Reception photos - what do you do?

[tim]

What photos do you do at the reception? Do you try to take photos of everyone there? Table photos? Line them up? Do you try to get informal photos of every guest?

I've found that shooting candids doesn't work, the photos are never that great and the photos never get used in albums or prints. I've also found that many people don't want their photo taken much then, not after the group photos at the ceremony venue.

At my last wedding I told the MOB, bride, groom, and families at least twice each that at the reception I stay out of the way and stay near the B&G, and if they wanted any photos to just wave or grab me and i'll take them. They assumed I took photos of everyone at the reception, which I don't do. When they didn't have photos of all the guests at the reception they asked why, and I pointed out that all they had to do was ask and i'd take any photos they like. Of course I took all the requested group photos, and I got a lot of nice photos of the B&G, the cake cutting, speeches, the first dance, and of the people/groups that asked for photos to be taken then.

What does everyone else do?

[coreypolis]

I feel ya on this, I don't like taking those either. Yet of our own wedding, those are some of our favorite ones. Ironic

[song4themoon]

Yeah reception shots get boring, for both us and the couple.

I take of course the highlight shots... throwing of the bouquet, garder toss, cake cutting... that's out of question.

I first try to get in table shots... take shots of couples/families on the table (and give them my card in case they want to order a rpint for themselves)

then I go around and see what kinf of detail shots I can get. Table deco, cake shot, anything that the couple will want to remember.

I take shots while they are dancing but am starting to really do those sparingly.

[PeaPicker]

For my daughters wedding this past summer we hired a husband/wife team.
They took all the usual ones that you mentioned at the reception.
They also took quite a few candids and several of those were the most requested for prints. Never know.
They were super by the way. They were funny and ended up directing just about the whole wedding.
They worked about 8 hours and earned every cent they charged me. :D

[jamiewexler]

I work the reception, joining the party, and sell all sorts of reception shots. There's so much action going on at a reception (at least the receptions that I've worked), that I don't put my camera down for a minute. If I feel that there's a bit of a lull, I'll sometimes play with diffierent lighting positions or angles.

Here's my typical reception:

- Arrive with the B&G, try to sneak in to the hall right away for 10-15 minutes to set up my lights and shoot the details (centerpieces, place settings, etc).
- Shoot the introductions/toasts/blessing
- (typically at this point the guests are seated for dinner - it normally takes 20-30 minutes for dinner to be served) I put on the 70-200 and snipe candids from across the room. I move the lens from table to table, trying to capture fun expressions and interactions between guests. Many times folks are talking quite animatedly and laughing with their tablemates during this time. Once peaople start eating, I switch back to a shorter lens and shoot any remaining reception details and a few WA shots of the hall.
- After dinner I shoot the first dance/parent dances/cake cutting.
- (the rest of the evening is typically open dancing) During the slow dances I move around the dance floor trying to get a head and shoulders shot of each couple. Most of the time they are looking lovingly into each other's eyes or showing some other sign of affection. These shots sell really well. During the fast dances I am all over the place, standing on charis, sitting on the floor, looking for the hot spots on the dance floor. The crowd is typically well liquored up, the music is thumping and there are great interacions between the bride and groom and their friends. There are always one or two that will break dance at some point in the evening, usually all of the crowd will have their hands in the air at some point. I usually shoot this stuff with my 10-20 at 10mm's.
- during the entire reception, if there are kids around, I snipe them with the 70-200 doing cute kid things. Parents buy these pictures like mad.

Unless requested, I don't take table shots. Instead i try to get as many guests as possible with the 70-200 while everyone is seated for dinner.

A few fun ones:

http://mk23.image.pbase.com/v3/30/516430/1/47440107.AnnaToddp19.jpg

http://mk23.image.pbase.com/o2/30/516430/1/52327157.PaigeTonyP20.jpg

http://ct.pbase.com/o4/30/516430/1/61371611.CourtneyJeffP19.jpg

http://k43.pbase.com/o4/30/516430/1/62522395.poGK1bJM.CeliaBenP19.jpg

http://ct.pbase.com/o5/30/516430/1/68105161.Flhw64id.NicoleCarlosP20.jpg

http://ct.pbase.com/o6/30/516430/1/70286491.sLRK0nrc.SarahChristianP20.jpg

[song4themoon]

Wow Jamie, I want to go to one of your receptions..lol
... sounds like they actually know how to party there in MA :)

what kind of lighting do you use during the reception?

