Emma and Colin Wedding

A few days ago a photographer ranted on his facebook page. It made the news, where they asked the question “Are smartphones ruining weddings?”.

The photographer was upset that people get in his way to take their photos. I can sympathise a little, it can be annoying. However, they are there as guests. I don’t have a problem asking them to move out of the way a little so I can do my job or finding an alternative vantage point. I figure it is part of my job as a wedding photographer to work with the guests, not view them as the bad guys.

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Guests have brought cameras along to weddings for a long time now. My contract and payment terms reflect that situation so that I don’t have a problem. The prolific nature of smart phone cameras doesn’t really change that situation, so I figure its best to work with the times than let it bother me, and incorporate what is going on in my photos. All these photos were from Emma and Colin’s wedding at Ufton Court.

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I’ll even take photos with guests cameras when asked to do a group, as long as I get my shots for the bride and groom.

The one thing that will frustrate me is guest photographers, normally with proper cameras and big lenses, trying to do the same as me during the wedding service itself. In churches where the vicar permits me to take photos, I try to do so discretely so as not to disrupt the service or distract the guests. Having a guest roaming around the church doesn’t help on that front. I’ve heard some stories from vicars of why they don’t like any photography, and I’m not sure it was always the pro photographer!

So, no I don’t think smartphones are ruining weddings from the perspective of the photographer. However, at most weddings where I am a guest I don’t take a camera. I’m happy for the photographer to capture the day, and I’d prefer to concentration on what is going on. I do wonder if they are ruining weddings in a social sense, but then when the bride is doing selfies and the groom is posting on Facebook, it would be rude not to join in…

Are smart phones ruining weddings?

Next up… Are Facebook, Twitter etc are ruining journalism, with journalists reporting on what people said on the internet rather than real news?

Are smartphones ruining weddings?
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