Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Not My Idea

Always Give The Client What They Ask For

I pride myself on originality. I avoid replicating images that other people have taken. There are exceptions in my portfolio - I have stood beside hoards of other photographers while talking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, for instance. - But most of the time, I am looking to make my own unique composition, an image that no one else has thought of let alone taken. This is my creed as a photographer.

That said, when working with clients, we have to do our best to give them what they ask for. When a wedding couple takes the time to put together a Pinterest collection of the photos that they want for their wedding, you'd have to be a lazy bum or a selfish idiot to ignore that request.


a photo of a wedding couple with the bride's bouquet on the ground
Bouquet On The Ground


These clients brought a fascinating image to my attention. It was a photo of the bride's bouquet on the grass with the bride and groom embracing in the background in a soft blur. 

I practiced the shot ahead of time to make sure that my setting would be correct. When you're photographing a wedding, you don't have time to work out the technical details of complicated shots. You have to keep moving and shooting continuously.

On the day of the wedding, despite the rapid fire pace and a long shot list to fulfill, I managed to set this one up and squeeze it off in about a minute, lights included. It pays to be prepared.

The composition is very similar to the shot that they showed me on Pinterest. Do I feel badly about that? No. It's what the client wanted, and I delivered it along with nearly a thousand high-quality images from the day. This is one of the shots that they wanted, and today they have it in their wedding album.

To the person who came up with this idea, thank you! It's a beautiful composition. Please consider my rendering a flattering compliment and realize that you made another young couple very happy when I turned your idea into a reality for them.

Until next time, be prepared, and always give the client what they ask for.


Camera: Nikon D810

Lenses:  AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
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