[tim]

I usually don't stay far into the receptions, my packages are 8 hours and I usually favor prep over extended reception coverage. If I did both i'd be working for something like 10-12 hours, which is really, really tough when you're on the go all day. After seeing Jamies images i'm tempted to stick around if I get a really good wedding :)

AFAIK Jamie uses some portable strobes at weddings, after seeing some of his images I want to try it. I used a couple of speedlites at my last one and they made for some great photos :)

[jamiewexler]

Wow Jamie, I want to go to one of your receptions..lol
... sounds like they actually know how to party there in MA :)

what kind of lighting do you use during the reception?

Come on up! Actually Tim's right, I have started using off camera strobes with radio slaves to light receptions (www.jamisonwexler.com/lights), but funnily enough, only one of the shots above was lit with an y off camera lighting (the kid with the napkin - you can see my strobe firing in the back). Everything else in the 6 I posted were with a single 550ex. I'm really loving the results I'm getting with the off camera lighting, though.

In fact I'm more excited about it than ever, now that I am BI ;). I just picked up a Nikon D80 specifically for the body integrated AF assist to help with the off camera lighting during receptions, since my Canons often have a tough time focusing with just the radio transmitter in the hot shoe. In the three days I've had it, though, I've quickly discovered how easy it is to set up an SB800 in a corner somewhere and fire it with the D80 body. I tried it with 2 Canon 550ex's and could just never get it right. The Nikon setup is almost as easy as using the flash in the hotshoe. A very nice design that I wish Canon would adopt!

Anyway, off camera lighting aside, the secret to great reception shots for me is getting in close with a WA lens.

[strmrdr]

At the weddings I shot second on I worked the edges of the room with 400 speed film and a longer lens and basicaly just shot whatever attracted my attention.
Usualy 2 rolls of 36. It wasnt unusual for someone to order prints of atleast 1/2 of them and there was usualy one or 2 that a lot of people bought.

The most common comment was I didnt even know you where there.
Getting up close at a reception is the quickest way to annoy people.

The primary shooter covered the b&g the cake and what not.
Shots of the kids being kids "doing something cute" was usualy good for a sale or 2.

I depends on print prices too if you charge very high prices on prints you arent going to sell a lot of these shots.

[PIXI_666]

I just keep my camera attached to me during the ceremony.
Cake cutting, speech's, bridal waltz and garter & bouquet toss. So i usually stay until the last part has been done (Usually garter and bouquet).
Inbetween then i generally dont take round the table shots unless it is asked. I just take candids of people dancing, etc etc etc. the FUNNER parts of the wedding i try to shoot...
I find that people DO want those shots, and they are usually the ones they want on CD just so they can print them as 4x6" and give to friends and family.
They are important shots....i dont see why people wouldnt want them?

Del

[jamiewexler]

The most common comment was I didnt even know you where there.
Getting up close at a reception is the quickest way to annoy people.




Believe it or not, I get that comment too. It's all in how you interact. By the reception, I'm not the photographer anymore, I'm a member of the family, enjoying myself on the dance floor just like everyone else. There's more than one way to blend in ;), and I get shots that I would never be able to from the corner with a telephoto lens... Look again at the shots I posted above. I'm in CLOSE with a 10mm lens, an no one is even paying attention to me.

BTW - I explain my style to B&G's during the initial consultation and most of them get really excited when they hear it!

[strmrdr]

Believe it or not, I get that comment too. It's all in how you interact. By the reception, I'm not the photographer anymore, I'm a member of the family, enjoying myself on the dance floor just like everyone else. There's more than one way to blend in ;), and I get shots that I would never be able to from the corner with a telephoto lens... Look again at the shots I posted above. I'm in CLOSE with a 10mm lens, an no one is even paying attention to me.

BTW - I explain my style to B&G's during the initial consultation and most of them get really excited when they hear it!

