The photographer and I may be standing in the same room looking for different things. They may be making a portrait while I'm listening to the conversation happening around it. There's quite a bit we can get out of the same few minutes if we pay attention to each other.
I come to a wedding expecting to work with the photographer. They have a job to do, and so do I. I'd like both of us to go home with what we need to make something good for the couple.
Some of that work happens together. During portraits, for example, we can talk about what each of us needs before we move to another location. If one of us is finished and the other still needs a little time, that is something we can sort out between us.
It helps to know what the other person is trying to capture. A photograph holds an instant. For the film, I may want the movement into it, a laugh afterward or something somebody says while we're there.
That doesn't have to become a long production. I want us to recognize the opportunities we can share and speak up when we need something else. It is much easier to do that while we're together than after everyone has left the room.
The ceremony needs a little thought before it begins, too. We need to know where cameras will be, where we're allowed to work and how we intend to move. A quick conversation gives us a chance to understand each other's views before people start coming down the aisle.
Those are working details for us to handle. Let us know who else you've hired and introduce us to the person who can explain any restrictions. You can get on with getting married while we figure out where to stand.
Sound is another part of the film that needs its own attention. I care about vows and toasts, but also the interviews, conversations and laughter that help me understand the people. Knowing when and where those things can happen gives me a better chance of recording them.
This is where involving both teams in the planning helps. The photographer can explain what they need, I can explain what I need, and the coordinator can help us fit those things into the day. Everybody gets a chance to contribute before we're watching the clock.
If family interviews matter to you, tell the team while we're making those arrangements. If you have a portrait location in mind, share that as well. We can consider the people, the distance and the time available together.
You can ask whether your photographer and filmmaker have worked together before. Familiarity can be helpful, and it may give you a chance to see work from a wedding they both covered. If we're meeting for the first time, I still expect us to introduce ourselves and get on with the job.
The same applies when photography and film come from one company. Ask who will be doing each job and how they work together. You want to understand how the people covering the wedding will use the time and space you've given them.
I don't think couples should have to spend their wedding managing the relationship between the people they hired. Give us the plans and tell us what matters to you. We ought to be able to talk to each other from there.
I'm interested in what we can help each other see. There are people and reactions happening all around us, and none of us can watch everything. A team that pays attention to one another has more to work with.
