While wedding party stereotypes still exist, most people
realize there’s more to being a bridesmaid than looking
beautiful, more to being a groomsman than adding life and
excitement to the reception party. But even the bride and
groom might not fully understand just how helpful these
roles can be, long after the train is bustled and the speeches
given. With a little direction (and not that much effort),
members of the wedding party can facilitate great wedding
photojournalism—a favor that will elicit enduring
gratitude every time you look at the wedding pictures.
INTRODUCE
YOUR WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALIST
Don’t assume that everyone in your bridal party understands
wedding photojournalism. And it’s not your wedding
photojournalist’s job to spend the day educating everyone.
You have picked (and paid) your wedding photojournalist
for his documentary style and creative eye, so you don’t
want him fielding too many special (cheesy and posed) requests
from your wedding party—taking away time from the
natural moments you hired him to capture.
WPJA award winner David Crane, who has had mostly positive
experiences with wedding parties, attributes his good fortune
to working closely with the bride and groom before the wedding
day, so they understand how he works. “The bride and
groom have paved the way for me to do my job,” says
Crane. “They have briefed their family and friends
as to how I will be working throughout the day and what
to expect from me.”
Introduce
the photojournalist, and if needed, give a short description
of how he works. Tell them that he takes candid photographs.
The goal is that the interactions between the photographer
and your guests are positive through and through. And if
you answer all of their questions ahead of time, there will
be no need for the photojournalist to spend any energy on
anything but his work.
In
many cases when people see the wedding photographer, they
will give their best “I’m having a fabulous
time” pose for the camera. The guests may think they’re
doing him a favor. But they can interfere with the journalistic
style of a wedding photojournalist. Letting the guests know
beforehand to simply go about the day as though he was not
there is excellent advice. It’ll help your photographer
capture those special, natural moments.
WHAT
NOT TO DO
When you’re briefing your wedding party about the
philosophy of wedding photojournalism, it’s crucial
to include a list of things not to do, so your wedding photojournalist
can get the best possible photos.
The
list of what not to do can be long and exhausting. Keep
it simple and to the point. For instance, when your guests
see the camera pointed at them, ask them not to grab all
of their friends for a group photograph. While fun and entertaining
in the moment, these posed pictures do not make for great
photography.
Another
thing that can completely ruin an excellent image is when
a person makes it clear by the look on his face that he
does not want the picture taken. Maybe it’s annoyance
or disgust that he is projecting towards the camera. Whatever
it is, it can nearly shatter a lens, if not the photographer’s
patience.
For
many people, a camera in a room can either be a source of
anxiety or great excitement, as though their opportunity
to shine has arrived. Either they hide from it or they “perform”
for it. Whichever direction they take results in bad photography.
When you’re wedding party is instructed to pay no
mind to the photojournalist, it takes the pressure off them.
They don’t have to do anything.
The
wedding party should also understand when it’s appropriate—and
even more often, when it’s not—to give your
wedding photojournalist direction.
There
are those guests who helpfully direct him to a photo-worthy
event that is taking place on the other side of the room.
Maybe it’s a song that’s being sung by the groom
to the bride or an impromptu speech that a family member
is giving. On the other hand, there are those individuals
who feel free to give artistic direction to the photojournalist.
They can easily get in the way.
While
the photojournalist is observing his surroundings, he becomes
inspired. He develops a vision for what he wants to capture.
With camera in hand, he attempts to bring his vision to
fruition. He shoots away. And then he gets a tap on his
shoulder. It’s one of the members of the wedding party,
informing him that he needs to get a picture of the bride
falling into the groom’s arms. This can be more than
a bit distracting.
Help
your wedding party understand the difference between direction
and friendly forewarning—especially when a memorable
and unplanned scene is unfolding across the room and the
wedding photojournalist is immersed in another (maybe not
as important) photo.
“I
have gotten some fantastic shots because family and friends
of the bride and groom have given me a heads up about a
situation that they know is going to occur. With the popularity
of wedding photojournalism growing, my ‘job’
has become much easier,” says Crane.
GOING
ABOVE AND BEYOND
An obvious task for wedding party members is making sure
everyone is where they should be for group photos. “When
important people are missing from such shots, I have to
spend much of my time during the rest of the day rounding
up the missing people for the group shots, which the couple
wanted, sometimes missing great “moments” to
do so,” says Crane.
This
is not how you want your photojournalist to spend his (and
your) valuable time. In order to avoid this situation, it’s
a good idea to give the wedding party a schedule of the
group photo session ahead of time. This can be something
as small as an index card or it can be an email that details
when and where they need to be for the group photos. As
a backup plan, appoint someone who is familiar with the
members of the family and wedding party. This individual
will keep track of where everyone is when it’s time
to take pictures. They will herd them together and you can
simply smile for the camera.
Ideally,
a couple of people in the wedding party help to keep the
group photos under control. But it’s often the case
in which the wedding photographer is spending too much of
his time trying to get members of the group to stop talking,
stand in the right place, smile at the right time. The B&G
usually try to take over. And by the time the picture is
taken, the two of them look as stressed as ever. To avoid
this scenario, make sure everyone in the wedding party knows
in advance when and where the pictures will be taken. Most
importantly give an approximation of how long it should
take.
As
the night progresses, ask one or two members of your wedding
party to check in on your photographer from time to time.
Water, dinner, questions, administrative needs (like handing
over any checks, or requesting additional time), so you’re
free to enjoy your wedding. You might even want to encourage
your wedding party to invite the photographer into semi-private
moments or unique settings throughout the wedding and reception.
Often these gestures do something even more important than
the obvious: they make your wedding photojournalist feel
welcome.
—by
Meghan McEwen and Lauren Ragland for the Wedding Photojournalist
Association
