Shoes for photoshoots—what do you wear?

[AmyH19]

Hopefully this is considered the right place for this topic...

I am just starting out doing some photography on the side. I have a wedding to shoot in October and it's at a country club. We'll hopefully be doing mostly outdoor photos and I need some comfortable shoes that are also stylish plus would be safe to wear on the greens if need be. Wearing my Nike golf shoes isn't an option in my mind.

Does anyone have any recommendations for brands or even specific styles of fashionable shoes that are comfortable and have some arch support but would also be friendly for the putting greens?

[OsmosisStudios]

Look for a brand called Finn Comfort. They'll cost a fair bit, but they're the most comfortable shoes i've ever ever worn.

[Browncoat]

At the end of the day, it's still just grass. Wear whatever is comfortable. And no one on internet forums can define comfort for you.

I'm sure the last thing on everyone's mind at the wedding is what kind of shoes the photographer is wearing as far as style goes. You're not going to damage the greens with any kind of shoe except for maybe high heels, which doesn't exactly fit into the "be on your feet all day taking photographs" category anyway.

Things to avoid:

• Bozo clown shoes
• Lumberjack boot spikes
• Track shoes
• Baseball cleats
• Yellow rubber rain boots
• High heeled dominatrix thigh-length leather boots

[no.absolutes]

Originally Posted by Browncoat

Things to avoid:

• High heeled dominatrix thigh-length leather boots

Why are we avoiding these?!

I've never shot at a golf course before, and it's been like 10 years since I've picked up a club, but I've always worn my trusty Converse All-Stars... most comfortable shoes, to me, anyways. If you don't think sneakers will go over so easily, they do have solid black ones that aren't repulsive. I doubt your clients/their guests will notice your shoes, though.

[Swisstony10]

Originally Posted by no.absolutes

...I've always worn my trusty Converse All-Stars...

I wore my faithful (and not particularly knackered and shabby) Chucks to cover a wedding, because they're comfortable, and enabled me to move around the church and the reception venue like a silent camera-weilding ninja. I wore them with a loose-fitting and comfy pin-striped suit. The wedding reception table layout was based around a Science Fiction theme, as the couple met through a sci-fi book & film society at university - while trying to fade into the background to shoot pictures, I was repeatedly complimented on having "..come dressed as The Doctor..." (they meant the David Tennant incarnation, rather than the new Matt Smith version). I may adopt the outfit on a more regular basis now.

Russ.

[NikS]

I generally wear north face hedgefrogs, which are pretty comfortable, and sturdy enough so they don't get ruined if i'm going to all kinds of wierd places, be it desert, forest or beach. If i'm shooting event of some sort, and expected to look less or more elegant - hush puppies.

[bayberry]

I have a different feeling on it. I think it's disrespectful to dress other than you would if you were a guest at the wedding. My standard for more dressy occasions is a pair of nice black pants, ballet flats, and a really nice top fitting for the occasion. I'm still a little more casual than the average guest, but I don't stick out like a sore thumb. IMO a wedding photographer should blend in and be as unobtrusive and invisible as possible.

[Swisstony10]

I agree - well, to an extent. There are times when the wedding photographer needs to stand out and be obvious - during any formal organised pictures (in my opinion) it needs to be obvious that the photographer is "official", but that does largely come down to attitude and the way you deal with people.

It didn't help that I knew a lot of the people at the wedding - it's kinda hard to blend into the background when people that you haven't seen for ages just want to say "hi". Still, it all worked quite well..

[GadgetRick]

You are not, however a guest and they aren't asking guests to roll around and take pictures. Dress professionally but keep in mind you'll be bending, kneeling, etc to get shots. I wouldn't want to do that in one of my good suits...

[inkista]

Jeff Ascough wears black leather Chucks (the oxfords, not the hi-tops).

Preparation - Jeff Ascough's Blog