Guest shooters & facebook...your thoughts.

Wedding guest shooters have been discussed here before. I somewhat have a control over them at the event. However a new challenge has come up. Facebook postings of their images in the likeness of my shots from over my shoulder or paparazzi style from a distance. They do show up with DSLRs and long lenses also. Those images get posted on facebook the day after and I feel it ruins the surprise element of what my shots will be like.

Have you encountered this and what did you do. I can't be the guest photog police as these guests are also very special people to the B&G.

I'm looking for your feedback and experience for future events.

Thanks - Don

I whisk the couple + the bridal party off after doing any large group shots, so there are seldom any annoying behind-my-back shooting. Aside from moving to another location to get shots, there is nothing you can do about it. I mean I also have it in my contract that the B & G are responsible for announcing and enforcing their policy about other shooters.

I just don't think I want to be one of those photographers that bans others from shooting. For most couples, preserving the uniqueness of your shot will come second to their friends and family being able to have a good time.

There really isn't a lot that you can do to restrict guests with cameras. We always allow guests to shoot our formal shots - I announce that I will shoot first and then step back to allow the others to get their shots. We do, however, limit the amount of time we allow for those shots - usually only about 30-45 seconds before we set up the next pose. The guests get their shot or not - no longer our problem, but we gave them the opportunity and it makes everybody happy. We do hold the line with the "romantics". We explain to the B&G that we don't want them to be distracted or self-concious during that session by having a gallery of onlookers hanging about. So far, that has always worked

In terms of preserving the uniqueness of the shots you are setting up, I often am setting up in a way (not deliberately of course) such that other's shots will just not look like mine, despite the fact that our cameras are capturing the same subjects and environment. For example, If the suns beaming down, I knock the ambient down and fill with an off camera flash + umbrella. I will be the only one with that shot.

Apex174 wrote in post #14577994
Those images get posted on facebook the day after and I feel it ruins the surprise element of what my shots will be like.

you use instagram?

mike_311 wrote in post #14578713
you use instagram?

hahahaha

mike_311 wrote in post #14578713
you use instagram?

LOL...I mean the guests...post them up on facebook

rincon wrote in post #14578597
We do hold the line with the "romantics". We explain to the B&G that we don't want them to be distracted or self-concious during that session by having a gallery of onlookers hanging about. So far, that has always worked

I do get some guests who follow us through the "private" formals and I can advise B&G next time so we can have quality time for their portraits.

Nothing you can do. The age of instant gratification. I ask them NOT to take pictures until I am done and let them shoot when I finish.

Yeah, nothing you can do. It's just a reality of our industry. Just shoot in a way that will make yours look a ton better than theirs.

i'm not a wedding photog and only do my own hobby photography but the phrase that gets passed around alot "its not the gear its the photographer" that makes a great pictures comes to mind with this.

as others have said you have the right gear and the right artistic touch to make your pictures better then any of the others. just because they have a DSLR and a long lens doesn't mean they're pictures are gonna turn out

picturecrazy wrote in post #14579125
Yeah, nothing you can do. It's just a reality of our industry. Just shoot in a way that will make yours look a ton better than theirs.

Well said. Thank you.

picturecrazy wrote in post #14579125
Yeah, nothing you can do. It's just a reality of our industry. Just shoot in a way that will make yours look a ton better than theirs.

Truth for sure

Honestly, if your images end up looking the same as Uncle Joe's shot over your shoulder from a distance and put on FB without editing you're probably doing something wrong. I see guests posting pictures instantly after the wedding at the same time or poses of pictures I'm doing, but rarely do they look anything alike.

We also have to remember that many non-photographers can't necessarily distinguish between point-and-shoot quality shots and well composed quality shots--especially when the subjects, posing, environment are the same. It's amazing how 'subject' focused or 'emotion' focused many non-photogs are when viewing images. Ah, person x and person y are in the photo and they look happy, and there's a sunset there. Great photo !

This is good, though, it pushes us not to be lazy, non ?