What Wedding Videographers Really Want Wedding Photographers To Know

 What Wedding Videographers Really Want Wedding Photographers To Know

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It’s no secret that there’s unspoken words between wedding photographers and videographers. Some stem from unpleasant experiences while others come from a place a poor communication and expectations. Being that I am a wedding photographer and cinematographer I can relate to both positions and felt like it was time to really express a few things to foster a better bond between wedding photographers and videographers.

1.“We’re all in this together…”

On a wedding day it’s not about the wedding photographers and videographers, it’s about the couple and the expectations set for their wedding day experience with the vendor team they hired. To foster this, wedding photographers and videographers need to operate in the mindset of “WE” and not “MINE”. Both parties have a goal and want to capture the wedding day in it’s best light for the couple. I’ll never forget the day I shot a wedding in Miami and the wedding photographer took the couple outside without informing me. Some may say that it’s not their duty to let me know, but the reality is that neither the wedding photographer or videographer “own” the couple on a wedding day, so it doesn’t hurt to say, “Hey, we’re going outside to do a sunset shot…” At the very least give your fellow vendor the opportunity to make a decision regarding whether or not they want or need to capture a moment or a specific shoot location. (Before I continue, I want to also share that some of the points expressed here are from talking with other wedding Videographers with the main goal of fostering better communication and workmanship. I also reached out to some other wedding videographers, so I’m also happy to say that this isn’t just my person experience being shared here.) 2. Environmental Surroundings: Being aware of the Field of Views of Cameras for Video This is a common (for lack of better terms) “complaint” from wedding videographers. Trust, we understand that we are not the only one’s there to capture the moment, but when it comes to video having a photographers “just standing there” can really ruin a precious moment being captured. Regardless to whether or not that videographers is using a prime or zoom lens, it still can ruin a great shot. We not only have to be on the prey for smartphones and iPads, but we also have to look out for bodies; yours included.​  3. Not informing videographers of random schedule changes that they know of Schedule changes affect everyone, not just the wedding videographer. For this reason alone I do create a wedding videography timeline for my couples, but when doing so I also mirror the Coordinators timeline. Most of the time Coordinators don’t reach out to wedding videographers as opposed to photographers. How do I know? Because since I shoot both I’m sharing my experience. I know it’s not done maliciously, but most Coordinators just tend to link with the wedding photographer for the timeline.  If you’re a wedding photographer you can help by communicating any schedule changes with the wedding videographer which not only benefits the couple, but the entire wedding team as a whole.

4. Position: The Ring Exchange & Kiss This one is a touchy subject because at the end of the day we really want you to get your shots just as much as we want to capture ours (but as shared in this piece a few times), it’s harder for us to make a ring shot or their first kiss as a couple visually appealing if the wedding photographer is standing over the Officiant’s shoulder. At the very least, the couple knows that Officiant may or may not move, but having a wedding photographer or videographer in that shot really takes the attention away from the couple.