4 Good Reasons to Ask Your Guests to Leave Their Cameras at Home

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
Those articles hold as much water as an article from a renowned DJ talking about the perils of people with an MP3 player in the crowd ruining the "experience". They are written by photographers and they are very self serving.

I think they might be a little scared that the guests may take a better picture than they do. If you have an eye and a little knowledge photography isn't that hard with the technology out there today now there are exceptions to that rule a very good photographer can't be compared to an amateur but an average photographer can...Same applies to DJ's decorators, Caterers, or any other vendor
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
Jeff Romard said:
Those articles hold as much water as an article from a renowned DJ talking about the perils of people with an MP3 player in the crowd ruining the "experience". They are written by photographers and they are very self serving.

I think they might be a little scared that the guests may take a better picture than they do. If you have an eye and a little knowledge photography isn't that hard with the technology out there today now there are exceptions to that rule a very good photographer can't be compared to an amateur but an average photographer can...Same applies to DJ's decorators, Caterers, or any other vendor
Click to expand...

I think the problem of guests potentially taking better pics than the pro photog has been around a long time, it's just that now it's much more common for amateurs to have pro or near program grade equipment. Even looking back 25 years ago, at my own wedding, the hired photog was a complete screw-up and the shots we ended up using most came from my nephew, who was an aspiring photographer at the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
Jeff Romard said:
Those articles hold as much water as an article from a renowned DJ talking about the perils of people with an MP3 player in the crowd ruining the "experience". They are written by photographers and they are very self serving.

I think they might be a little scared that the guests may take a better picture than they do. If you have an eye and a little knowledge photography isn't that hard with the technology out there today now there are exceptions to that rule a very good photographer can't be compared to an amateur but an average photographer can...Same applies to DJ's decorators, Caterers, or any other vendor
Click to expand...
Jeff, who else would you expect to write the articles? Again, I want to be neutral on this. I have been carrying around a Camcorder now to every Gig for the past two months but have yet to pull it out. Why? Because there were other Videographers present and or I could not get shots of the event without actually pointing the Cam in some people's direction. I did not think it was appropriate. I am not there to compete with anyone else doing their job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Audio One said:
Seems to me a real professional photographer can work around most of these obstacles, then again what do I know I'm just a DJ. I'd like Kirby's opinion on the subject.

Maybe I'll write something on how people should leave their ipods at home during the wedding.
Click to expand...

My advice is to never argue with Canute J. Chiverton, because he knows everything. ;)
 
I wouldn't expect anyone else to write the articles because no one else has the concern to but that makes it no less self serving

How do you see it as competition? Unless you plan on selling the video or pictures it should be no competition at all.

If I had the gear and the skill of a photographer that could compete with my local group of photographers that's what I'd be doing for 6-10X the money I get to DJ.

A professional photog spends thousands on gear and hours before during and after an event to make the pictures look sweet. If I can compete with a point and click, or even a SLR and a post to social media or my website without any alterations of a crowd shot that photographer better consider looking for a new job....And maybe just maybe I'll catch something he doesn't ;)

One more point before bedtime in my area the photographers generally leave right after the first dances unless they are running a photobooth
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Jeff Romard said:
I wouldn't expect anyone else to write the articles because no one else has the concern to but that makes it no less self serving

How do you see it as competition? Unless you plan on selling the video or pictures it should be no competition at all.

If I had the gear and the skill of a photographer that could compete with my local group of photographers that's what I'd be doing for 6-10X the money I get to DJ.

