so i'm curious -- do you guys have a standard outfit for wedding events? uniforms maybe? or do you glam up depending on the event? :D

We wear anything as long as it is not too loud...ex zebra or any other wild animal print:D No black top if it is for a Chinese wedding. Comfortable shoes a must!! Dress as a guest but comfortable. For lady photographers, no sleveless shirts/skirts

so i'm curious -- do you guys have a standard outfit for wedding events? uniforms maybe? or do you glam up depending on the event?

Semi-formal, for men, polo shirts (short or long sleeves, though in summer long sleeves can be hard to wear as most churches aren't air-con). We wear black shirts or earth tones (brown, gray), no stripes, designs (checkered, floral, etc) or anything that will stand out. No light green or blue or red or orange shirts. We once wore blue because the wedding was in Tagaytay and we knew that our background would be the blue sky. But that is an exception. I wore a tan shirt on that one and it worked too.

We don't wear black, as Pilar mentioned, in Chinese weddings, but that's not often. Trousers are brown or black or gray and no maong. No t-shirts or sandals, etc. It's always safe to go semi-formal, unless the couple is really very specific about being formal (barong). That is rare. Hard to work in a barong too, and used to carry one in the car. Now I just carry a tie. Still have to use them though:Grin:.

The idea in this drab or boring color is that in case another camera gets us into the frame, these non-loud colors will not register too much our presence and the viewer might actually not see us or ignore us. This is especially with video. I often wonder why some photogs wear white or stripes/checkered blue shirts and when that video camera pans on them or hits them, they are there stealing the scene from the bride. I see this often during the processional in some wedding videos. Even worse, the photog is caught chimping :RedEye:

Ladies no sleeveless or skirts as Pilar said. They can wear dark slacks. Reason - even lady photogs may have to kneel down to shoot. Besides, if they have nice legs you don't want the groom oogling over her!:BlackEye:

Again, Pilar experience shows. GET GOOD SHOES! Remember you'll be working 10-12 hours. Your feet is going to hurt if you don't wear proper shoes. AND --- you could slip as some altars have very slippery floors! So, get shoes that are not just comfortable to wear BUT non-slip!

Because of this, I am forced to buy P3,000-5,000 pair of shoes! My cheap but good ones wore off a long time ago! I love those older shoes I had, but life goes on!

The important thing is to look clean and neat. I have my hair cut and trim my nails about 2-3 days before the wedding. Though once I forgot to shave, so had some stubbles. I had the grungy look :Shock:

-Mel

darn! i thought whites were okay. i usually wear white. makes me look clean and neat. hmmm...i guess i'll have to shop for new shirts for this fridays wedding then. lolz :p

thanks mel. really a big help.

very good advise mel..thanks!

i wear t-shirts, shorts and sandals to shoots. i can afford it. i'm a hobbyist and have no to customers (usually) to please...

..although sometimes models kind of get distracted with my "nice legs" though..ahem =)

darn! i thought whites were okay. i usually wear white. makes me look clean and neat. hmmm...i guess i'll have to shop for new shirts for this fridays wedding then. lolz :p

white looks good but you would look like a "hunter" (meant as a joke :D )

I usually wear black polo and pants, if it is a garden wedding, I wear a black sports shirt. And yeah, chinese are not too keen on black.

I agree with shoes... During my first outings, I wore leather shoes and just midway during the ceremony, my feet already hurts like hell. After that, I searched for a not so sporty looking rubber shoes and found an all black one which doesn't look too bad matched with a polo or sports shirt and slacks. Whats' important is this it is comfortable enough for me to last the whole day. :)

shorts and rubber shoes... LOL

seriously, long sleeves shirt (t-shirt or polo), slacks and a decent pair of sneakers. decent, meaning almost formal.. i used to wear leather, but heck it hurts after a whole day shoot. i found myself wearing black jeans recently since had an accident while wearing slacks.

