Bride and Groom entrance

[Jeff Harper]

Noa, I put one locked off camera up 9 feet high from my big tripod, and the second one up to 7 feet. This is what I do when I have no second shooter. With second shooter I just put one up high. It gets everything usually, or at least serves as a suitable safety.

[Robert Benda]

When I do locked off cameras for transition events like this, I usually pick a spot for it to cover, rather than trying to use it to cover everything. I might then just leave out most of the time where they are awkwardly struggling through the tables too close to each other.

For instance, I've got camera 1, then lock off camera #2 to cover when they come in the door (maybe from behind, over their shoulders, so the guests are in the shot), then camera #3 is up front to show them emerging from the tables, or once they up at the head table).

[Steve Bleasdale]

Follow from behind glidecam, locked of camera from front and one from side, intermingle in the edit!! Sometimes walk backwards with the glidecam getting their faces! Be careful though some idiots try to trip you up or get in the way on purpose!! Steve

[George Kilroy]

I'm with Don on this. A benefit of many years and weddings under the belt is that I've done all my worrying about this sort of thing and found that in the end most of the things I agonised about didn't even cross the clients' mind. I know that we are all perfectionists and are striving for the ultimate perfect wedding but things are what they are.
I used a GoPro placed high above and behind the couple's seats either clamped to a structure or light stand, or suckered a window. I used that footage intercut with whatever I had from my POV. That sort of placement gives a great overview and captures the entrance however they enter even with the backward walking photog' or the swirling piper in front of them and ends with them taking their place. I leave it there for the speeches for good audience reaction shots. Most were surprised when they saw that footage as they never even suspected that there was a camera there. One couple did say they noticed it but though it was something to do with venue security.

[Clive McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

I always follow the couple during the first entrance with my blackbird steadicam, always from behind them so the photog can shoot from the front, if the room inbetween the seats is too narrow for 2 people I follow as far as I can go, setting up a second camera is often useless as all guests stand up during that moment so then I just stop, raise my blackbird with camera as high as I can and shoot from a fixed position.

I do the same Noa - also do it when leaving up the aisle after the ceremony. Do you ever worry that you are in the shot for the photographer shooting them from the front?

I don't know what to do - I think its a very valuable shot that my clients like to see, but I worry that I may piss off the togs, and photobomb their wedding photos...

[Noa Put]

I never go in the aisle, always shoot from the altar at a fixed position and often get the photogs back in my view as he walks backwards following the bride when she walks down the aisle, only at a certain point they step out of that aisle to join me at the altar so I get the last part just before the bride meets up with the groom. I don't worry about that anymore, I guess that comes with age or experience, and just take it as it comes, it's a live non repeatable event and I just can't always have it my way.

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by George Kilroy

I used a GoPro placed high above and behind the couple's seats either clamped to a structure or light stand, or suckered a window. I used that footage intercut with whatever I had from my POV. That sort of placement gives a great overview and captures the entrance however they enter even with the backward walking photog' or the swirling piper in front of them and ends with them taking their place. I leave it there for the speeches for good audience reaction shots. Most were surprised when they saw that footage as they never even suspected that there was a camera there. One couple did say they noticed it but though it was something to do with venue security.

Thanks George - Exactly why I posted about this issue :) - what a great idea and one I'll try at this weekend's wedding

Pete

[Roger Gunkel]

Quite a few posters seem to be worried about getting in the photographers shot or pissinhg him off. That's something that I never find a problem, as I always discuss things like the entrance, walk down the aisle, speeches etc so that we both know how we will get round any limitations. Working together always seems to make for mutual respect in my experience.

Roger

[Peter Rush]

Same here Roger - In 5 years only twice that I recall have I had a tog who I had trouble working with - long may it continue!

[Clive McLaughlin]

I guess I feel that in my area, video guys are deemed to be less important. I don't know if a convesation would go overly well like 'so is it ok if I get the leaving the aisle from the front, and you get the bridal entrance from the front?'

i imagine the response would be 'er no... I normally get both those.'.

Where I'm from its a case of photographers can appear in video shots, but videographer shouldn't appear in photographers' shots.

Nobody else feel this way?

I get paid a fair amount - so I don't want to simply stand at the end and track them with a zoom. To me, the client deserves more for my price range.

[Adrian Tan]

Re planning with the tog, sometimes works for me, sometimes doesn't. But bear in mind also that my social skills are miserable.

When it doesn't includes: (1) photographers with an ego, refusing to compromise; (2) surly photographers who kind of grunt at you; (3) ditzy photographers who don't have a plan or couldn't remember one; (4) newbie photographers who run around in a panic the entire day anyway; (5) photographers who don't speak English well (I do lots of ethnic weddings); (6) photographers who just aren't used to videographers, and who operate on autopilot, doing all the stuff they do on most of their weddings; (7) times when the MC or whoever else changes everything around, and the best laid plans go awry.