A professional photog spends thousands on gear and hours before during and after an event to make the pictures look sweet. If I can compete with a point and click, or even a SLR and a post to social media or my website without any alterations of a crowd shot that photographer better consider looking for a new job....And maybe just maybe I'll catch something he doesn't ;)

One more point before bedtime in my area the photographers generally leave right after the first dances unless they are running a photobooth
Click to expand...
There is no competition when the Professional has a hefty investment and thus charges for his Products/services versus someone with a point and shoot who does it for free and will e-mail anyone who asks, the pics for free.
 
ahoustondj said:
There is no competition when the Professional has a hefty investment and thus charges for his Products/services versus someone with a point and shoot who does it for free and will e-mail anyone who asks, the pics for free.
Click to expand...
we are living in modern times and not everyone who is not a professional buys a point and shoot or take pictures with their cell phones.many people are buying professional or close to professional grade equipment because many people realize that a cheap camera say $100 doesn't take the same quality picture of an expensive canon,pentax,nikon,etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
ahoustondj said:
There is no competition when the Professional has a hefty investment and thus charges for his Products/services versus someone with a point and shoot who does it for free and will e-mail anyone who asks, the pics for free.
Click to expand...

You are exactly right Canute but if the person questioned can't see the difference in quality then why are they paying big bucks for a photographer?

I don't have time to go back and find the quotes so correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it you not long ago that was saying there is no competition between an Ipod at a function and a DJ with pro gear and the skill to operate it? Isn't this the same thing?
 
Jeff Romard said:
You are exactly right Canute but if the person questioned can't see the difference in quality then why are they paying big bucks for a photographer?

I don't have time to go back and find the quotes so correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it you not long ago that was saying there is no competition between an Ipod at a function and a DJ with pro gear and the skill to operate it? Isn't this the same thing?
Click to expand...
Huh??
 
What part don't you understand?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
CMWAT said:
we are living in modern times and not everyone who is not a professional buys a point and shoot or take pictures with their cell phones.many people are buying professional or close to professional grade equipment because many people realize that a cheap camera say $100 doesn't take the same quality picture of an expensive canon,pentax,nikon,etc.
Click to expand...

+1 .. I'm no professional photographer, but have dropped nearly $8K on gear. If I bring a camera to an event, I sometimes have better equipment than the "pro" .. and take equally as good an image.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Jeff Romard said:
What part don't you understand?
Click to expand...

there is no competition between an Ipod at a function and a DJ with pro gear and the skill to operate it

and

There is no competition when the Professional has a hefty investment and thus charges for his Products/services versus someone with a point and shoot who does it for free and will e-mail anyone who asks, the pics for free.

Those two statements are NOT one and the same.

 
Last edited:
ahoustondj said:

there is no competition between an Ipod at a function and a DJ with pro gear and the skill to operate it

and

There is no competition when the Professional has a hefty investment and thus charges for his Products/services versus someone with a point and shoot who does it for free and will e-mail anyone who asks, the pics for free.

Those two statements are NOT one and the same.
Click to expand...

Well maybe you can explain to the unwashed masses how they aren't the same thing. Point and click cameras are to photographers what Ipods are to DJ's.

I'm a professional DJ I have no fear of Ipods I would assume a professional photographer would have no fear of a point and click camera or for that matter professional gear because if they have the true skill they sell then the average Joe can't do what they do
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Jeff Romard said:
Well maybe you can explain to the unwashed masses how they aren't the same thing. Point and click cameras are to photographers what Ipods are to DJ's.

I'm a professional DJ I have no fear of Ipods I would assume a professional photographer would have no fear of a point and click camera or for that matter professional gear because if they have the true skill they sell then the average Joe can't do what they do
Click to expand...
Sure I'll tell why. First of all the article in the OP #1 was about people with Cameras getting in the way of the Photographer and posting their pics on Social Media, sometimes before the Paid Photographer had a chance to post his/hers.