I used to wear long sleeves polo but lately I'm always wearing short sleeves untuck. After moving awhile, I can't maintain clean look when my polo is tucked-in.

I used leather shoes with rubber sole.

We have polo barong uniforms with embroidered print of the studio. black pants and leather shoes with rubber soles :)

very good advise mel..thanks!

i wear t-shirts, shorts and sandals to shoots. i can afford it. i'm a hobbyist and have no to customers (usually) to please...

Well, that's fine and good!:) Very comfortable. Just like being at home!

On another note, I know of a very hard working photographer, very good with candid and creative shots, but we can't hire him because he wears sandals. I can understand if he has a foot problem or something like that, but no he doesn't.

He also wears his polo with the top 2-3 buttons, unbutonned. And you can see that he doesn't wear any sandos! :Dum:


As long as you won't get paid, that's OK, I guess. But once you get paid, "looking the part of it," becomes part of the package. Your pictures will not just be the one be one speaking about you, it's also your appearance.

And mind you, maybe the couple has seen your work, but the parents, the ninongs, the ninangs, the bridesmaid, etc don't know you. And they are going to base their judgment on your appearance. And if you don't "look the part," you may have a hard time posing them or getting them to do what yo want in the photo op.

I've seen this happen when I shoot video and I am subconned by my friends who shoot the stills. Some of them have a hard time herding the people for the group shot, or making them pay attention. And I haven't had too much problem with that and I am the one doing the stills myself on my own contract. I think it's because I try my best to "look the part," when it's my contract. They wear checkered shirts, and seem to be just going to the mall and not really attending a wedding.

Oh, another bonus of wearing neutral colors. You are invisible!! Yep, you get to be invisible! There are many times, when a bridesmade or the people in the hotel room forget that we are there that they start undressing even if we are still there! I got lots of stories of that, but that is another issue. But if your style is PJ, then having neutral colors and being quiet helps a lot in getting your shots.

-Mel

darn! i thought whites were okay. i usually wear white. makes me look clean and neat. hmmm...i guess i'll have to shop for new shirts for this fridays wedding then. lolz :p

thanks mel. really a big help.


Ryan,

sometimes white can be good. But it's not often. I can think of one instance if you are assigned at the entrance of the processional and you are taking shots of the bride as she enters the church. Usually there is a strong backlight, so wearing white makes you blend in the background. If I were wearing black I would be seen as a silhouette. But that is not often and you don't really spend a lot of time shooting that segment. That processional entrance is over in 20 seconds or less. Most of the truly important shots will be taken inside the church.

But I have seen too many white shirts that stand out, so we don't really use it. And most churches aren't really that well lit, so you wearing white really focuses attention on you. Notably, most videos I've seen especially of Javelosa, who loves to wear white long sleeves in his own videos, you can see him stealing the scene with his white shirt at the processionals. White is nice to look at and you appear clean and neat. But if another camera catches you, you become the focal interest or you can steal the thunder of the principal subjects.

But the worst color is not white. It's light blue. Wearing light blue is also nasty. I've seen a video of Jason Magbanua where the phtographer was at the altar stealing the kissing scene as he walked away. Even worse, he was caught chimping! I wonder why he wasn't shooting the kiss from where he was?!?

There's another one that's as bad, even if they didn't wear white. There's this one photo company. They had all their employees wear a polo barong in light gray/blue. Ok, not bad, gray/blue, it's ok and wont register too much. But at the back in RED is the name of their company. So, video guys pans on them, and guess what, they get free advertisement! Right? Right! But then the video or photo becomes weak, because you have to read that thing on the back and then you don't see the bride or the groom or the subject anymore. Scene stealers.

Mind you, you're not the only one working! The video guys are there too, and they can be most unforgiving because they are continuously shooting! With a 3-ccd cameras too! Of course, there are other photographers from your team (if you work in pairs for example), and they may have no time to signal you or tell you that you are in their frame.

