Jason Lanier
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Why Wedding Guests Should NOT Use Cameras During a Wedding Ceremony- by Jason Lanier Photography
How Smart Phones are Ruining Wedding Ceremonies- award winning wedding photographer Jason Lanier briefly explains why wedding guests should stop using smartphones, point and shoot, and DSLR cameras during their friends and family members’ wedding ceremonies for the sake of the wedding couple….
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If there’s one thing I cannot stand is people with iPads recording videos it’s like you’re holding up a TV screen and I’ve seen it at graduation ceremonies where it’s even worse where you might be in a theater and you can’t see in front of you because there’s a giant 12 inch screen blocking your view!
What's it like now? Has it gotten any better or is it just part of life? Will their be an AI app which will edit out all the cellphones soon, lol?
Could not agree more with this. I just did a wedding and one of the guest actually came up onto the podium and stood behind the Officiant and filmed the couple getting married. I had to find an angle to get the shot without the "intruder" in it. Also, everyone with a smart phone thinks they are an awesome photographer because, lets face it, the devices do take some reasonable good shots. Should have to check your phone at the door like they used to do with guns in old western saloons : )
Jason, that is so true. Also at the venue I just hate it for example when the cake comes out everybody just gets in front of me and my wife who does the video and they start taking pictures. OR when I take the group photos there is always one who gets right in the center in front of me and I have to wait until they take the picture, or there are times when they stay next to me in order not to disturb me, but then the people in the group shot instead of looking at me, end up looking at the other people with the smartphones.
My bride-to-be daughter brought this up tonight. I said there has to be a YouTube on the subject and sure enough, this video came up. Tactfully yet firmly stated,
This video has had a huge impact on my decision not to have guest take pictures at my wedding.
Most Catholic Churches don't allow guests to take photos during weddings, baptisms, holy Communion ceremonies. I am the photographer who attends those because they give me permission. Wish all churches did this.
This is so true, I litterally had this experience today but in an event when there was very important guests shaking hands and someone litterally pushed me to shoot with her phone and her arm came into the frame. Besides those who wants tou to take photos of them with their phone, thinking that you should leave your gear aside and hold their phone to take a photo of them, which I believe it is a greedy behaviour.
Yah it's too disturbing… because these guests simply ruins the very moments… & these people's some times become too smart to get their clicks…
Not so important perhaps but if you must take pictures during the ceremony or even afterwards. Please please don't bring a big professional looking camera. Not only cam it make the official photographer nervous but i can cause confusion for guests who amy assume you are the official photographer of at least with him. This is the official photographers livelihood. Please be considerate.
I am going to a wedding today and I am on the cusp of starting my photography/videography career. This video gave me a lot of tips on what bothers house/hired photographers about guests. I may still take photos but I will know better how to not ruin the hired photographer’s shots.
Personally I don’t want any phones especially while I’m saying my vows.. if my guests want to share a video from my wedding they can share the video that the videographer took which will also give them the credits they fully deserve
loved that video! …so true! …it's happened to me too, very frustrating!
Your mic is on auto. I can hear the fluctuations.
I'm so glad that when i.did wedding photography smart phones weren't evented yet .
Dude i wanna frisk guests for phones and cameras
My way for filming as a guest is to put on my chest level but still get to see the live event with my eyes. So I can get the best of both world.. 😅
it's a problem that's not going away.
In Thailand where i have lived for some time, every guest who has a phone will
carry on taking shots, even if you ask them not to.
They see it as their right, and who are you as the photographer to tell them not to.
I have now returned to the UK, and thou i have not shot any weddings here yet i
have been to a few things at the local church to find nobody with phones in hand
even been told myself no cameras allowed.
But i do feel the Asian trend will spread. we just have to deal with it.
I’ve had a groom saying, “get out your Iphones, you don’t want to miss this.” I just got less than courteous, saying please, please let me get some pics. for the marrying couple,” pushing my way into position.
I think, your video should be shown to all the wedding guests at the beginning of the ceremony to explain “why” they should not take pictures. This information is not understood outside the photographers circle.
Totally agree. Did my sisters wedding couple of weeks ago and some people just took over. I was doing the cake cutting shots and a thousand flashes were going at once making my shots over exposed. Eventually I told everyone to backup and put there cameras and phones away so I could do my stuff. At the end of the day we’re paid to do the job and make sure there the best we can provide and your right in saying the guests should be apart of it not worrying about there phones and cameras.