Now on to your question. At an event, there could be a Paid Professional Photographer as well as others who are not hired/contracted, also taking pictures. Remember, the Photographer is already paid so the Fee goes to that one person. There can be numerous people with their cameras along with the Paid Professional Photographer. It is also a known fact that there could be more than one Paid Photographer at a Event and as professionals they usually don't get in each other's way.
Now to the Professional DJ & iPod Guy. At an Event, it is usually one or the other performing. I don't know about you all but I have never seen someone with an iPod playing Music and getting in the way of a Paid DJ while he is performing. This is why I said that they are not one and the same. (Direct answer to your question)

As a footnote. There are actual DJs who do use Ipods and still charge a Professional Fee. Some even reside on this Forum. ;)

Now if you want me to explain what I posted in #27, here it is. Additional photos by the Wedding Photographer are usually sold to the Client and their Guests. It used to be that those were the only quality shots available so people placed orders with the Professional Photographer. However, with others posting their own pics on Social Media and Photo Posting sites for free, there is no initiative for Guests to order additional shots for their own use from the Professional Photographer. This is where the "No Competition" phrase comes in. Why pay for something one can get for free.

When I give someone a quote and they tell me they have someone who can do it for free, my response usually is "I can't compete with free". If the prospect wants to go with that person instead of me, then so be it. That does not mean to say that their event may be ruined. However as History serves us, we know all to well how most of those arrangements turn out.
 
ahoustondj said:
As a footnote. There are actual DJs who do use Ipods and still charge a Professional Fee. Some even reside on this Forum. ;)
Click to expand...

And some use boomboxes and auto-mixing media players. Potato, Potatoe. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
ahoustondj said:
Sure I'll tell why. First of all the article in the OP #1 was about people with Cameras getting in the way of the Photographer and posting their pics on Social Media, sometimes before the Paid Photographer had a chance to post his/hers.

I have yet to see a pro photographer who wasn't the pushiest person in the room...If this is an ongoing problem then maybe a change of job is in order and again if you have that many people who have that many quality pics that the photographer is concerned then why did you hire the photographer anyway?

Now on to your question. At an event, there could be a Paid Professional Photographer as well as others who are not hired/contracted, also taking pictures. Remember, the Photographer is already paid so the Fee goes to that one person. There can be numerous people with their cameras along with the Paid Professional Photographer. It is also a known fact that there could be more than one Paid Photographer at a Event and as professionals they usually don't get in each other's way.
Now to the Professional DJ & iPod Guy. At an Event, it is usually one or the other performing. I don't know about you all but I have never seen someone with an iPod playing Music and getting in the way of a Paid DJ while he is performing. This is why I said that they are not one and the same. (Direct answer to your question)

I think you missed the point on that one what I'm trying to say is all vendors have technological obstacles to overcome it's a new world. Some DJ's feel they compete with the Ipod wedding thing same as some photographers feel they compete with the point and click folks...The pro's in both cases rise to the top

As a footnote. There are actual DJs who do use Ipods and still charge a Professional Fee. Some even reside on this Forum. ;)

Now if you want me to explain what I posted in #27, here it is. Additional photos by the Wedding Photographer are usually sold to the Client and their Guests. It used to be that those were the only quality shots available so people placed orders with the Professional Photographer. However, with others posting their own pics on Social Media and Photo Posting sites for free, there is no initiative for Guests to order additional shots for their own use from the Professional Photographer. This is where the "No Competition" phrase comes in. Why pay for something one can get for free.

So basically the photographer can't gouge the client anymore so they are upset....My heart is broken. Once again if the client is satisfied with the pics that get compressed and posted on Facebook what is the photographer doing wrong?

When I give someone a quote and they tell me they have someone who can do it for free, my response usually is "I can't compete with free". If the prospect wants to go with that person instead of me, then so be it. That does not mean to say that their event may be ruined. However as History serves us, we know all to well how most of those arrangements turn out.
Click to expand...

My responses in Blue
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Jeff Romard said:
My responses in Blue
Click to expand...
Jeff with all due respect, I explained my case. The "ifs" and "buts" hold no relevance to the initial subject. Sure all what you posted above in blue may be true but that was not the conversation at the beginning of the thread.
 
Look the reason your a Dj and not a Professional Photographer is because you can only do one job at a time not both

so your either a Dj or a Photographer

I have either done one or the other NOT both at the same time

its IMPOSSIBLE to do both


have a nice day
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back