Will you think less of me if I rant?

Today I’m going to indulge myself in a rant.  While I would never use my blog to criticize another photographer’s work, I feel pretty ok about criticizing their bad manners.  Fellow photogs, I know that most of you understand this because it’s just common sense, but the presence of a bride does not exempt you from being polite.

[I’m calling you out, tacky photographer — and your tacky wedding party too.  I’m sure you’ll never read this, but it’s got to be said.]

I was on a shoot at the LDS Draper Temple, a popular wedding location here in Utah.  My subject was this adorable soon-to-be-eight year-old boy:

Isn’t he a cutie?

This little guy and his family drove a long way, early in the morning, to meet me at that location.  Of course, they’d gotten up much earlier than that in order to get everyone ready.  Photos are a big time commitment for anyone.

We got started right away.  We got the little guy situated, and had just enough time to take 3 shots before an oblivious photographer walked right into our shoot and started posing her bridal party — without a word to us.  It was like we weren’t even there.  My jaw dropped.  A woman, who I can only assume was the bride’s grandma, simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “Well…she’s the bride.”  As if that made it ok.

If we’d been having a picnic in that spot, I’m sure they would have stood on our sandwiches and shrugged it off as a bride’s right to stand in that spot.

My group and I took it in stride and quietly walked away to set up somewhere else.

Ok, there were some eye-rolls and a little muttering, but we had a right to.

We got set up and started shooting, but it didn’t take long for miss oblivious and her group to find us again.  AGAIN they stepped right in the middle of our shoot and started setting up without a word.  It was unbelievable.  We walked away without saying anything to them.  And yeah, more eye rolling.  Sometimes I worry that my eyes will get stuck that way.

What do you think happened at our next location?  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!  She did it THREE times!  And the last one was the only time she seemed to notice that she’d done it.  She giggled, “oh, sorry” as we watched her set up her bride.  I’m sure we looked appalled.  We WERE appalled.  I’ve never had an experience like it.

We didn’t call her on it.  No one wants to be a cloud on a bride’s big day, so we said we were done there anyway and walked away.  But I need to say it:  that was rude, lady!  That family you kicked around had time and money invested in their pictures too.

Yes, I know it won’t change anything, but it makes me feel better to say it.

And I’ll bet her pictures are crap.  
Feels good to say that too 😉