With so many selfies being taken at weddings nowadays,
I thought this whole subject might be worth a quick mention. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against
selfies per say (I’ve even just bought a selfie stick, can you believe that?! For those of you not familiar with these,
they recently featured in Vogue Magazine, think of a litter-picker that holds
your phone!) So don’t worry this is not
going to be a rant about the infinite advantages of professional photography over
a quick snap on the I-phone, it’s just I think we’ll all agree social media has
us glued to our phones 24-7 and it’s hard to switch off sometimes. They're a lot of fun and there
is definitely a place for both types of images, but I hope you'll agree when you see this week's wedding images below, they shouldn't get in the way of a professional photo.
Something us photographers learn very early on in
our training is that there's a fine line between wanting to capture a moment and completely ruining a moment. As a guest at a wedding, it can be hard to
know on which side you fall, especially when every gadget we own can snap a photo and share it with the world in
seconds. So I hope these few
simple pointers will help guide you through the whole issue of selfies and social media manners at weddings.
- The most important thing is to find out, if you can,
what the Bride and Groom want, it’s their special day after all.
- Never post an unflattering photo of the wedding
party. An absolute no-no (not even for a
joke!)
- Make sure your phone is switched off and no photos taken during the
ceremony.
- Don’t follow the Bride and Groom around and get in the
way of the professional photographer (Say no more!)
- Always get permission from parents or guardians before
you post any photos of children on social media.
- Don’t take obvious selfies within range of the
Bride and Groom; it’s their day after all and the attention should be on them
and not you.
- Finally don’t use a wedding as a chance to network
or start posting on social media, there’s plenty of time for that afterwards. If you’re special enough to be invited to
share someone’s wedding, focus on them and their day.
So with all that in mind, back to the subject of
professional photography...
This was a
lovely Summer wedding held at Mountains Country House in Kent which is a school
in term time. The bride and groom Marie
& Tom (another kind recommendation) held their reception in a wonderful marquee which was beautifully styled with a vintage theme and set in fantastic grounds.
The couple are both keen triathletes and
it shows; who knows I might even meet them again on a marathon one day!
And for those of you who may wish to know, yes the
London Marathon training has begun but at the moment, I am willing to report,
it’s been a bit like “running through treacle”! I'll keep you posted on my
progress.
It’s also been a busy couple of weeks doing a shoot
for OK Magazine with Strictly Come Dancing Stars Kevin & Joanne Clifton.
The Grimsby-born brother and sister are battling it
out as professional dancers in this year’s BBC1 series. Currently holding the title for Ballroom
Showdance World Champion, Joanne is also five-time British Champion, three time
Italian Champion and Professional World Dancesport Games Champion. Kevin is former Youth World Number One and four
time British Latin Champion and has won International Open titles in Italy,
Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore,
Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Belgium... pretty much everywhere then! Looks set to be an interesting case of sibling
rivalry!
Best wishes,
Roger
