Shooting with guests's phones

OK, show of hands...... How many have experienced this?
So as I'm posing up wedding guests for a group shot one of the guest hands me their smartphone and asks me to take a pic with it too. Happened twice. lol

I usually shoot more corporate events, so maybe this is very common now at weddings. I've had the over your shoulder shooters, but don't remember having this happen. Sign of the times, I guess. : /

Old codger that I am I would probably say '....sorry, no, I'm working.'

Nope.

A few weeks ago I was shooting a wedding reception and had set up a portrait area for people to come over to get some shots done. One guest handed me their iPhone and wanted a shot then were surprised that it didn't trigger my flash units

( I could have put them in slave mode I guess and triggered it from the camera flash, but I had my flashes set as needed and didn't want to change the settings )

not surprising, i guess. I mean, sure i can probably take a better pic with a phone than a non-photog, but i would politely decline.

PMGphotog wrote in post #18036847
( I could have put them in slave mode I guess and triggered it from the camera flash, but I had my flashes set as needed and didn't want to change the settings )

i checked this years ago when i first got my phone, the flash was not bright enough to trigger the flash, even with the optical slave very close to the phone. It would also be difficult to set correct exposure with most standard phone camera apps.

We have no problem using a guest phone or camera to snap a quick picture. Probably do it half a dozen times at every wedding. Usually when someone's trying to do a group photo selfie style with to short of arms

Now we won't do it during first dance or cake cutting or any of the important moments but why not during the slow points of the reception. Then again there is always two of us working so that might be the difference.

Nope, I won't touch anyone's phone or camera. I'll take the photo with my cameras and tell them the B&G can give them a copy. If I was trying to be funny I might say "No sorry, health and safety rules, I might injure my thumb" with a wink

Littlejon Dsgn wrote in post #18037480
We have no problem using a guest phone or camera to snap a quick picture. Probably do it half a dozen times at every wedding. Usually when someone's trying to do a group photo selfie style with to short of arms

Now we won't do it during first dance or cake cutting or any of the important moments but why not during the slow points of the reception. Then again there is always two of us working so that might be the difference.

This. Being kind to guests can go a long way towards getting future work.

I've had it happen before. If I'm not super busy at the moment I'll oblige. If I'm actually posing a shot or if it's a high activity time during the wedding I tell them sorry and to find me later if they still want a shot.

I do it if time allows and if its not the appropriate time (due to shooting something important or time critical) I would say 'let me get back to you'.

I agree it goes a long way in having a good relationship with guests. Quite recently I actually had a would be bride who emailed us and her first words were 'You may remember taking a photo of us with our own camera'. And yes, she hired us for her wedding.

Have to wonder...why the heck can't they simply ask another guest standing/sitting nearby, rather than bother the guy hired to shoot for the bridal couple?!
He may be a 'pro' but he still points and shoots a smartphone 'in green box mode' -- just like every other snapshooter!

I think most people just assume, and probably rightly so, that most people that are good enough to shoot a wedding with high level gear can probably make a better photo with a smartphone than they can. I blew a friends mind the other day when I showed him that you could change the way his smartphone camera metered a scene by tapping on lighter or darker areas, which unfortunately also changes the focus in his case, but for the sunset he was trying to shoot that's not too big of a deal.

If a guest who is in the picture I am taking asks that this be done, I will do it but I tell them its after the shot the couple are paying for has been taken. If everyone holds Ill get it real quick. That usually ends it there.

I love it when guests ask me to take one with their iphones

That way I don't have to stand awkwardly waiting for their mates to finish so that I can take a shot on my camera (of course...by the time the mate has excruciatingly finished taking a photo, everybody's lost interest and moved off, leaving me with no pic)

I had the brides mom ask my assistant to take her cell phone and take photos with it all day lol