Today I was a guest at a dear friends wedding. I prefer being a guest than the photographer of the wedding.

They had a great photographer in Peter Hobbs. Since I am a guest I have some personal rules for covering an event when they have a professional already–like a wedding.

Peter Hobbs directing the bride and bridesmaids for a shot. (Nikon D3S ISO 9000, f/5.6, 1/500, 28-300mm)

First Rule: No Flash

One thing I did today is I shot all my photos without a flash for a reason. The family hired a excellent photographer who needed to deliver great photos. If I used a flash I could have had the bride and groom blink and most likely messed up their photo album they were paying for.

Second Rule: Stay Out of The Way

I am not in the wedding party and I am not the hired professional photographer. So if you are ever in this situation, try and shoot when the professional isn’t shooting.

Third Rule: Look for something different

Most likely if you are a guest at the wedding you will know some of the people better than the photographer.  Shoot around the edges and capture guest and not so much the bride and groom as the professional photographers are doing.

Look for the things that the bride and groom would enjoy as a nice compliment to what the pro is providing.  Don’t try and duplicate what the pro is getting.

The bride and her father. Well honestly this dance brought tears to everyone in the room.  Because they were slowly spinning in the middle I was shooting from a different perspective than the pro.  I might have a moment they couldn’t get from their perspective that the bride and groom will still cherish. (Nikon D3S ISO 12,800, f/1.4, 1/125, 85mm)

One of my friends calls this just blessing your friends by taking some good photos and giving it to them.  I hope this gave them something they will cherish.

I sat in the back out of the way.  I didn’t want to in obtrusive. (Nikon D3S ISO 12,800, f/5, 1/100, 28-300mm)

Fourth Rule: Take some photos for myself

When I am not being paid to shoot I enjoy just taking some photos for myself.  Here are some that the Bride and Groom might not want, but are part of my photos of the day.

Chelle, my daugher and Dorie, my wife were looking great in their dresses so I got a photo for us to have by the fire place. (Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 400, f/3.5, 1/15)

This is the lobby of Brasstown Valley Resort.  I just liked the fire place a lot. (Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 1600, f/3.2, 1/350)

Coyote, Raccoon and even a red fox hats were for sale at Pappy’s Restaurant in Blairsville, GA (Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 1600, f/3.5, 1/125)

Pappy’s Restaurant in Blairsville, GA (Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 1600, f/3.5, 1/125)

My pork BBQ plate with green beans and baked beans at Pappy’s Restaurant. (Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 1445, f/3.2, 1/280)