Photographers Guide to a Happy Marriage

[Digidave]

Recently we have had a few threads on DPS that got me to thinking.

Here we have "dannyrich" sitting at a computer the day after wedding.
Thank You Card Stop in & help this poor soul out with his Thank You Card, so he can get on with his marriage!

Then we have "PnwGuy". If you haven't heard, he proposed to his loved one at sunset & posted a mighty fine picture of it here.
Sunset Proposal

Then I read this one today from "Matthew James Norman". It is a fantastic testament to knowing when enough is a enough.
Remember to leave your camera behind

So, I figured it was time to come up with guide for all of us men. Because, you know, we are clueless when it comes to women. A manual, so to speak, on how to maintain a marriage/relationship when you have this addiction we so lovingly call photography. Anyone can contribute to this thing, just keep it family friendly. So, ladies please let us know what your demands are. If you have an experience you would like to share, please do so. Others can learn from your failures....ahem, I mean mistakes. In order to keep it organized, please number your suggestions. I'll start this out.

1) Never run to your computer & start editing your wedding pictures the day after your wedding.(dannyrich)

2) Never shoot your wife in midday sun. The shadows are harsh & it ages her.

3) Never use the word "Shoot" when talking about photographing your wife. It makes the In-laws nervous.

4) When you buy a new piece of equipment, always buy your wife a new piece of jewelery of equal or greater value(Ladies are gonna love that one).

So what do you got? This will give PnwGuy a head start, & dannyrich....well, it may be to late for him, but we can try!! Just kidding there, Danny!!

4)

[dlaf]

Not only is this funny, DigiDave, it speaks much truth! Thanks for the laugh! It might not be a complete manual, but my dh would read a brochure before a manual anyday!

[xxpinballxx]

i found having the camera on the nightstand tends to make the wife a bit nervous!

[Wedge]

Originally Posted by Digidave

4) When you buy a new piece of equipment, always buy your wife a new piece of jewelery of equal or greater value(Ladies are gonna love that one).

I think you just helped solve my problem of "how to get a straight up DSLR without completely irking the wife"! Woot!

...though I still have to get us a video camera for our impending offspring.

[Quo Fan]

I won't have that problem when I get married, she shoots too. In fact, we share all of our hobbies. We are both cyclists, photographers and martial artists.

[Dr.Doo]

tis me who gets exasperated with how much my 'wife' spends on photographic kit....honestly, she spends more on kit than on shoes and handbags!!

to be fair, she's the 'real' photographer in the family and i get the benefit of using her kit too.

[dakwegmo]

5) Make prints. Your significant other is likely to appreciate the work you do more if they have tangible evidence of the things you have been working on. This is especially true if you have kids. Having photos of your kids to hang on the wall and send to the grandparents helps to show that the new lens you bought really was worth while.

[PnwGuy]

LOL!!! Great tips, thank you. I have one more.

Silhouette shots are great for wives who are camera shy.

[NileQueen]

Oh my

3) Never use the word "Shoot" when talking about photographing your wife. It makes the In-laws nervous.

That is soo funny

[Spike]

Too true!

But around here, the shoe's on the other foot. I think I'm driving my husband nuts, so here's some tips for the ladies in my position.

1 - Do not try to photograph every meal, no matter how beautifully presented your beef-wellington or patty melt is. When he says "Can we eat, already?", it's time to put up the camera. If that is simply not practical, explain to him kindly that the high-powered studio lights you have brought to the diningroom table will keep his food hot for hours.

2 - Like Dakwegmo says, at least try to show interest in things he likes. A few hours spent making photos of his motorbike can go a long way when it's time for you to spend a few hundred bucks on lenses. If you think it might help, try making those motorbike pictures blurry and blame the poor quality of your photos on the lack of the afore mentioned lenses.

3 - Give your male S/O a more active role in your hobby. This could be accomplished by regularly inviting your man to pose for a beefcake portrait or even a more intimate photo, BUT for those of you whose beefcakes are a bit lacking in the beefly regard, there is always room at your side for a faithful tripod-bearer or camera case hauler, and besides, lugging all of your gear around will maybe put some much-needed bulk on him.