Last week I posted that I wasn’t sure what kit to take to the wedding of some good friends to which we’d been invited as guests.
I had some useful advice from Claire on twitter ;
@photosbypjc Take the compact. Like you said, you’re a guest and you don’t want to get in the way of the official tog. Enjoy the day!
— Claire McConnell (@greeneyedlens) August 18, 2016
Getting in the way of the pro’s was something I was acutely aware of on the day. For the most part, the guests were also respectful enough to let the pro’s do their thing, except the moment the couple walked back down the aisle after signing the register when a good number of people chose to grab a shot with their phone rather than enjoy and applaud the Bride and Groom.
A few stepped into the aisle to get a better shot, bringing a grimace from one of the two photographers on duty.
So what did I decide?
Well, for the ceremony in the church I took the compact camera. Easy to fit in my pocket, silent, good enough for some quick snaps. I didn’t feel comfortable taking the big camera in here – my role was as a guest to witness, enjoy and celebrate the marriage with the couple, not document it.
Once back at the hotel for drinks and official photos I grabbed my DSLR with the 24-105mm f/4L lens. The thinking here was to grab some nice candid moments that the pro’s wouldn’t get but which would be good enough to keep/ print if wanted.
Then we went into the conservatory for the meal and again I had the DSLR at hand to capture candids;
Fortunately I had a really good view directly facing the top table so I was able to get a few shots of the Bridal party relaxing and having fun which turned out really well.
As the wine flowed it was obvious that keeping the DSLR out for the evening was going to be too risky so I left that in our room and carried the compact again – although didn’t take anything worthwhile with it as dancing and drinking became the priority!
All in all it was a good day with nice friends and much fun was had by all.