Wedding Photo Faux Pas: or What Are Friends For?
By John Linton
30 May 2008
It was 09/08/07, a most propitious day for grooms to be led to the altar and a certain someone wanted me to take some pictures at the wedding.
I knew next to nothing about photography, had only had my SLR for a few months, had a small LCD monitor, didn't have my reading glasses, and had barely looked at the manual, but I said yes anyway.
The rest, as they say, is history. This is what I've taken away from the experience:
1. When a wedding is staged on the front lawn of someone's lake front home it's probably not a good idea to shoot pictures of the guys fishing just off shore while the wedding is in progress. Focus on the task at hand.
2. When the bride is coming down the aisle don't let your eye become distracted by the merely whimsical.
3. When the wedding morphs into the reception at the local yacht club and the wind picks up try not to wander down to the water to shoot pictures of the waves while more important things are happening right behind you.
4. When the available male with the best hand to eye coordination (after more than an hour of social drinking) has to dance the length of the floor before the available female with the best hand to eye coordination (after more than an hour of social drinking) will let him slip the garter on her try not to actually end up focusing on the guy in the background licking his lips.
5. When that certain someone who asked you to take pictures (after a couple hours of social drinking) decides to plant a lip-lock on the bride pass on the photo opportunity.
6. When girls just wanna have fun pass on that photo opportunity, or at the very least, leave it off the DVD you make.
7. Try not to turn the guests into a ghost freak show.
8. Know when to stop taking pictures.
9. Try not to make the bride's broken flips the last picture on the DVD you put together for the lovebirds.
10. Of course it goes without saying that you shouldn't enthusiastically join in the social drinking from the moment you arrive. I don't even remember taking this one.
11. If you're an amateur photographer and someone asks you on 08/08/08 to take some wedding photos here's hoping your best one isn't of the appetizers. Tout le meilleur prenant vos photos.
1 Response
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On 27 November 2008 Martie Last gave props:
#1, 3 and 4 gave me a belly laugh. For the couple's sake, I hope there were a few shots of the bride and groom. Loved this!