I couldn't concentrate on what were you saying. First time with out your fedora, I lost focus haha.
its even worse with concerts
I’m a photographer and I was at a friend’s wedding a few weeks ago, the bride actually told me to bring my camera to the wedding to take pictures but I didn’t because I knew their photographer would be there and wanted to be respectful. The problem was her step dad. He was taking pictures with his phone alllllllll day and apparently even posted pictures of the bride on facebook before the ceremony (she was obviously upset…this guy had real problems). During the first dance all I could see was his flash going off on his cell phone and I could tell the photographer was getting annoyed too.
It's 2018 now, literally everybody is doing so now. I wouldn't be that serious about it, it's just like it is and, at least in my opinion, a part of every wedding lifestyle now. Times change, that's life. Just cope with it as a photographer. I never would forbid guests the use of their phones on the wedding. On my own wedding I booked some extra hours with the photographer and the makeup girl for some beautyful extra photographs before and after the wedding, that was the way to go for me. For the wedding itself a videographer was booked to document everything. Just let the guests do whatever they please, and the whole thing will be unforgettable.
3:38 really? where they taking a selfie? lol
Where's your fedora?
I have done the odd wedding, for friends etc. but I have found a few things that can be annoying 🙂 one major pick is when your going for a shot and some douche will walk out in front to take a pic with their camera and if its a compact, that adds heat? 🙂 I had that once and it pissed me off a lot!! 🙂 look out for the rambo photographers 🙂 whatever you call them 🙂
sir
Yes iv had people tell me to get out of the way so they can photo a friend at a shoot
The modern era of cellphones is just a representation of what percentage of the population dont live in the now, instead trying to live in the past and the future.
It's really just a case of having respect for the couple and not being selfish.
Jason, this is excellent advised and it's happened (4 Cellphones) standing around me on four sides, ah, ah, ah, and a DSLR darn near pointed at the second shooter) during the dress-photo and the freaking ring shot!!! I wanted to take my lens off and hit the person in the back of the head, not to mention being bumped into or asked questions or can you take pictures of me and my friends at the reception-NO!!!
Also the Phone Flash or Guest auto-flashes on DSLRs ruin Videography and what's even more annoying is that you can't control the guests. The clients CAN'T really talk to everybody. Nowadays it's instinct to take out your phone and take pictures. The guests are not doing it intentionally and if you tell them before hand, they will surely forget when the event is in front of them
Agreed
Although I don't shoot weddings, I have seen people with their cell phones taking pictures. I don't think they get it. Thanks for making this video, Jason.
capture the moment by your eyes…the best camera and the most advanced one… no need to face storage problem because you have your brain to store it.. so let the pro capturing it on the cameras for you…
Excellent point!
Could not agree more. Some "photographers" will do anything in order to get a bad shot of a great moment, spoiling the whole thing for everyone. It's just stupid. Guests must know their not "helping", somebody paid a shit-load of money to get great photos not to flood timelines and walls with candid camera material…
I thought this was great and wonderful advise! Honestly never something I would have thought of until I experienced the issue myself (I'm a new aspiring Videographer/Filmmaker so I don't have much experience under my belt yet) or until someone like you mention it! That makes so much sense and as soon as you started talking about it I instantly started thinking of how disappointing that would be if you are the wedding couple, to have your friends and family staring at their phones instead of giving a natural reaction to a beautiful moment, like come on! Thank you again for this video, definitely something I will be keeping in mind on all future endeavors.
True that! We have the same frustrations. Talking to the coordinator and clients about it prior to the event really helps.
I was at a wedding for a very close family friend recently… I couldn't see half of it because some lady was standing right in the middle of the aisle… what makes it worse is that she was live streaming it… not even taking photographs/videos
Back in the old days, photography was only permitted during the signing of the register. This was standard and was really to keep down the distraction of all the clicks and flashes. I wish people would simply bring this rule back.
At my friend's wedding a few years ago, the photographer was trying to get a pic of the couple cutting the cake and he couldn't get a clear shot through all the smart phones taking pics. LOL.
Before the ceremony starts they should tell everyone in there don't not pull out your cellphones or cameras, you will have time after the ceremony that way they listen
Well said. All true.
I haven't been to a wedding in the smartphone era, but I can vividly imagine the problem as it goes for almost any event these days. Smartphones have become a pest and distraction to an unbearble degree. Super video pointing out the problem.
LoL went to a wedding yesterday despite being told not to photograph during the ceremony people were still taking pics
I shot my first wedding recently. Although it was a good experience, I learned that guests try to take photos ALL THE TIME. They stood around and behind me each and every time I would take a group photograph – with their mobile phones. It made my job more difficult – especially when your subject(s) aren't looking at your DAMN CAMERA!