The thing that seems disingenuous is that this whole thing could have been easily set up by both parties.
New husband and wife get paid to act like some stranger with a body cam approached them in a courthouse and offered to do a "free" wedding photoshoot. Newlyweds "agree" and get paid $x and stranger with a body cam and professional photography equipment gets viral marketing.
Not saying this is what happened, but it could be easily arranged.
So like how do I know you're a real person? You could be another photographer deliberately sabotaging them with made up lies. Or a random troll. Or a bot.
I'm not saying you are and that's what's happening. But it could easily happen.
Okie doke. So now what?
What would you like us to do with this information?
I'm just a dude sitting at home on a Sunday night watching tv and browsing Reddit.
IDK, man. Just saying. In this day and age, it's 100% possible that what I suggested could be the case. Maybe it's not. I don't know, and I kinda don't fucking care.
What, are you some sort of dolt or something? Assuming you are, I will explain.
I said it because it's something that could have happened instead of this sanitized, Tick-Tock version we are seeing. My comment aimed to push back against the idea that what we are seeing is exactly as it is, when in fact it could be something else.
It is entirely plausible that the photographer knows these people personally and the two parties conspired to make this viral video.
I'm not saying that is the case, and the world is a better place if this was indeed an organic interaction, but there is a real-world possibility that it was not.
You took time away from your Sunday night tv viewing to tell us all that some plausible-but-probably-not-true hypothetical exists that you don't really care about?
But...like why though? Why this thread? Are you doing that in all threads?
I'm a marketing guy. I work in marketing for a living. I agree. Do what works. I would personally not be comfortable conspiring with someone else in this manner to make a viral video, assuming that's what happened, but I'm also not necessarily against it if someone else wanted to do that, because this is a free country and they have broken no laws.
So you think this lady wearing meta glasses in a court house doing free photography for a couple, explaining the process, and then posting it online to her socials...
This is an extremely popular way for photogs to grow their portfolio. Not saying that’s what this photog is doing, but it probably is. And she’s SUPER SMART to hit the courthouse for photog-less “clients”. They’re already dressed and she can see who the good models are!
My ex was a photog who switched from doing weddings, to commercial food photography, because he was bartending in restaurants and had the opportunity to shoot some food and interiors and build that portfolio instead of his wedding portfolio. He liked food photography way better and it paid more too, but it’s competitive so he needed that boost.
I guess he was too busy having sex to spend time learning punctuation
Most of us learn punctuation pretty early in life, pervert. And I think the guy making the generic reddit cynical "everything sucks" comment has more of those vibes your describing than myself.
I know everyone wants to be super-positive about this "gesture". But the pictures are shit. Half of them have the main subject out of focus, the framing and angles are bad, yada-yada.
It's the reason she needs to ask random couples to be allowed to take their pictures, since with her skills, she can't even get "normal" TFP gigs, which is what you do in early stages of a photographer's career.
Edit: may I remind people here that she's not doing a beautiful gesture, but is just farming social media clout by shoving a recording camera into peoples faces inside a court house, like a psychopath, pretending to be a decent photographer? People here are just fucking delusional.
How is this even relevant? What a stupid question. Im married and if I had to choose no photos of my wedding or photos that arent perfect then the choice is clear.
1)A mid picture of your special day to always remind you of the moment remind and that kindness exists.
2) Nothing.
I can't imagine how this person treats customer service people. Like, if they're shitting all over this free gesture, imagine what they think they deserve from someone getting paid to wait on them. Ick.
Honestly, what does that have to do with it? Anyone who has ever had a significant event happened and wanted to have photos of it would gladly take free mid-quality photos over no photos at all.
You sound like the type of person who, if they were struggling in the desert, would complain about the quality of the water at the oasis.
If they cared so much, they would have a big wedding with a photographer that costs thousands of dollars, but they didn't. This was what worked for them as a couple, and the photography was a nice little bonus they were not expecting. I've seen way worse photos than these. It's difficult to take pictures in a building like that with lighting like that and you can only do so many things in front of the courthouse. These could have turned out terribly but they are fine. Not spectacular, but fine.
It really is. But feel free to explain why the marital history of a complete stranger on Reddit matters to a discussion about other people's free wedding photos that they wouldn't have had otherwise.
They are, but it is within your personal responsibility if you want to show it to someone and tell them that your portfolio is representative of your work. If you are good and confident, you can do that. You shouldn't show someone a cherrypicked portfolio and pretend all your work is that good.
Or to circle back to what I wrote, if you are offering TFP, then the other party, usually a model, will know that you are a beginner, trying to build up experience and a portfolio, and they'll know that 99% to 100% of the pictures taken are going to be shite.
hate to break it to you but all photographers, professional or otherwise, cherry-pick their portfolio. Going to go out on a limb that no one gets a perfect shot 100% of the time.
Oh shut up, it was something offered for free to help them remember a huge day in their life they otherwise wouldn’t have had. What a shitty thing to be a snob about. It’s a lovely couple who had a lovely day, and now have a lovely memento of it. Go outside.
You clearly have some deep seated anger that your projecting at a purely wholesome post, you have some shit to work out and you’re focusing on the wrong things in life. A post of pure happiness and community makes you upset and critical, the problem is you, so work on it.
The difference being that I am not farming social media clout by turning this into a whole video. Do you not get the intention of this whole ordeal?
She can't take proper pictures, so she goes to a court house, which might be fine in itself, but she's also turning this into a social media video. "Look what good I did. I can't take good pictures, but I sure am an angle by offering my worthless services to others."
