Wedding changes

When I left school, I started in the darkroom and worked my way out!
Eventually working for a few different photographers and disciplines (PR, architectural, weddings/portraits)before having a career change!

Over the past 25 + years I have kept my hand in with photography, but nothing serious until now.

A colleague of mine had his Civil Ceremony recently and I was glad when he asked me to take his photographs.

Made me think as there is a difference in photographing weddings and civil ceremonies.

Any thoughts from people with a little more experience than me.




Taken with K100D, 18-55 lens - natural daylight

let's see....

I can't come up with a single reason it should be any different.....

Sure I find 2 women kissing a little erotic, and two men a little unnerving....
but thats me being a hetero male pig. My bad....

truthfully, give it your best, It's thier day and they deserve nothing less.

two human beings, want pictures of the most important day of thier lives.

I'm not gay. My religious views are not for it. Yet I find myself thinking that there are lot's of people out there, that will give you a good reason hate them. (and you're supposed to forgive them).
And they come from all walks of life, all cultures, all religions and you have to look past the differences to get to the essence of what makes all human and all equall.
Where two people who've meant, nor done me any wrong, find love and happiness is not for me to judge.

so the differences, in my opinion lie not in the couple, or the ceremony, but in whether or not, you as a photographer will treat the job, or the couple any differently.

Hi Don,

thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am not Homophobic in the slightest, as Ive been a nurse for 20 years it is 'presumed' that Im gay !

When I worked for the wedding photographer, there was almost a criteria / formula to the ceremony - photograph the bride at home before leaving for the ceremony, next get shots of the groom and best man at the front door, bride arriving at church with father in car...

I did a bit of research, and looked at photographers galleries who advertise that the photograph civil ceremonies, and their seemed to be no set pattern of standard photographs that must be taken.

Is this a good thing - I dont know

Anyway I now have another 2 gay couples wanting me to photograph their ceremonies, so I must have done something right.

I've had to ask a friend or two to get thier "(G)aydar" checked, after getting hit on. It doesn't bother me.
I don't think there's much difference....in the ceremonies...but as the issue is being addressed in canada and manitoba, I'd love to hear from couples as to what they'd want in a photographer/photo package.
as a nich market, it's the feed back from your clients that must drive your marketing.
Go back to your couple and ask them what you did right! ask them for referrals and ideas.
KNOW YOUR MARKET!

If you take on a job to do any social photography then you do it to please those involved and the photographer's feelings don't really come into it. If you have really strong feelings against something just don't take on the job.

By the way, I've deleted the other thread to avoid two discussions runnig at the same time. It splits and confuses the discussion. Don't worry, people will find your post!

Hmm..
I think it's precisely because the photographer's feelings do come into it that I think you're right.

By which I mean that I'm not judgemental, Chris!

I find a lot of wedding photographs hideously cheesy and I'm afraid the picture above is a very good example of this. It is contrived and excessively sentimental.

Gay or hetro, wedding photographs should look classy and honour both parties. Neither should be conveyed as fawning or servile. I think this picture breaks this rule.

Also, it looks a bit like one hand is trying to force the other...(to sign or to not sign?)

Harsh, I know, but I hope it helps.

I didn't imagine that you were for a moment, John.

But I do think you're right - if you feel strongly negative about something, it's going to come out in your photography if you're any good, so feeling negative about a couple - for any reason - isn't going to produce good wedding pictures for the couple.

If I look back over the pictures I've taken that I'm particularly proud of, not that they are all that many, they are without exception where, for whatever reason, I've felt strongly about what's going on.

I guess what I'm saying is that the photographer's feelings must come into it - and they'll be reflected in the results.

my favorite ring shot is to have the hands holding a Bible, open to Corinthians, and have the ring sitting on the pages with the light casiting a heart shaped shadow on the Bible.
I posted one before, so no point in doing so again.