Thats kewl, I dont blend in very well with crowds so working the outside worked very well for me.
More than a few times iv seen guest look at the photographer with annoyed looks when Iv been at weddings and they were getting too close.
It likely has a lot to do with timing, knowing when to get close and when to stay back.
Someone dancing isnt going to notice as much as someone who is just talking or sitting there.
Also if your the only shooter sometimes you have no choice or you will miss the b&g action if your not near them.

One thing I did learn was that no 2 weddings are the same and people skills are more important than photography skills a lot of the time.
Which is why Id never do it for a living and stopped doing it. I had the camera down pat but people were much harder and more effert than I was willing to do.

[jamiewexler]

...people skills are more important than photography skills a lot of the time...

Those might be the truest words ever spoken on this board!

[Wedding Shooter]

Jaime - I like your idea with the 70-200 at the reception.

[kiwinvan]

I recently bought the Canon 10-22, allowing me to get much more in there.
In these examples (Oct 14), the father of the bride had recently been diagnosed with cancer; the wedding had been cancelled and then they decided to go ahead. Cuban people and very emotional. I know they will cherish these photos of the groom and the brides brother. Of course I took as many of the bride and her dad as I could. They haven't picked up their photos yet as dad had been undergoing chemo and this is the most important thing going on in their lives right now, but I know that they are going to be really really happy with these photos and more of the same.

I guess, I try to find out what is happening in the family world and run with it. Kind of like being an extended family member for a day. Not intrusive, but a part of.

[takeyourpic]

My mentor told me that I had almost 75% of being successful at wedding photography in the bag. 25% photography + 75% people management/social skills = Great Wedding Photography.
Unfortunately my mentor only had about 25% of the people part...

[forkball]

I'm with Jamie...

I've been told a few times that I was great to work with since I didn't annoy any of the guests. In fact at one reception at the very end of the night I was invited to put my gear away and stay and have some drinks and dance for the last half hour or so. I do try to stay off to the sides and I'll jump up on a chair or little step ladder thing at the edge of the dance floor to shoot into the crowds. It gives me some really great views of FACES which is what the B&G want to see. I haven't as of yet, but I'm going to be lighting the room with off camera flash and radios at my next reception. Up until now I've used the flash on a bracket and bounced when I can.

The only time I put my camera down is during dinner. NOBODY likes to have their picture taken when they are shoveling food in their mouth and I try to respect that as much as I can. As for getting photos of the guests, I will go around before dinner actually I'll send my assistant with one of my other camera to get the guests at the tables so that I'm covered in case I miss one on the dance floor because of wallfloweritis.

[hef]

Come on up! Actually Tim's right, I have started using off camera strobes with radio slaves to light receptions (www.jamisonwexler.com/lights (http://www.jamisonwexler.com/lights)), but funnily enough, only one of the shots above was lit with an y off camera lighting (the kid with the napkin - you can see my strobe firing in the back). Everything else in the 6 I posted were with a single 550ex. I'm really loving the results I'm getting with the off camera lighting, though.

In fact I'm more excited about it than ever, now that I am BI ;). I just picked up a Nikon D80 specifically for the body integrated AF assist to help with the off camera lighting during receptions, since my Canons often have a tough time focusing with just the radio transmitter in the hot shoe. In the three days I've had it, though, I've quickly discovered how easy it is to set up an SB800 in a corner somewhere and fire it with the D80 body. I tried it with 2 Canon 550ex's and could just never get it right. The Nikon setup is almost as easy as using the flash in the hotshoe. A very nice design that I wish Canon would adopt!

Anyway, off camera lighting aside, the secret to great reception shots for me is getting in close with a WA lens.

Jamie, what lens where you using for those wide shots... nice, real nice. i've been using the 16-35L but sometimes would like some wider shots, especially for the dancing and partying on the floor.

[jessiper]

Jamie, what lens where you using for those wide shots... nice, real nice. i've been using the 16-35L but sometimes would like some wider shots, especially for the dancing and partying on the floor.

I believe he said a 10mm lens.

[cdifoto]

Jamie, what lens where you using for those wide shots... nice, real nice. i've been using the 16-35L but sometimes would like some wider shots, especially for the dancing and partying on the floor.

He uses the Sigma 10-22mm

[hef]

thanks.