Among some DJs there’s a sense of resentment towards wedding photographers. They don’t always play as a team, it’s alleged, and it recently prompted DJ Mike Bacon of Ambient DJs in East Windsor, N.J., to start an online conversation.
“Wedding photographers – not all – will take every possible measure to make sure I’m not in the background of any pictures,” he wrote, “or arrange any photos with me and the married couple, but also clutter their equipment in front of my booth, set up lighting that could light Yankee Stadium on the dancefloor and plug and attach their recording equipment onto my gear without asking. This doesn’t apply to the great ones; but if you feel attacked, it’s time to rethink your strategies.
“Some wedding photographers think I’m throwing shade, but I did mention that there are plenty of great ones out there and my message wasn’t targeted at everyone. That being said, some of you photographers may have thought ‘What do DJs do for us?’
“I’ll hold out an olive branch: here are some things I try to do at every wedding to help improve the photographer’s experience:
“1) I usually ask the photographer off the bat if there are any special shots they need me to help set up throughout the day. I typically get a ‘No, but thanks for asking.’ In the case of big group shots, I usually have to announce and encourage all of the guests to join in on the big family and friends photo.
“2) I make sure the photographer is in the room and/or ready for the big moments. Things move pretty fast sometimes at weddings. Occasionally, photographers have to step out for XYZ or change a lens, etc. I’d rather not catch them off guard with something happening that they’re not fully prepared for in that exact moment.
“3) Similar to No. 2, I’ve literally stopped what I was doing to notify a photographer that something important was taking place. At a recent wedding, all of the vendors had their meals in another room separate from the ballroom. I scarfed my food down, so I could mix dinner music live. The photographers took their time because they have a much longer day than I do. During dinner, the groom and his grandmother shared a dance on an otherwise empty dancefloor. This wasn’t on the planner. It wasn’t scheduled. It happened organically. Knowing this was a special moment, I ran down the hall and told the photographer crew that the groom and grandmom are dancing, someone should probably get that shot. One of the three photographers grabbed their camera and got to the ballroom in time to capture the dance. She was appreciative that I alerted her.
“I’m in the trenches with the photographers, I look at this as a big, team effort even, if we don’t come from the same company. That’s just how I am. I just had to point out some things that I’d love to change. The great camera people are ahead of the game; some, unfortunately, aren’t.”
Christy Geller, a photographer in Ewing, N.J., replied in the affirmative.
“Mike, so nice you do these things. I am sure the couples are grateful, too. If one vendor falls short, it casts a shadow on everyone. I usually take timeline cues from the DJ. Our philosophy has always been to leave after bouquet/garter toss. We usually ask DJs not to do that too late. We don’t do too many weddings. We only do it if we think the experience will be a good one, so we’re not under as much strain as some of these photogs doing two or three a weekend. I don’t know how they do it.”
Two other DJs chimed in with how they deal with photographers. DJ Eric Griggs of 3rd Alarm Entertainment in Trenton, N.J., said this:
“I always have duplicate copies of timelines that I give to the photographers and whoever else needs them. Most are very appreciative and others shove it in their pocket and laugh saying we’ll never stick to it. In the end, the DJ and the catering staff pretty much have control over things.
“Keeping everyone in the loop is imperative, even if some don’t think that way. I have even gone as far as to re-do a bouquet toss because the photographer decided to try and get shots standing behind me and I stepped into the shot. It’s all about adapt and overcome!”
Chris Atwood of SCE Event Group in Edison, N.J. piped in as well.
“Prior to intros, I ask photographers what time they are leaving,” he wrote. “At this time, I also remind them how much they hate when we do things without notifying them — the same goes for them taking the bride and groom out of the room without notifying us.
“If they are planning any sparkler shots, nighttime shots, I say let’s try to coordinate that so they don’t miss too much of a packed dancefloor.
“It drives me wild when we have 30 minutes of dinner with an empty dancefloor, then as I get the party started, they take the couple out for like 25 minutes. Grrrr! It’s actually surprising how often, even after I mention this, that they just forget later in the evening cause they aren’t used to it.
“No hate, though, because I know they deal with DJs all the time not giving that same respect.”
To check out more business tips, click here.
