Reception venue hires own photog?? BS!

[royey123]

I had a wonderful wedding on Friday night. Everything was almost perfect. Almost.

The reception and wedding were held at the same place. The owner of the reception place actually had one of her wait staff taking photos the entire time the bride was getting ready up thru the ceremony. She was under my nose and toes the entire time. I'm sure she could tell I was annoyed. I heard her say it was for playback on their big screen during the reception.

I have this built into my contract - and that the bride/groom is responsible for NOT hiring a second photog and for dealing with guests getting in my way. But what do you do when the venue has their own photog?? It was very frustrating!

Roy

[scootermcq]

Full Contact Photography? Aussie Rules Photography?

[Brian Mullins]

Originally Posted by royey123

I had a wonderful wedding on Friday night. Everything was almost perfect. Almost.

The reception and wedding were held at the same place. The owner of the reception place actually had one of her wait staff taking photos the entire time the bride was getting ready up thru the ceremony. She was under my nose and toes the entire time. I'm sure she could tell I was annoyed. I heard her say it was for playback on their big screen during the reception.

I have this built into my contract - and that the bride/groom is responsible for NOT hiring a second photog and for dealing with guests getting in my way. But what do you do when the venue has their own photog?? It was very frustrating!

Roy

Legally speaking, nothing. You cannot hold your clients responsible for the actions of a 3rd party in a contract (I can't remember the legal term but, liability aside, you can't do it according to my lawyer).

However, with that being said.. obviously the venue needs photos and I would hazard a guess yours will be much, much better then the waitstaff's. Why not offer the venue your photos to use (from your post I assume they weren't for the slideshow)? Maybe a link or some other benefit to you in exchange for sharing your work with them? If it was for a slideshow, then see below.

If the other photographer was in your way and preventing your from doing your job, you can handle it one of two ways. You can, nicely, talk with the other photographer and figure out the best way to work together without getting in each others way. Most times, that works well. However, if/when you run into the "yes man" photographer who agrees, then proceeds to cut you off at every opportunity, then you must do your job. The advantage of having experience is you know what is going to happen, typically, before it does... get in position and block them out of the prime angle. Do this enough times, and they generally will say "mercy" and work with you better.

It's a tricky situation as you don't want to alienate yourself at the venue but at the same time, your contract is with the client. If it ever gets really nasty, you can threaten contractual interference but that is, well, going to pretty much cost you any referrals from the venue. It's best to work with the venue, see if you can give them what they need or, at least, work in the best interest of the client, and see if you can make it win/win.

[digirebelva]

makes you wonder why the venue owner didnt contact you about it and let you know before it happened....?

[Jim Bryant]

Unfortunately the venue owner hired their own photographer. There's really nothing you can do.

[mommywesley]

Wouldn't this be something the Bride and Groom would have been informed of? When they booked the venue...I mean, I'm assuming they would have told them their plans.

If that's the case, then I think it's on the Bride and Groom to notify you that the venue had hired a photographer.

[lonni]

This is getting more common. One of the selling points for a lot of reception venues is the slide show, that one of the staff take photos of the day for. It ios a trend i have noticed that is getting pretty popular with the brides, and i think some venues even give the images to the bride and groom on a disc.

Unfortunately its is something we will probably have to get used to as event photographers. I see it in the same boat as a wedding coordinator or reception venue hiring a photographer to take photos of their set up on the night for their advertising use.

[Biomech]

I'll have to keep an eye on this, seems a few good trends have some out of Oz lately

[jdepould]

Originally Posted by lonni

This is getting more common. One of the selling points for a lot of reception venues is the slide show, that one of the staff take photos of the day for. It ios a trend i have noticed that is getting pretty popular with the brides, and i think some venues even give the images to the bride and groom on a disc.

Unfortunately its is something we will probably have to get used to as event photographers. I see it in the same boat as a wedding coordinator or reception venue hiring a photographer to take photos of their set up on the night for their advertising use.

While I can see the value in a reception slide show, I question the wisdom of the venue using a shutter monkey to put it together, and cutting the real photographer out of the process. It makes far more sense to me for the actual photographer to do it (more like hire an assistant to put the show together, but you get the idea).

I mean, obviously the venue wants to provide as many services as possible to maximize their profits, but in this instance the quality probably isn't going to be there.

[lonni]

Originally Posted by jdepould

While I can see the value in a reception slide show, I question the wisdom of the venue using a shutter monkey to put it together, and cutting the real photographer out of the process. It makes far more sense to me for the actual photographer to do it (more like hire an assistant to put the show together, but you get the idea).

I mean, obviously the venue wants to provide as many services as possible to maximize their profits, but in this instance the quality probably isn't going to be there.

The slide shows i have seen are really just snap shots of the reception, the kind of stuff friends and relatives take anyway. They dont claim any skill with photography and usually it some of the staff or the AV guy.

Brides especially love it, guests love it, its a selling point for the venue, the prupose is not to have photos to take home but for decoration on the night, people love seeing themselves on the screen. Putting the images on a disc is just polite really.

In my area it is not common for the photographer to stay for the reception, they come at the beginning and shoo ta faux cake cut and faux first dance then leave. I am pretty sure a lot of australia is like that too. So having candids of the reception, that they dont have to chase up from various relatives, is apealing.

Also they are very systematic about shooting, i know some of the venus say they get a picture of almost every one at the reception, which is something brides like.

You have to think that this trend has sprung from a gap, that we as photographers could be filling, just like the photobooth.

Wedding photographers tend to focus on the bride and groom, bridal party and parents etc. How many of you actually go out and photograph the guests?

I would have loved a photo of every one who attended my wedding.