So a good plan would be to simply announce your intentions to the guests, even state that this is the least favorite part for you guys as I know you want to get to the bar, watch them nod in agreement! and tell them that you appreciate them taking a short while to get these all important shots for the bride and groom, people are only to pleased to help.
Unfortunately though, unless handled well, they can also be the most stressful photographs of the day, not least to the bride and groom and the photographer!
If you are creating a portfolio, just shoot some friends and family. If you're getting into wedding or commercial photography, find a good photographer in your area and shoot as a second. You'll benefit from their wisdom without creating a race to the bottom with respect to photography rates. Shooting for free will make a name for yourself, but probably not the reputation you were hoping for. The most common anecdote I hear is, "I did a free shoot, and later the person referred me to a paying client." First, you have to ask yourself how you are possibly going to negotiate a reasonable rate after having just done similar work for free. Second, you have to ask why the first person wasn't willing to pay for it. They either didn't perceive the value of your services, don't value photographers in general or simply can't afford it. If it's the first a referral isn't likely. In the second, you are encouraging the mentality and making life difficult for the professional photography community (i.e. law of supply and demand).
Photographs are essential when a wedding takes place. Every couple dreams of having a perfect and special wedding ceremony that they can relive as often as they like with the help of expertly taken photographs chronicling the memorable events of that big day. Years after the vows have been shared, the last slice of the wedding cake has been eaten, the venue has been cleared, and all the guests have left, a couple will always appreciate having the opportunity to revisit the special day and laugh or cry over the especially touching moments as they leaf through the pages of their treasured wedding album.
One of the biggest bugbears couples have about wedding photography is having to wait around whilst the group shots are taken. Taking the big groups first and then making the groups smaller and smaller, until only the bride and groom are left, means that guests are not left waiting around - and at a wedding that will be appreciated by everybody!
And in the last case, it takes a very discerning heart to know the difference, but this type of job constitutes pro bono work, everything else is just doing photography for free. As a professional photographer, your clients will treat you with respect, it raises your game and actually makes it possible for you (and others) to earn a living, pay for all that fancy camera equipment as well as the computer hardware and data backups you'll need. Some of the aforementioned photographers argue (convincingly in my opinion) that doing one free project a year gives you creative freedom and therefore beneficial in many dimensions. I have to agree, but the key is doing the project on your terms and only doing one. If you find yourself frequently doing free work you have to ask yourself some hard questions.
Other couples who are more tech-savvy may wish to receive a high resolution fully edited disc containing all of their wedding photos instead. Having the photographs produced in this format will allow the couple to easily save their photos on their computer or iPad or upload them to various social networking sites, photo sharing sites, or even in their own wedding photography blog. This is a quick and convenient way to share the photographs of their special day with friends and loved ones in distant locations who can keep in touch through the Internet.
Unfortunately though, unless handled well, they can also be the most stressful photographs of the day, not least to the bride and groom and the photographer!
If you are creating a portfolio, just shoot some friends and family. If you're getting into wedding or commercial photography, find a good photographer in your area and shoot as a second. You'll benefit from their wisdom without creating a race to the bottom with respect to photography rates. Shooting for free will make a name for yourself, but probably not the reputation you were hoping for. The most common anecdote I hear is, "I did a free shoot, and later the person referred me to a paying client." First, you have to ask yourself how you are possibly going to negotiate a reasonable rate after having just done similar work for free. Second, you have to ask why the first person wasn't willing to pay for it. They either didn't perceive the value of your services, don't value photographers in general or simply can't afford it. If it's the first a referral isn't likely. In the second, you are encouraging the mentality and making life difficult for the professional photography community (i.e. law of supply and demand).
Photographs are essential when a wedding takes place. Every couple dreams of having a perfect and special wedding ceremony that they can relive as often as they like with the help of expertly taken photographs chronicling the memorable events of that big day. Years after the vows have been shared, the last slice of the wedding cake has been eaten, the venue has been cleared, and all the guests have left, a couple will always appreciate having the opportunity to revisit the special day and laugh or cry over the especially touching moments as they leaf through the pages of their treasured wedding album.
One of the biggest bugbears couples have about wedding photography is having to wait around whilst the group shots are taken. Taking the big groups first and then making the groups smaller and smaller, until only the bride and groom are left, means that guests are not left waiting around - and at a wedding that will be appreciated by everybody!
And in the last case, it takes a very discerning heart to know the difference, but this type of job constitutes pro bono work, everything else is just doing photography for free. As a professional photographer, your clients will treat you with respect, it raises your game and actually makes it possible for you (and others) to earn a living, pay for all that fancy camera equipment as well as the computer hardware and data backups you'll need. Some of the aforementioned photographers argue (convincingly in my opinion) that doing one free project a year gives you creative freedom and therefore beneficial in many dimensions. I have to agree, but the key is doing the project on your terms and only doing one. If you find yourself frequently doing free work you have to ask yourself some hard questions.
Other couples who are more tech-savvy may wish to receive a high resolution fully edited disc containing all of their wedding photos instead. Having the photographs produced in this format will allow the couple to easily save their photos on their computer or iPad or upload them to various social networking sites, photo sharing sites, or even in their own wedding photography blog. This is a quick and convenient way to share the photographs of their special day with friends and loved ones in distant locations who can keep in touch through the Internet.
