So what do you think?

I read an article the other day in the Huffington Post about not allowing guests at a wedding to take photos with their personal cameras or phones (see the full article here - it's a good read and they have some picture examples).

Initially, as a wedding photographer, I'm thinking . . . "This is fantastic! No more having to push past everyone with their camera phones out trying to get the shot that I've been paid to take."  It really is a hard to gets some of these fantastic shots with people constantly people popping their heads up like some kind of strange human whack-a-mole game.  And, it's not like we can say, "Hey, do that again - I missed that."  In wedding photography, many of the photographs that we are paid to take are one shot only chances.  If you miss the kiss or the bouquet toss or that poignant moment during the first dance . . . . . you're done.  There are no do-overs.

And despite many wedding photography contract provisions that state that guests need to not interfere with the photographer's work, it's not made known to the excited guests that just want to take a picture.  And, the real point is, is that they don't understand that them popping out into the church aisle at the moment of the first kiss and flashing their camera is ruining the professional photographer's shot.

Am I a proponent of a completely unplugged wedding and reception?  Probably not.  Yes, I am a professional photographer and I need to be able to do my work without being ambushed by several other flashes and random people jumping into my shot.  That being said, I know as a wedding guest, that taking pictures at a wedding is fun.  We're usually with a bunch a friends and family that we don't get to see on a regular basis and we want to gather our own memories.  Honestly, the bride and groom and maybe the immediate family get the pro photos, I want some memories too.

So, what do you do?  Being a camera Nazi doesn't seem like a great solution and just letting everyone have free reign doesn't work either.  My feelings are that during the ceremony and formal wedding party shots - no other cameras/phones please.  And during the key moments of the reception, such as the first dance, father/daughter dance, etc . . . . . the wedding photographer gets to be the only one close up to that moment.

So how to accomplish it?  A simple announcement at the beginning of the ceremony and another announcement at the beginning of the reception should be sufficient to deter most enthusiastic guest.  If there are family members that want to take some images of the wedding party, I usually will take my shots then allow for some others to come in and take a couple of their own.  I am not about denying other people the enjoying of taking pictures, but my first duty is to the bride and groom that hired me to capture their special moment and give them lasting memories.

So . . . . what do you think?