All work and no play. What they forgot to add to that saying is that for a Photographer, fun needs to be cultivated, harnessed and used to get people to enjoy a shoot.
You know the saying. I couldn’t imagine just going through the motions of a wedding day without having some fun. I am passionate about photography so I love the act of shooting photos BUT I also feel the responsibility to make the sometimes nerve wracking act of being in front of the camera enjoyable for my subjects.
Photo shoots can be long, very long. Most regular human-types are not used to being in front of a camera for more time than it takes for selfies and the occasional posed shot. I know this and so there are 2 things I do to keep people from losing their joy during a shoot, laughter and control. I have a few one liners that when thrown into a group session ALWAYS get a chuckle. People lighten up quicker when they are happy naturally, but another thing to consider is people having TOO much fun. I don’t know if any of you have had to herd 15-20 kids pumped up on sugar to listen to your instructions but it’s near impossible without control. I used to coach 12 yr old boys basketball so I know how hard it can be EVEN when the kids are doing something they love. But I thank God for my big mouth and thank my Mother (thanks Mum) for my polite demeanour. I put the 2 together to guide and direct people while shooting as they laugh and play. You get my meaning.
On the selfish end, it’s harder to get great photos if people are thinking how cold they are or how much their cheeks hurt. Just short of hyponosis, I control the subjects so that lots of laughs get caught on my camera. I’ve started doing more Smile Photo Booth photos to get that controlled playfulness. Silly props and making the subject the star of the show for a split second, make photo taking fun for everyone.
Check out some fun and controlled photos from the King wedding smile photo booth at the Markham Convention Centre.
SI the “Caged Fun” Photosapien