So, instead, I tend just to plan things around the photographers, anticipate what they might want or do, and leave them obvious places they can shoot from. Experienced guys are much easier to deal with than new people. 19 times out of 20 I don't have a problem. I think I could improve my batting average with better communication, but I guess I also feel that even the 1 time out of 20 that I'll come onto this board and moan about it, even then I've been able to roll with the punches, and it's never really been that big a deal; nothing YouTube worthy.

[Kyle Root]

I don't normally do a lot of advance planning on anything. Generally speaking.

I use to go to Rehearsals and try to iron things out, but what usually happened was, on the actual wedding day, there would be huge/numerous stage decorations which would change a lot of things... so instead we just get there 60-90 minutes early, talk to the director real quick to see where people are coming in from, and then set up.

Also, I always work around the photographer. I always tell them "Don't worry about me, do whatever you have to do. I have 3 or 4 cameras here and we can work around just about anything as long as you don't just stand in front of me the whole time"... and I say it in a fun kind of way.

In my view, I have no problem with the photo team being in the video shots, because they are part of the day as well. A lot of times, they have second and third shooters with them so invariably, there will be photographers in the video. It has never bothered me in almost 14 years, and in the hundreds of weddings I've done, never had a single person complain about seeing a photographer in the video.

Around these parts, the photographers run the whole show pretty much, so it makes my life very easy on the wedding day.

@Clive - I certainly don't want to be in any of the photographers shots. Not such much that it's taboo here, but I am always aware of where they are and where they are pointing their cameras. I'd say 80% of the time I'm actually right beside them for nearly all the reception events. Of course, at the Ceremony it's a little different.

[Clive McLaughlin]

At a recent wedding the photographer stood in front of one of my locked off cameras as the bride arrived. Annoying yes, she had room, and a more front on shot if she moved to the left where there was space.

But then as I was trapped at the back I noticed she decided to use the same spot to sit down whilst the whole service was on. Her head was in my shot for the remainder of the service.

Do I just have bad luck with photographers?

[Peter Riding]

Clive that scenario in your pics is a classic instance of how if you shoot both video and stills it need never arise.

I can't see the whole room layout obviously but based on what I can see if I were the photographer I'd probably be rather miffed that your locked off cam on tripod has nabbed pretty much two complete rows of pews in a prime area.

Alternatives might include having the b-cam on a lightstand against the wall (smaller footprint), or in the window alcove which appears to have a wide ledge sitting on a gorillapod or suchlike - or if you need a bit more height have the cam on the ledge on a collapsed monopod with the three feet extended.

Again a b-cam clamped to the pew top which is immediately behind the photographers lens would have got the couple pretty much full frontal. Even a gopro on the high cabinet next to the pew might have given a nice inclusive view of most of the room.

I probably fuss about these things more than most because I'm used to doing a lot of expensive photo albums and kit in shot is a big no-no just as are exit signs, fire extinguishers, bright carrier bags with advertising on the side carried in by guests etc. Heck I've even had requests for radiators to be retouched out of the compositions. Its funny though that no-one thinks twice about musicians and DJs paraphernalia being in shot.

Back to the original question. Yes you can only do what you can do. Many times guests have ignored or forgotten reasonable requests to give the couple some space, and many times couples have gone their own route to the top table despite the duty manager trying to sheep-dog them.

Will the photographer mind if you go behind the couple? Does anyone really need to ask that? If you were the couple would you have this type of shot in your album if it included robocop in the background:
http://www.ashtonlamont.co.uk/925-c/...-venue-150.jpg

I'd also suggest that rather than trying to follow the couples entire entry let the b-cams do their job and instead get some great clips of two or three tables of guests cheering them in.

Clips and photos from this part of the day will seldom be works of art though. Thats just too much to expect.

Pete

[Clive McLaughlin]

Hi peter. What you are seeing is the seating in the 'wings' which are to either side of the pulpit. You can see from the scene what direction the camera is facing. These sections in the wings are not used for seating guests. Guests sit in the pews behind the couple.

The camera is on the pew because I felt in front of the pew was too close to the action and would be obtrusive.

I have another locked off camera from the other front corner, and my main cam with me on monopod shooting mostly from the back.

So, there is no incompetence on my part whatsoever. And whilst yes, this is why I have three cameras - to make sure I account for unexpected problems, it really is a bit of a joke that a photographer doesn't see a problem standing in front of one of the video guys cameras, let alone sit in front of it for the whole service.


Back to the idea of following the b&g, for the evening reception, most togs in NI are finished for the day. So I quite often get free reign.

Thing is, if you are a b&g, what do you want more - a photo without 'robocop' of the entry, or a video from behind/in front of the b&g on steadycam with the full experience of the excitement, and the audible roar.

I'm a bit fed up of having to dance around the togs. What we do is just as important if not more so.