Recently
I attended a lovely wedding ceremony in a beautiful church.
The only thing that spoiled it was the photographer who was
so conspicuous with his untidy attire parading in front of
everyone. I whispered to someone beside me: “How could a
professional photographer be so inconsiderate by coming to a
formal occasion looking like a run-down vagabond.” I was
angry.
I
have attended far too many weddings, funerals, and formal
occasions where the photographers and videographers were
inappropriately dressed for the occasion. So now I cannot
help but write about it. I don’t know if this article will
help someone. I hope it does.
Photographers and videographers are not to be sore thumbs at
these occasions. They are to blend in and not be
disrespectful to the guests by having improper attire:
untidy shirts out of the trousers, jeans, wide open
unbuttoned shirts, untidy hair, etc. Some female
photographers’ pants are so tight, they are a distraction
and downright distasteful and unhealthy. It is as though
they ran in from the jogging track. True, photographers or
videographers may not need to come in a necktie or formal
coat, but their dress can still tastefully blend in with the
occasion.
Also, photographers and videographers must learn how to
position themselves so as not to be an obvious
distraction or in the way. I could never forget more than
forty-three years ago when one of The Bahamas’ most
outstanding photographers, Stanley Toogood, took the
pictures for my sister’s wedding. He stood on the side
holding his camera as though he was always waiting for
something. If you did not keep your eyes on him, you would
have thought he never moved. Within a few weeks when we did
see the photos we learned he took more photos than anyone
else and from angles you did not even know he was in that
position. He was not a sore thumb like most photographers
are today. He was never in the way.
Sometimes I think photographers and videographers think they
run the show at these occasions. They are mistakenly
arrogant. Instead, they are to be as unobtrusive as
possible. They are invited to record the events and not
change or create them. Therefore, they should stand aside
and let the show run.
When I started to search on this subject, I wondered if my
concerns were also being expressed by other writers around
the world. In my search, I did not find many articles.
However, I did find enough to let me know that I was not
alone and such unprofessional behavior by photographers and
videographers were not unique to The Bahamas. I found an
article entitled: “A Photographer’s Dress Code” by the
online site “Landscape and Travel Photography,” written in
2011. Here are the important opening sentences from the
article. “Considering all types of photography shoots with
all types of different clients and settings, a photographer
must always be dressed appropriately. Think about it, you
must be dressed to impress several groups of people
regardless of your event: (1) the client, (2) the guests,
(3) any potential future clients in attendance.
Dressing inappropriately for your next event will most
certainly guarantee you won’t be getting any future jobs
from this event.” I could not say it more clearly. How
could a photographer come to a wedding dressed like he or
she is on a construction site or casually at home? That is
inappropriate. But too many are doing so in The Bahamas.
Here are some further guidelines from the article for
photographers to follow:
“(1)
Dress to blend in. You are not the focus of
attention, so wearing loud, colorful, busy clothes is
distracting and inappropriate. A good rule is to stick
to solid colors, and if you are unsure, default to
darker solids.
(2)
Don’t overdress. I would argue that any
event you attend, men will not need a tie, unless
specifically asked
for. Even if you are a photographer
at a wedding, you are not expected to dress in a suit;
however, you are not expected to show up in a t-shirt
and jeans either. A good option is always a dark solid
sweater with a collared shirt or a collared shirt with a
sport coat.
(3)
Be aware
of your needs. Be comfy. One reason
you don’t see a lot of photographers wearing a suit at
weddings is that they move a lot and need to move
quickly. Make sure your pants and shoes are always
comfy; but tennis shoes are frowned upon and will
quickly alienate you as an amateur photographer.
(4)
Always wear slacks. Or if you prefer: never
wear jeans. Even if you are going out to shoot an
informal couple’s engagement or a band’s promo, you
still need to wear your slacks. And never wear tennis
shoes. If you need to dress down, add a solid v-neck
t-shirt with your slacks, but don’t opt for jeans.
(5)
Dress to make your clients feel comfy. If you
are going for an informal mood and want your clients to
relax, throw on a designer t-shirt with your slacks. If
you are shooting a wedding, dress to make your bride
comfortable with you walking around.”
I
like these guidelines. If you have a friend who is a
photographer, let him or her read this article. I want to
see a difference at the next wedding, funeral, or banquet I
attend.
Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist and
board certified clinical psychotherapist, USA. Send your
questions or comments to
question@soencouragement.org or
write to P.O. Box CB-11045, Nassau, The Bahamas, or visit www.soencouragement.org or
call 242-327-1980 or 242-477-4002
