Why wedding photographers suck (and how I try not to)

My quest for clients puts me in weird situations sometimes. Like in the center of a convention center parking lot surrounded by thousands of yards of toile, silver foil, and bustling women who have never been happier in their lives. Such is my life in the scope of my wedding photography. Not always a position I enjoy. I'm hardly the picture of professionalism, either.

I used to tell myself that I would never (EVER) shoot weddings. Not that I felt it was below me, or that I would fuck it all up, well, actually yes I did feel like I would fuck it all up. Weddings were just too much pressure -- non-repeatable, high-stress events that could wind me up as tight as a goth corset just thinking about them. But then I was suddenly broke. And damn there's just something about a single shoot raking in $2000 that'll get you going.

So, these days I find myself in constant competition with other wedding photographers; respecting some and finding others simply laughable. The thing that gets me is how SERIOUS most of those in the trade portray themselves to be... and it never seems to fail that the most serious of all have the most laughably AWFUL photos (in my humble opinion, of course). I mean, aren't weddings intrinsically doomed to 'fail' anyway? Not in the overwhelming-divorce-rate way, but in the tons-of-stress-over-minute-details-throws-you-all-out-of-whack way? Very evident when you see a nervous bride. Nothing seems to go right for her because she expects too much. This is her perfect day. Right? Yeah, right.

But of course, you have to figure that I have somewhat of a discerning eye, having been a 'photographer' for over a decade. Your normal 'pretty picture' is going to make me vomit all over myself. And then add on to that my favorite photographers are a little ::ahem:: different from your run-of-the-mill family portrait smile over your shoulder type deal.

Joel Peter Witkin, Anton Corbijn, Margaret Bourke-White, David LaChapelle.

So what the hell does a wedding photographer have to do to impress me? Turns out not much. Just be creative. Don't do the same things EVERY SINGLE WEDDING. I know some shots are 'required', but how about not taking them the same WAY every time? I'm not going to post bad photos on my blog, but I assure you, they're out there. Go to a few wedding websites and try to avoid seeing them. However, I will allude to a couple of wedding photographers that give me hope for the genre:

Joe Buissink
Masterful. A contemporary purist to rival all others. Annie Leibowitz hired him as wedding photographer. Twice. Each photo makes me think either 'How'd he do that?' or 'If I was there, would I have caught that moment?' Genius.

Jeff Ascough
King of the wide angle. But not just for the sake of documentation; his subjects are so clearly defined, so eloquently pored over... each photo is like a poem. And each image is striking in its own way.

Christian Oth
One of the best perspectives in photography period. Totally in the moment but yet with a pervading instinct for art that encompasses every shoot. If I ever get married I hope I can afford him. Also the artist behind my favorite wedding photograph thus far:

David Beckstead
His website alone will give you a hint of his creativity - but the images speak for themselves. I love when photographers are conscious of reflections and their ethereal beauty, and David is a master at capturing them. I only wish he gave classes.

So, if you're a wedding photographer, and you happen to be reading this, don't think I'm one of the greatest. I'm not. In fact compared to the photographers I just listed, I suck. But I'm trying. And I try to do something I've never seen before every time I pick up my camera.

I guess my point is: yes, weddings are dangerous. Stressful, once-in-a-lifetime photo shoots where the client usually expects more than you can give them. But that DOESN'T mean you should hide in your own little box of mediocre, cookie-cutter shots that you look for each time. A risky business requires RISK if one is to be taken seriously. I could go on and on. Here are some quotes by Joe Buissink that I think sum up my sentiments exactly:

“I really try not to previsualize. If I did, I would see the same things, week in and week out.
I’ve also discovered that when I force myself to stop looking for things that normally happen at a wedding, I find other moments.”

“Some photographers spend their entire career trying to create the perfect picture, but it does not exist. What does exist is the perfect moment."

*VC*