Need advice! My first unpaid christening photosession and another paid photographer!

[rusteam]

Hello everyone,
i'm just starting photography. So far i did a few outdoor photosessions with friend model just for practise. And feel pretty much confident to get out to do photosession for other unknown people for me. Some friends of my friends will have christening in 1 month time and i agreed with them to shoot it for free , because i'm not pro enaugh to take money and i will do it for practise and building my portfolio. There is only one PROBLEM (if we can say so) - there will be another main photographer ,who will be paid for that photoshoot. So i will be another one, but unpaid. So i dont know how act in this situation. I have a good pro camera and lens 5d mark ii and 50mm.1.2L ,so i might have even better gear then he is, but HOW I should be shoting around him. Obviously he might not like it, but i will attend like a family guest who will be just photogrhing as well. Can u give me advice on situation like this , where you have 2 photographers 1- paid main photographer and 2 is unpaid just family member for example.

1) Do i need to talk to this photographer before the event?? Or its not his business to much, because its a family business who will be invited and etc. Or because hi is main paid photographer i still need to discuss everything with him to prevent conflict situations?

2)How to get good photos if main photographer will have PRIORITY over me?

3)Any advises please. Anyone was in similar situation.

I'm also a bit worried abt my gear ,if he will have more cheaper gear the me and he is paid photograper and i;m just a guest photographer family member but have a better gear - who he will feel?? Probably a bit stupid ..no???

thank you!!!

[BigFuzzy]

I think the short answer is HE is the photographer for the event. Not you even though you volunteered. It's your job to be courtious to the person trying to do his/her job by staying out of his/her way. If you interfer with him/her you not only are acting rude and unprofessional, you're risking interfering with your friends getting the best possible product for which they've paid.

Your gear means nothing. He may have lesser gear and still outshoot you. Maybe not. But the point being, if he's a pro he also doesn't give a crap what a guest has. I've shot a wedding with a guest who appeared to have better kit.. but who cares, my job is to do a good job and I'm pretty sure if he's worth anything, his stuff will be as good if not better than yours. Should be considering your experience level and him being a 'pro'

So, bottom line, stay out of his way while trying to get what you can. He's paid, by your friends, to be there, it'd be incredibly rude if you got in his way. If I were the pro, I'd make sure that if you got in my way that you knew very quickly not to.

I know it sounded a bit harsh.. but just trying to give my opinion that the situation (to me at least) is very clear. Good luck

EDIT:
Also are you sure that the person officiating the ceremony even wants, or allows, for two people to be moving around and getting in the way of all the other guests? Might want to check that.

[tikal]

i have been to parties where there were more than one paid photographer, and more than one taking video. we didnt talk to each other but were mind full not to walk in front of each other or even move out of the way once i got my shot for others to get a shot.

one lady kept walking in front of video guys because she was still using some old film camera with no flash to use their lights, then they missed the shot. it was like she was oblivious to everyone but herself. myself and the other people would just shake our heads even some of the guests picked up on it as she was pushing them out of the way.

no one knows if you are getting paid or not, so be as professional to them as they should be to you...

[camaddictus]

Having been both the paid professional and the unpaid family friend, I will tell you the first thing you need to do is talk to the paid photographer. Let the pro know that you have been invited to take pictures, but you want to stay out of their way, so please have them let you know if you intrude on their shot, or get in their way at all. I have worked with some great photographers this way, and you can pick up tricks that you never would see any other way. Understand that the paid professional is there to do their job, and stay out of their way as much as you can. Be courteous and treat the photographer how you would want to be treated as a photographer.

[NicolaB]

Personally I would aim to be invisible. Keep well away from the other photographer and take candid shots of events away from the main highlights - eg take the cake, take the kids running around, take pictures of relationships as you see them - just NOT WHERE THE PHOTOGRAPHER is.

Leave the main even to them, you capture everything else.

Would that work?