So far, nobody else wears neon green, or international orange, or red, so that's ok. But I've seen whites, light blue, and the checkered and striped shirts. and those with company logos and names at the back of their uniforms as the most pansinin so far.

-Mel

so i'm curious -- do you guys have a standard outfit for wedding events? uniforms maybe? or do you glam up depending on the event? :D
i use to wear a "gusot mayaman na polo barong" that kind of yuppy look w/ slacks.
but now guess what...with all the running and kneeling around...i just wear crocs clogs, jeans plus of course my rolex w/diamonds..yabang noh? of course so dat ur clients & guest won't snob you...dapat lang d ba? remember, a wedding photog is always mayabang:Grin:

plus of course my rolex w/diamonds..yabang noh? of course so dat ur clients & guest won't snob you...dapat lang d ba? remember, a wedding photog is always mayabang:Grin:

hell yeah!

makes me wonder if I should get that amazing lens first or Diamond studded Rolex... haha! very informative people, thanks!

makes me wonder if I should get that amazing lens first or Diamond studded Rolex... haha! very informative people, thanks!

He he he!

John, you can always try to get a diamond studded Rolex as long as it can mount in your dslr! Maybe you can use that diamond as a macro lens?! :Grin: A ef or ef-s mount diamond studded rolex, anyone?:)


As a final note on wearing white -- I remembered that some of my friends, even lie down on the floor/ground to shoot their stills. And mind you, it's not just at the hotel/house where there is a carpet. I've seen it outdoors at the entrance of the church as they exit it and where the confetti/flowers are strewn at the couple! That's the trouble with OVF and not EVF viewfinders. If it were EVF, you don't have to go to this acrobatics! :Dum:

Imagine wearing white shooting prone or lying down on the ground! Just to get that "artistic" shot or dramtic angle, huh!? I'm not saying you should or shouldn't lie down, but I doubt if your shirt will still be white after that!:BlackEye:

-Mel

Maybe a diamond studded Rolex and Nokia N90 would be enough. :) :) :)

Never shot a wedding before, but the last wedding I was in, I ended up flirting with the brides maid instead of trying to take pictures :P

Ive been to a couple of weddings and debuts and have observed how some photographers shoot and what they wear. At my friends debut recently at EDSA shang, her photographer (Jervy Santiago, nice guy, says I can shoot with him on events and he can point out mistakes I make) and his VAs were very professional, they moved around the space carefully, they were all dressed in black and I didnt notice any of them one the projector screens. So I'm guessing all black and a very good pair of shoes, cause they seemed to be shooting and moving for quite a while!

bring an extra shirt, ready in your car for a quick change IF there is time.

just a thought.. try getting a nursemate shoes.. diba they were meant for people who is walking/standing all the time :) hehehe.

I use a comfortable black shoes (nice soft leather, rubber sole, very light). best investment if you really walk alot.

Never shot a wedding before, but the last wedding I was in, I ended up flirting with the brides maid instead of trying to take pictures :P

Same here. Never shot one. Never been a groom. Just kept on attending. I ended up flriting with the brides maid also.

[quote=elmermedalla]bring an extra shirt, ready in your car for a quick change IF there is time.
Very good points, Elmer! I almost forgot about that! Yes, carry a spare shirt. I forgot about that because it's been cool and raining lately. But more especially during the summer months, it can be hot (March-April-May) and you will sweat a lot, so best to have a spare. Also, never happened to me, but in the reception someone might spill drinks or food on you, and you're sunk if you don't have a spare. Did a wedding last May, I think. Ermita Church, 3-4pm. Very hot, like a sauna in there. I was sweating so much, it drenched my shirt. Good thing I had a spare. But I noticed that it was geared for cooler weather. No choice. Had to wear it, as the sweat was showing on my dark brown shirt as a darker brown patch! Good thing the reception was cool. I must have drank two liters of water (w/c we also carry) and never went to the CR till I went home 6 hours later. The water was all lost in the sweat! -Mel

