Asking a friend who is a photographer to do your wedding?

Tone1979 said:
So I have a mate who is awesome when it comes to wedding photography. We'd really like to ask him to do ours but we're worried about asking a mate to spend the day taking photos of a day that they should be enjoying.

we're happy to pay just not sure how he'd take being asked.

Anyone here had a mate do the photos for your wedding?

Thanks
T
Click to expand...

Bad idea I'd say. If you're not happy with the photos thats a great way to ruin a friendship. Keep it strictly business.

My sister did that for a friend once... didn't end well.
 
I've been asked a few times over the years and always do the photography. I'm a professional up to the first dance then all bets are off and the bar is fair game.

I still shoot while drinking though the evening. Some of my best work is done during this time :)

Blackjack Davy said:
Bad idea I'd say. If you're not happy with the photos thats a great way to ruin a friendship. Keep it strictly business.

My sister did that for a friend once... didn't end well.
Click to expand...

In my experience, they've asked me because they know the picture will be to the standard they expect.
 
hire a tog and say to your friend if he wants to bring his camera you're more than happy for him to take pictures of anything he likes.


lets him have some creative freedom in terms of say capturing reaction shots rather than the main event.

and takes any pressure off.
 
GeX;30434923 said:
If he's a friend and wedding guest, don't. You're not inviting him to your wedding, you're hiring him to do a job.
Click to expand...

This for sure.. I've yet to do my first wedding although i have been asked by family and friends, the answer has been no each for this very reason.

I would also guess, that inviting friends to tender this work, breeds and act of familiarity of content, which would be harder for the photographer..
 
Blackjack Davy;30440283 said:
Bad idea I'd say. If you're not happy with the photos thats a great way to ruin a friendship. Keep it strictly business.

My sister did that for a friend once... didn't end well.
Click to expand...

Thats my feeling,

Get in an independent photographer, but ask your friend if he would be willing to be the back up plan.

(You should always have at least two people taking a full spread of photos anyway)
 
I've done a few weddings, always with another mate sharing the workload/risk. We never seem to get many of the evening events but everyone has camera phones these days so the fact we are blind drunk and don't capture midnight till 4am never seems to matter :p
 
placeholder;30435775 said:
It depends entirely on your relationship with your mate.

I got married last month and one of my best mates plays in a band. I was out for a few pints with him and we were talking about what band I should hire for the reception. He looked at me quizzically and asked what was wrong with his band? I said they would be great but the lead guitarist was a guest at a wedding that day! Turns out he said he would be honoured to play at my wedding, really wanted to do it, and waived his fee for the night.

Now obviously its different because he got to enjoy the day too but the point is I had no idea how he would react so I decided not to ask him directly because he would feel obliged to say yes. I wanted him to enjoy my day. I would go elsewhere but tell him why you didn't ask him. A photographers role can be quite stressful and having a mate doing it could easily put a strain on your friendship. One thing Ive discovered when planning a wedding is people who have a disappointing photographer don't forget it in a hurry!!
Click to expand...

I asked my brother in law to play at my wedding. He was happy to do it, as he likes performing but I made 100% sure he was OK with it and was more than happy if he just wanted to enjoy the day. He played and everyone thought he was ace.

My wife asked her friend about the photography. Gave her the option of just being a guest also. She opted to be a guest, and recommended a colleague who was excellent. So I'd suggest it can work either way, just approach the person and present both options. Let them decide.
 
My gf is a photographer and she knows someone in her photography circles that might as well run for knob of the year:

He is an old boy and has just discovered photoshop. Though his photo skills are alright, his PS skills are limited to 'a kid messing about with colour saturation'. He has a huge ego and is over critical of everyone regardless of whether its his business but tbh his obsession with photoshop has turned his okay photos into crap.

Now he got married a few years back and due to his hobbies and profession, he had a lot of photographers at the wedding, including his best man. He felt that no one he has met was good enough to do it, so he photographed his own wedding 'giving tips' to his guests while doing it. I feel sorry for his wife :p
 
Photography seems to turn some people into idiots, my favourite is the over-excited wedding guest.

Had one at a friends wedding once, I lined a shot up on a wooden bridge over a lake, framed it, just as I was about to take it I hear CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK right in my ear. A guest had stood right behind me, nearly resting her camera on my shoulder and was snapping away. Thing is it startled me, stepped backwards on to her and she went flying. Sprained ankle for her and a damaged lens hood. She was telling me later on how I should be doing X and Y...

Bride found it hilarious as she was one of those guests she had to invite, and it was even funnier when she got a lovely shot of said guest trying to tear her pants out of her bum just before the group photo :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom