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Wedding Photography By David Simm - part 2 of 1 2

by David Simm Published 01/02/2000

A few weeks ago I was up at our bookbinders and happened to glimpse at a display album by one of the overpriced downtown Chicago studios, I was staggered by the poor quality. These people are kept in business because their work so closely matches the editorial profile of wedding magazines.

Not long ago, a fashionable New York wedding photographer was brought in to speak to a local photography group, she was heard to say, "Its OK to screw up someone's wedding, - you simply put it down to art". This woman who uses the Salmon principle, (the Salmon lays five thousand eggs in the vain hope that a few will survive), shoots eight to twelve hundred snaps, with her two 35mm cameras, at an average wedding.

All black and white, all 35 mm., all-available light whether there is light available or not, - even for the dancing. I dare say there are times, when she must be eternally grateful for the videographer's on camera light, - without it she would be on a hiding to nothing - recording dancing images at most receptions. In case you back home, are not aware, these "highly fashionable" and grossly overpaid snapshotters drop to a 1/8th or a 1/4 of second, hand held, on the dance, then explain the blur as ambiance!

Well not being impressed by either, but having a photographic memory for images, I decided to put together an imitation set of the pictures I had seen on display. I took my little old Minolta XD7 loaded with Ilford Delta 3200 on the very next wedding I was shooting. Don't get me wrong I didn't abandon my medium format equipment or my Fuji NPH colour film. I just shot a couple of rolls of extra images to match the snaps.

What do you know? the bride thought they were very cute, but just not her style, she placed a very good order for all the colour pictures, but bought none of the "wedding photojournalistic" shots. I showed them to a number of prospective clients and actually booked weddings on the strength of them, but I know this, when push comes to shove; these clients too,

will order more traditional photographs. Moreover, in common with most others, they will buy only fifteen to twenty percent of the candid pictures. Nothing has changed, except the way we have to attract the business.

What was it we said in the seventies? "Pictures for show and pictures for dough!" It is just that the roles have changed, then we shot pictorials for show, now we shoot trash for show! Thankfully we haven't lost the skills to shoot the real stuff on the day.

The conclusion: It matters not what the "one day" professor tells you, it doesn't matter a hoot what is being sold in California or New York. What matters are the influences your prospective clients are subjected to; whether it is a wedding magazine or a party coordinator. We just need to be aware of the real influences in our market place, in order to stay ahead of the trends that make a direct difference to our success or failure.

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1st Published 01/02/2000
last update 09/12/2022 15:00:15

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