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Recently, a wedding photography forum featured a discussion sparked by a wedding shot list.
The “shot list” is a checklist of the people and events that need to be photographed on your wedding day. Your photographer uses this as a guide to make sure nothing gets missed.
A typical shot list will include things like the order of people to be photographed for the formals (bride and groom with bride’s parents; bride with groomsmen; groom with grandma, etc.). Sometimes it includes details, like the rings or table settings.
The list that inspired me to write this was not a list like that. It was a list sent to Earth from the planet Micromanageria.
To call this shot list “unusually specific” would be like calling King Kong an “unusually large” ape. This list even went so far as to outline desired candid shots, as though the meaning of the word “candid” was something it could redefine on a whim.
To be fair, I don’t think that the poor bride who authored this monster knew she was creating the “shot list from hell.” I doubt she intended to create nightmares and possible future therapy sessions for her photographer. Unfortunately, though, this sort of ultra-specific vendor management is becoming more common.
We now live in the so-called Information Age. This also means we live in the age of information overload.
Change your status on Facebook to “engaged” and watch how quickly your sidebar ads fill up with wedding related junk. Web pages and magazines inundate you with tips and advice about how to have the “perfect” wedding. Countless articles written by experts advise you not only about how to select your vendors, but how to take charge of them.
I’ve read a ton of articles about wedding photography. A lot of them tell you what you “must” look for in your photographer and what you “must” make sure they do (or don’t).
Almost all of these articles make a reference to, if not outright include, the Shot List.
Then, if you’re a newly engaged couple, you’ll probably be looking at a lot of wedding photos during your search for a photographer. You’ll see hundreds of beautiful images that you’d be delighted to have something similar to in your own album.
You’ll also hear the stories of wedding catastrophes. Many of these stories imply that it all could have been avoided if the “right” vendor had been hired, or if the bride and groom had taken more control.
How someone comes through all of that without turning into a micro-manager of every single second of their big day is beyond me. That sort of pressure would create a bridezilla out of anyone. Maybe “photo of the bride having a nervous breakdown” should be added to the shot list.
One issue with some of the helpful advice out there, and the micro managing mindset it creates, is that you might inadvertently end up treating the professionals you hire as though they don’t know their jobs. This might lead you to more disappointment than you’d think. If you’re not careful, you might strip away the very creative talents you hired your vendors for.
The thing about weddings is that they are dynamic and fluid. This is what makes every one of them unique and personal.
Maybe you know when things will start. You rehearse the ceremony so everyone knows how to come in and where to stand. You expect there will be toasts. And a first dance. And a bouquet and garter toss.
Your photographer knows these things, too.
Chances are this isn’t his or her first wedding.
What you can’t prepare for is Uncle Larry falling asleep and snoring like a helicopter during the ceremony. You can’t predict that the flower girl will unexpectedly sit down in the middle of the aisle and dump her basket of flowers over her head. You don’t know that mom and dad will become unexpectedly reminiscent of their own wedding all those years ago and snuggle up together on the dance floor.
These are the unscripted moments. These are the moments that make the day yours.
These are the moments that get lost if you’ve got your photographer scrambling to create “candid” moments on a shot list.
I’m not saying you should ignore creating a shot list. The list is actually very important. Your photographer won’t know how important it is that you get a photo of you and your great aunt (or even who she is) if you don’t make a note of it. (Hint: it’s helpful to make someone available to point people out to your photographer.) The list is also vital for making sure no one is missed during the formals session.
But resist all urges to get ridiculously specific. You don’t need to say that you need a shot of “the bride looking lovingly at the groom while he’s looking somewhere else.” Leave that moment, if it happens naturally, up to your photographer. Maybe some moment that you saw elsewhere just won’t happen at your wedding. That’s OK. As long as your photographer is free to be “in the day,” there’s a good chance that other special moments will happen and be captured.
And you’ll be happier because you won’t be trying to manage everyone. It’s your special day, after all.
You shouldn’t be working.
