the young lady showing her canines just above. Max lived till he was thirteen at Busch Gardens Florida. I have hundreds of photos of this couple being together over the decades.
DURING HIS TENURE AS : Lord and Master of the Big Cat House, a trainee keeper, violated protocols while MAX was in his off-set caged area where the animals are cared for. She was giving MAX a treat while her family was backstage on a visit and used her arm instead of the stick holding the meat and MAX took her arm. Max had what many cats have, urinary tract or Kidney problems and he lived about another year or so after the incident. I believe or want to believe his vision might have been failing as he was always calm and well-trained, responded well to trainers.