This wedding photographer wants guests to put their phones down

Tue, 10 Nov, 2015 - 11:09

Wedding photographer Thomas Stewart is sick and tired of guests ruining his photos of a couple's big day. Specifically, those who take out their smartphones and iPads to take photos/film the wedding to the detriment of the photographer and everyone's else's experience of the happy day,

So he posted this well-meaning but no-nonsense rant to Facebook to get his point across.

And we have to say, he makes a lot of sense.

"If you're planning a wedding, please consider these points:

"1. Guests with phones, iPads and cameras get right in your photographer's way. They have no idea how to stay out of our way. They often ruin many of our shots. They will make our photos worse.

You're paying a photographer quite a bit of money; that means you want great photos. We cannot do our best work with people getting in our way.

"2. These same guests will get in YOUR way. You will miss moments of your own wedding day because there'll be an iPad in the way. You will miss seeing your partner's face in the aisle.

"3. The guests' photos are usually crap. I'm sorry, but it is true. You can't take great photos with your camera phone by leaning into the aisle of a dark church to photograph a moving subject. Hell, even lots of professionals have trouble with this.

"And finally, the most important point:

"4. Imagine you're in the middle of your wedding ceremony. You're elated. You decide to take a quick glance towards your guests as you're sure they're sharing these happy moments with you, possibly even shedding a tear of their own. What do you see? NO FACES AT ALL AS THEY ARE ALL HIDDEN BEHIND PHONES AND CAMERAS! I highly doubt this is the way you want to remember your wedding ceremony."

Stewart's plea is part of a growing trend for 'unplugged weddings' where the couple ask guests to leave their devices at home and just enjoy the day with them. Not only can guests taking lots of photos be a distraction and get in the way of the professional photographer, sometimes, guests beat the bride and groom and post to Facebook and Instagram , pre-empting the first look at the couple's wedding.