On August 28, I had a great time shooting the wedding of Marcia and Jeremy.
Of course, this blog entry is a few weeks late from that event. But that’s what happens when, following three great weddings in a row you decide that in your down time you’re going to both catch a cold and throw your back out. There’s nothing like excruciating pain to keep you from sitting at the computer for the hours necessary to process the photos.
Enough of my problems, though. I’ll get over the back pain. In the meantime, here’s a preview shot of Marcia from the formals session.
One of the things you can always count on with weddings is that element of semi-controlled chaos. Or to put it another way, ever-changing plans.
We were originally going to do a fairly standard schedule for the formals, but a sick child threw a bit of a twist on things. The poor kid was having a bad reaction to a shot he received the day before and really needed to go home. So, we threw the schedule out the window and improvised, getting as much of the family stuff done as quickly as possible.
Although we didn’t get to follow the original plan, we still had a lot of fun and got some great stuff.
Also, did I mention that I wound up shooting this wedding on the day of the annual zombie walk in Lincoln? They didn’t set the date for the walk until after I booked the wedding and I was a little bummed to miss it.
But…
Because Marcia and Jeremy are such an awesome couple, they felt bad about me missing the carnage and got me a zombie gift bag, complete with a bag of fake blood candy.
I’ve known Mallory for a couple of years now. She worked as a barista at my second home and is one of maybe 3 people on the planet that knows how to make a Caramel / Irish Cream toddy latte exactly how I like it.
It was a sad, sad day when she left the Meadowlark Coffee shop.
However, what wasn’t a sad day was her commitment ceremony to her beau, Tim. And I was more than happy to act as their photographer for the day.
The entire ceremony and reception took place at a local park and had a very informal and loose atmosphere. Midway through the festivities, Mallory and Tim gathered everyone around and explained how much they meant to each other and vowed their commitment to one another.
Despite it being about 9 billion degrees out, it w
as a fun afternoon.
I wish them both the best… but I miss my lattes.
I’m pretty excited to now be offering press printed albums as part of my wedding packages. I’ve been looking around for awhile at different options and I’ve decided that the products offered by my regular print vendor offer both the high quality I want to offer my clients and an affordable price.
These books come in a variety of cover options (pictured here is a leather bound book). The bindery is a special process that allows the books to open flat, thus allowing for photos to spread across both pages without any cut or seam. The paper finishes available are watercolor, linen or pearl (pictured here is the linen option).
These books are designed to be durable and beautiful. This is a wedding album that you won’t want to store in a box in the closet, to only discover and maybe look through should you happen to be packing to move. This is a book you’ll want on your coffee table and you’ll be proud to have guests flip through it. Furthermore, it makes for a fantastic gift for parents.
Right now I’m offering 10×10 inch, leather bound, 20 page albums for $450. This includes a professionally designed layout for every page spread, and all shipping / processing fees. Also, if you wish to order identical books as gifts for relatives or friends, the cost is only $300 per book. Different options for book sizes, number of pages, and cover material (including options for a custom designed photo cover) are all available — just contact Studio Orange to discuss the book that is right for you!
Also be sure to ask about other custom books, such as guest books for your reception.
If you were paying attention a few weeks ago, you might have viewed my post about the Save the Date photo shoot I had with Christine and Taylor. The whole purpose of the shoot was to come up with photos to go along with their Moroccan themed reception. They wanted an “adventure travel” feel with a bit of a 1920′s twist.
Well, not only was the photo shoot a huge amount of fun, but the final Save the Date invitations were a huge success. Porridge Papers pulled out their usual amazing letterpress skills. A few vintage-looking stickers and rubber stamps completed the concept, and here you have it!
Remember folks, you can come to Studio Orange for great photography, but we’re also available to point you in the right direction for the rest of your wedding needs. Whether it’s invitations, cakes, or DJ/video services, we can hook you up with the right people. Just remember to tell them who sent you!
Here’s one last parting shot of letterpress goodness:
