Shoot pictures, not people

Technically, though, I guess it could be said that this is still shooting people though more metaphorically.

Anyway...

Thought you all would like to see the "shot list" that I drafted (FINALLY!) and sent to the photographers yesterday. There's a lovely little story behind it's creation if you're so interested and I will post it down below:

Check when done	Wedding Shot list
	Bride & Groom
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents + brothers and sisters (in-laws included)
	Bride & Groom + bride’s brothers and sisters + nieces and nephews
	Bride & Groom + nieces and nephews
	Flower Girls + Ring bearers
	Flower Girls (2)
	Ring bearers (2)
	Bride & Groom + bride’s immediate family + groom’s immediate family
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents + groom’s parents
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents + sister and brother-in-law
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents + sister and brother-in-law + grandfather
	Bride & Groom + groom’s WHOLE family
	Bride & Groom + groom’s grandparents
	Bride & Groom + bride’s WHOLE family
	Bride & Groom + bride’s grandmother
	Bride + Melissa
	Bride + Stephanie
	Bride + Lisa
	Bride + Alyson
	Bride + ALL girls
	Bride & Groom + ALL friends
	Groom + ALL guys
	Groom + Sean
	Groom + Jeremy
	Groom + Robert
	BEFORE CEREMONY – Groom opening groom’s gift (between 1-2PM)
	BEFORE CEREMONY – flower girl butterfly “accents” and stuffed animals (dog and cat)
	DURING CEREMONY – Long shot looking down aisle at us at the altar with cross in the background
	RECEPTION - Converse sneaker shot (Bride, Groom, ring bearers, flower girls)

As some of you may (or may not) know. I'm actually a wedding photographer myself. I rarely to never mention this because I feel like it has very little to do with wedding planning but I've come to find out that it's a major reason why I'm such a reluctant bride most of the time. I guess seeing so many weddings have given me enough "fill" for weddings for the rest of my life.

Because of all of the aforementioned, it wasn't until yesterday that I drafted and sent the above "shot list" to our photographers. This is even knowing how much of a "staple" it is in the world of wedding photography. But I didn't do it for good reasons...

1. My wedding photographers are AWESOME (more so than I am)
   
2. Because of #1, I implicitly trust my wedding photographers - their experience, abilities, and judgment of whatever images should or shouldn't be captured
3. I've had extensive conversations with them (we've worked together) about how much we loathe shot lists because it can really take away from a photographer's perspective - that which you hired any given photographer for, right?
   
4. I just plain forgot

I, myself as a wedding photographer, have a serious love/hate relationship with shot lists. But, I've come to know them and appreciate them for their value. This is because of the following exchange I had with the photographers that occurred last night:

Them: So... you never got the shot list to us.
Me: Oh. I kind of sort of did that accidentally on purpose.
Them: Oh?
Me: Yeah! Because I thought you and I both hated shot lists! Y'know... all of those conversations at all of those weddings about shot lists. Remember???
Them: Oh! Well... yeah. But we remember that one wedding downtown that you worked with us?
Me: Yeah...
Them: Well the couple was really happy with all of it except the bride said that the one picture she really wanted but we didn't get was a close-up of her sister's face as she was walking down the aisle.
Me: Uhhh... really????????

Now, perhaps I know nothing about what people want and this is a normal thing that should now be standard on any and EVERY photographer's shot list. Likely it's more of the case that is was that ONE shot that the bride really just wanted for no reason other than... well, she just wanted it! But that's the whole point of the shot list. Because, being a photographer, we're not psychic!!! We are very many things and can be very visionary but we are certainly NOT psychic mind-readers. And though we see A LOT of the world (albeit through our camera lenses), we certainly don't "see it all." And thus... we need a little help from those of us who know of the "little details" that we might miss - especially those that are of the most. Important. DAY. OF. YOUR. LIFE!!!!

Pardon what might be detected as mild to medium sarcasm in that last paragraph. Honestly and truly, I'm being serious. Because flowers will wilt, dresses (sadly) will yellow, but PICTURES are forever *and also don't lie!!!*

So for all of these reasons, you and I, DO need a shot list.

Hope this was helpful for you. Or, at the very least, mildly entertaining. :)