Reception at Cowboy's Club in Dallas, Texas
When hiring a photographer for a wedding or an event in Dallas many people wonder what are the customs regarding feeding the photographer.
It all really depends on the photographer and the client and what they expect from each other. The best thing to do is make sure you communicate about this with the photographer before the event so everyone is on the same page and there is no confusion or frustration.
When making this decision here are a few general guidelines and observations to consider:
Generally when the photographer is going to be working less than 5 hours a meal is not expected to be provided, but when working over 6 hours a meal is expected.
As with most all professions, it is difficult to work efficiently when you are hungry and your mind is on food.
Happier photographers usually lead to better photos.
Some people feed the wedding photographers a small box meal in a separate room, but my question is; if you are paying so much money for the event photographer why would you want to isolate them from the event and miss opportunities for great shots and having them available at a moments notice? And if one does not even want to provide a small box meal, then the photographer will have to leave to get something to eat and thus reducing the amount of special moments he or she will be able to capture at your wedding or event.
Also, the more time a photographer spends with the families and people at the event the more intimate and personable the photos will be.
Finally, never forget the golden rule: Do unto other what you would want them to do unto you.
For any questions or if you need a photographer for your story, portrait, wedding, or event:
Please contact me, Matthew T Rader
My photos are also available for purchase as fine art, with optional matting and framing services.
I really like this Matthew. Informative and something people might not think about. Thanks.
That’s good Matt. I remember that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.Very good advice! What about the photographers assistant and/or assistants?
I feel like the photographer and their assistant(s) should be fed and at a table where all the guest are so can capture moments as needed. Doesn’t make any sense to shut them in a room with a boxed lunch or dinner away from the event? Hopefully this message will reach many. I vote “Food for the photographers”!
Hi Mathew – Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment
. I totally agree photographers should be fed. I prefer to have a 15 minute break outside of the where the guests are seated in the back some where. That way I can sort of re-charge. While I’m on break I always ask my assistant to cover me that way we don’t miss anything. We then switch.
http://www.changobi.com
Good article and advice. My reservations about feeding the photographer has always been the fear that he’ll bite. But I’ll give it a shot next time.
Hey Matt this is a good idea to add to your website! Stuff like this is cool because when people google
they may find your site and like it. Good idea and you made some good point!
Do you really need to teach people to treat others with proper respect? unfortunately yes. In all situations it is best to make sure the client understands how you work and that includes assistants. One certainly needs to eat if you’re working for a long period of time. The problems is that weddings are full of too many chiefs, moms and dads, and …….
At one of the first weddings that i shot, the bride and groom were great. The father of bride however, was not. It was my break time, I was eating but saw a shot that I just had to have. I walked away from my plate of food that still had my jacket, etc and the father had the wait staff TAKE my food away from they table. He was a part of the discussions, wasn’t paying for my services, but still felt compelled to step in and act like an ass. There will always be folks there that think you are just hired for the day and they can treat you with little or no respect. Be aware, act professional and you’ll get through it.
I know what you mean Eric, it is sad how some people just don’t give the natural respect all people deserve. And that’s pretty sad about that guy taking your food away, thank you for your comment and advice. I totally agree, no matter what we must be professional as to not give ourselves a bad reputation and then consequently hurt our business.
Not so long ago, I was on the other end of the deal.
I was organizing the wedding for me and my bride. I decided not to go cheap on my staff, as I pretty much relied on them to help me during our special day. So, all of the staff (photographer, videographer, and a D.J.) all sat in the dining hall with us. They had their own table, and paid food (same buffet as us).
Needless to say, it was more than worth it. All of them did great job, and given both of us an unforgettable memories in terms of great music, awesome photos, and great video.
So my experience is that by making them feel good, we got so much more in return.
Yes! You should feed the photographer and the band/dj. I feel like it is the only proper and nice thing to do. We did it at our wedding and we loved having the photographer mingle with the guests . He got to know them on a different level and took really cute pics b/c he got to know them. Apparently a lot of people do not