- Uncle Bob may have some expensive equipment, as do I, but my equipment is purchased to do a specific job, at a specific time, and in an ever-changing environment, whereas Uncle Bob has probably used his equipment in the garden capturing macro shots of bees and flowers. There is obviously nothing wrong with that, but the two styles are very, very different!
- When taking bridal shots- either during the preparations or at any other time of the day, Uncle Bob may not have an eye for (or be comfortable pointing out) a bra strap showing or a necklace back to front. As a professional photographer I am trained to notice these fine details, and also as a woman, I am trained to notice these fine details! 😉
- Uncle Bob may not be physically able to climb a wall to capture an alternative view, or to walk up ten flights of stairs to hang out of a window to get a group shot. I dress in sensible clothing with sensible shoes, and can often be found kneeling on the ground to capture the rings on a stone step, or maybe standing on a chair to capture the widest possible view of a room.
- If something goes wrong on the day, fast thinking can save a shot….which of course, will never be repeated again. Perhaps a flashgun might fail whilst the bride and groom are signing the register and Uncle Bob won’t know to turn the couple around so that they have more natural light falling on them, then increase the ISO setting from 400 to around 1600, first of all, checking the exposure and the focussing are all still perfect, without flapping or panicking, or causing any unnecessary stress for the newlyweds.
- If you love Uncle Bob, don’t put pressure on him to undertake such a formidable task…he won’t be able to sleep for the months building up to the wedding, thinking and planning and practising, and he definitely won’t be able to relax and enjoy the day. I, on the other hand, really enjoy thinking and planning what I am going to do, and how I’m going to change things up, and of course I have had lots and lots of hands on, real life experience and practice #bestjobintheworld.
(Any Uncle Bobs that appear in this blog are purely fictional and any similarity to any of your family members is purely coincidental and not intended to cause offence).
To be continued next week……