The idea in this drab or boring color is that in case another camera gets us into the frame, these non-loud colors will not register too much our presence and the viewer might actually not see us or ignore us. This is especially with video. I often wonder why some photogs wear white or stripes/checkered blue shirts and when that video camera pans on them or hits them, they are there stealing the scene from the bride. I see this often during the processional in some wedding videos. Even worse, the photog is caught chimping

-Mel

Way to go Mel! Thanks for the advice, especially with regards to the white polo shirt thingy... that i have no idea... guess it's time for me to ditch my whites and go buy myself some earth colored short sleeves... hope a mall-wide sale would come up soon:Grin:

Maybe a diamond studded Rolex and Nokia N90 would be enough. :) :) :) Oh man, and I thought saving up for the next D3 or 1DS Mark (ewan) will be enough...:Thinking:

i remember my first wedding shoot (just last April), i wore a maroon 'as-long-as-leev' (we call 'em that :)), and i was carrying with me my Lowepro CompuTrekker AW+ the whole of it. ha ha ha. i think i broke my back. he he he. sa reception lang ako nakapahinga (security reasons syempre). and i wore a pair of 'slip-n-slide' shoes. delikado nga. ha ha.

when i shoot informal events, gusto ko naka-black t-shirt lang & maong, tucked in.

i remember my first wedding shoot (just last April), i wore a maroon 'as-long-as-leev' (we call 'em that :)), and i was carrying with me my Lowepro CompuTrekker AW+ the whole of it. ha ha ha. i think i broke my back. he he he. sa reception lang ako nakapahinga (security reasons syempre). and i wore a pair of 'slip-n-slide' shoes. delikado nga. ha ha.

when i shoot informal events, gusto ko naka-black t-shirt lang & maong, tucked in.
Well, at least you had a Knapsack... In my case I was dragging around a stroller bag... Ah those were the days... :)

i usually shoot in my black jeans and a black collared tshirt if the church i'm shooting in is not airconditioned. if it is, i wear a black long sleeved shirt. khakis and white naman for chinese weddings unless the couple isn't traditional at all.

:<)

i shot a wedding in hongkong a few weeks back and envied the wedding photographers there. they were all so informal, so even wearing tattered jeans and tanktops.

:<)

i shot a wedding in hongkong a few weeks back and envied the wedding photographers there. they were all so informal, so even wearing tattered jeans and tanktops.

:<)

is that true sir eddie boy??!! nakaka-inggit nga naman mga yun! i envied the jeans ha, but not the tanktops coz my body was really meant to be covered by polo shirts, mwehehe

You also have to be careful with the color of your clothes on Chinese weddings and birthdays.. Black is a big no-no

Black suit. At least that's what I'll be wearing on my first ever wedding assignment in July in Montreal. Black suit or black tux seems to be the standard attire for wedding photography in North America.

ususally something dark or earth toned colors pants with deep pockets for batteries and cf cards...best investment so far was an assistant...at least Php. 500.00 a day to carry stuff, change lenses, charge batteries, watch equipment, get water and secure food...hehehehe.

for weddings and formal events- dark blue/short sleeve polo, grey or khaki pants(slacks) or cargo pants, leather shoes with rubber soles, or brown "hiking type" shoes.

For big parties in a nice hotel or venue- same as above or dark blue polo shirt.

ususally something dark or earth toned colors pants with deep pockets for batteries and cf cards...best investment so far was an assistant...at least Php. 500.00 a day to carry stuff, change lenses, charge batteries, watch equipment, get water and secure food...hehehehe.

I agree with Sir Greg. Nice pants with deep pockets for batts & CF cards.. that's why I invested on those Dockers Mobile pants.. it has secure pockets on each side of the legs and still looks classy and not like a cargo pant.. it can hold about 4 CF cards on one side and 2 sets of AA batts on the other :D

For the assistant, I think it's time for me to scout for one who can be reliable and be trusted :)