This has been something that’s been weighing on me lately. I’m sure it weighs on many photographers too (and churches for that matter). There are times, as a photographer, we walk into a church and we are handed a bomb from the officiant saying that we cannot shoot at certain times, in certain locations, we have to stay in the back, or one I’ve heard before, we can’t shoot at all during the ceremony. Granted from a church’s perspective they are getting all types of people in their church and they need rules to ensure the preservation and respect to their church and beliefs.
So, this is my open letter to both sides. First, to churches, again, I know why you have rules. Whether it’s certain beliefs that need to be respected or to ensure the safety of guests, the photographer, and the property you need these rules. However, these rules must remain constant. Have them printed on a flyer so that they are the same for every photographer, for every wedding, no matter what. You can’t just make up rules on the spot 20 minutes before the ceremony starts. Yes, this has happened. I was told right before the ceremony that I could not shoot during the wedding when 2 weeks prior (literally 2 weeks) I was shooting a wedding at that same church their weren’t any rules. Just recently I had a priest tell me I could not shoot from the middle aisle and that I had to remain kneeling when 3 weeks prior there was no issue with my location or stance. This cannot happen. It not only upsets the couple who are paying their photographer a lot of money and were guests at those weddings weeks prior, but what does that say about your faith? About your church? That you make up rules and change rules depending on the day, the photographer, the couple, etc. As a Christian, it upsets me when churches do this because it makes it appear that you do not have a grasp on your own beliefs that you just decide on the fly what you will believe or live by. Stop this. Have a meeting with the leadership in your church, have guidelines set up that ALL photographers must abide regardless of couple, photographer, the day, the officiant, etc.
Now, Photographers, the reason these rules are a factor is because of you! Churches wouldn’t need rules if you respected their property and beliefs. Yes, we all have different beliefs, but regardless if you believe or not you are walking in to a house of God where followers do believe it and you need to respect it as such, otherwise don’t shoot weddings. I’ve seen photographers walking on top of pews, around the alter and shooting through pieces of the alter, laying on the floor, moving things that are considered holy, please… stop this! I understand we need “the shot” but not at the cost of disrespecting a church. While this has nothing to do with church but it does affect the views of us, please dress appropriately. Dress professionally. We all hate the rules that are given to us but it is because of US that these rules are there and until we clean our act up, nothing is going to change.
Overall, weddings are a something special, and you have two sides that tend to butt heads with one another because from a church’s perspective they view the photographer as a distraction and from a photographer’s perspective they look at the church as an obstacle. Obviously this won’t get us anywhere. Ultimately I believe it is our duty as a photographer to abide and respect these rules and churches and once we can do that the churches will allow us to do what we are hired to do. Because ultimately we are guests inside of the church and we shouldn’t treat it like a playground.