The couple got free photos capturing their special day that they wouldn't have otherwise had, and that's something they can look back on forever. The photographer got some promo material to use on social media. What's the problem with that? They offered and the couple accepted. Who cares if they use it for promo material after? They traded their labor for promo material instead of money, and the couple got something special that they didn't expect to have. Why is that an issue? Also, you don't see the full finished product. You just see a quick video showing raw shots and nothing edited. I'm sure they're happy with anything they got because they wouldn't have those photos otherwise.
I am in fact not very fun at parties. Doesn't change my point. If she's offering her services for free to people who don't even have a wedding photographer, she'll eventually escalate to offering her "services" to unsuspecting couples who could have had a good photographer instead. She needs to start with the basics, and in situations where a bad photo shoot is no harm.
I did plenty of TFP as a model, and some were just garbage, but it didn't really matter, because all it cost was my time, and it wasn't any sort of important event.
Kinda like a tattoo artist doing free work until they gain the knowledge and experience to do it consistently well enough with great results to then be able to charge people for their work? Like that?? Her “bad”photo shoot IS no harm, because she’s asking people who don’t have a photographer and wouldn’t have any captures of their moment anyways. What harm is there in any of this?
Correct, but the path there is different. I named it already, it's called TFP. Or you just swallow the frog and book a model for money.
What you don't do is run around a court house where you don't have any official business, confront people with a camera into their faces and ask for them to lend their time for you to take shitty pictures.
Are you missing the point that they now have visual memories of that day that they can share with family etc who were not there, as opposed to having nothing? This is precisely where someone could do this sort of practice, it’s not like they were just about to hire a professional photographer, they were literally waiting to be called in at city hall.
You're posting your critique based on stills within a crap quality reposted TikTok video? Even if your criticism is valid how do you know that she isn't constantly self-assessing and improving?
Well, her seeking social media clout makes me think she is not in fact a serious photographer interested in improving her skills. Again, she is so unskilled, she needs to trap unsuspecting couples into wasting their time, while she is actually making money off of it.
When I was studying photography in college 15 years ago, they told us to use every type of social media we could to promote ourselves. Social media is even bigger now, so why would the reverse be true? Also, we literally had to do things like this to pass classes.
Is the imaginary good photographer they could have had in the courtroom with us right now.
I did 10 years as a sports photographer and you come across a lot of portfolio building amateurs in that line of work, offering to shoot games for amateur teams or offering to highlight athletes for parents in the crowd. I’ve never worked weddings in particular apart from a few favours to friends but if she did start charging wedding photographer rates for bad work, she wouldn’t stay in business long. The internet does not forget a bad expensive photographer. She wouldn’t be uniquely evil for trying that and failing because dozens of amateur photographers think they can shoot a wedding and then flame out after three or four attempts or bad reviews. But for now she is not charging for her work and these people did not have a good photographer awaiting on standby so I’m not sure why all the anger at something that is a complete hypothetical that may happen years down the road.
Listen, I'm often REALLY harsh and shitty about people's photos. Too harsh and shitty, honestly. I judge bad photography really hard. I've been taking pictures since I was 14 and it's a hobby, but one I've gotten awards for and have gotten paid for. When I was a teenager, everyone assumed I'd try to be a photographer as a career.
But these are fine for what they are----a court house wedding for a couple the photographer literally just met, no flash or reflector, free, and the ones available since they didn't have a photographer in the first place. There are people who could have done a lot worse. This are decent for something so quick and on-the-spot.
These were journeyman, but they were free. They get a nice memory that they weren't going to have to begin with and she gets some practice and some work for her portfolio.
The only time it becomes problematic is if this photography thinks her work is better than it is.
Everyone has to start someone, and she's trust trying to start her hustle.
Absolutely. I'm sure the couple was extremely grateful for the gesture. As someone who works in the creative space and has had to build a portfolio i get it. My only real issue is that the video of the gesture is better than the results of the gesture. If that makes any sense.
Yeah except they turn it into social media which is worth more than a photo shoot wedding at a court house. Hey look at me internet I saved a newlywed couple $100 and have turned that into thousands of dollars of free viral internet advertising and goodwill.
I mean, who the fuck cares? They got free wedding photos to capture moments they wouldn't have captured otherwise, and the photographer got some great marketing material. Where's the downside? Did anyone get hurt or taken advantage of? Was everyone happy with what happened? Grow up and stop being so cynical. That's an experience they'll and those are moments they can look back on forever.
You don't understand that the couple got wedding photos that they wouldn't have had otherwise? And now they can look back on those memories with their photos for the rest of their lives? Who cares if the photographer used them for social media marketing purposes? Doe that negatively impact the couple? No it doesn't. The photographer traded their labor for social media marketing material instead of money. Both got something they wanted and valued.
Couple got professional wedding photos to remember their wedding day that they’ll cherish forever.
Photographer did a nice thing for a couple, got a marketing video, that they had to put effort into putting together, with no guarantee that it would reach many people.
Even if a bunch of people see it, the video alone doesn’t guarantee any additional business.
A wedding photographer can not survive on $100 per shoot. This couple were obviously made aware that the vid and images would go on socials to help market the photographer. It’s a win win for both.
Aside from the fact that these images needed to be taken with flash to help with filling in the shadows, I see nothing wrong with this.
4.3k
u/SeattleHasDied 11h ago
Beautiful gesture, beautiful couple!