I think I'll start making a wedding supplier's blacklist. Blacklist meaning if I know that they're hired by the couple, I will automatically say no. Or if I was hired first, I will give them the list of suppliers I will not work with. Sounds like an asshole right? Well not if you were in my position. As a photographer, I make sure that I give way to my co-suppliers especially photographers and videographers. But if they don't compromise, well that's a different story.
I have a couple of horror stories when it comes to working with wedding suppliers but last Thursday was something bloggable (tadaaa!).
This time it was with the videographers. Obviously it was my first time to work with them (and I'll make sure it's the last too). They were handling the video coverage, the audio-visual presentation and the onsite AVP.
They suck because..
...they have 3 cameramen and they were shooting at the same angle.
...one of them thought that it will be a better shot for us to have a walking bride with him on our view.
...one of them decided to pop out of nowhere blocking my lens while the couple were exchanging vows.
...one of them tried to stop the "first kiss" of the couple (which was a great moment by the way) because he thought of a better angle, hence blocking my lens again.
...after I fixed the group pictorial, one of them decided to take his time to take a group photo using the guest's cam. And when I said "excuse me", because he was blocking my wide lens, he made a retard answer by saying "nagpipiktyur pa ako". Uhm hello, I think you forgot your priorities, you idiot.
...while we were directing the couple to pose for us, in the middle of our clicks, one of them decides to glide infront of us. AGAIN.
...I don't think they've heard of zoom lens, and that there are people called guests that needs to see what's going on during the ceremony and the program proper.
...I don't think they've heard of the word spontaneity.
They suck that I can't even remember their outfit's name. Sounds like Agazar, Azzagar, pang asar, whatever. I will have to find out.
One of the ninongs said to me "Pasensyosa ka ano?" I thought he was referring to my kind of work that takes 10-12 hours of shooting. I said "Uhm trabaho lang ho." Then he asked if the videographers were part of my team. I answered "No." Then he said "Kaya nga, pasensyosa ka, kanina ka pa nila hinaharangan e. Napapansin ko yun. Mahaba pasensya mo sa kanila ha." I just nodded and smile. Atleast he knows that I don't work with idiots.
I don't normally rant online about work, but we (my team, not the idiots') had a great laugh afterwards. But I'll still hunt down their company's name.
Hello blacklist.
Posted by suplada at January 26, 2008 3:30 AMI think you could spare some time for a "pre-prod" meet with your suppliers, just to lay down ground rules concerning the coverage and so there will be no intentional or unintentional blocking of shots. :)
Posted by: casuy at January 26, 2008 1:10 PMWe don't do pre-prod for wedding suppliers here. Hanggang fashion shoot lang ang may pre-prod, minsan nga on the day itself pa. Pero wedding suppliers should know that that's part of the etiquette diba? Parang pila yan sa jeep e, bawal sumingit, o kung sisingit ka man, magpaalam ka.
Posted by: jiLL at January 26, 2008 1:50 PMBased sa kwento, inis ka nga...first time mo ata mag-blog ng ganito kahaba hehehe.
Sana yung ninong na nakapansin sa yo, sinermonan nya yung mga videographers hehehe.
kulang sa seminar, jiLL. pa-seminar mo sa mga "shooting brothers" mo at nang matauhan. hehe. :-)
Posted by: rene at February 6, 2008 11:15 PMi know how u feel.. im new to this wedding photography gig (as backup lang of course) and different suppliers.. different singitan.. dont forget to post your blacklist jill! :)
Posted by: Pat at February 10, 2008 11:36 PM