Whats up with the "cheesy" photos?

troopers · July 9, 2014

I was checking out the competition in my local area, and noticed that many feature "cheesy" photos. My initial reaction was "you got to be kidding me!" Really, is that what the couple wants????? Really??? I can't imagine B/G will look back at the photos in a few years post wedding and think fondly of these cheesy photos or have any emotional attachment to the photos.

I certainly will not suggest taking "cheesy" photos. And if the B/G really wants those photos, against my advice, I will/have shoot it but I definitely won't display them in a public portfolio.

Am I alone in thinking this way?

divamum · July 9, 2014

define "cheesy"..... Examples?

troopers · July 9, 2014

The bride holding the groom in her palm or the bride stepping on the wedding party. You know 'em when you see 'em. Brides / grooms actually want wedding photos like this, seriously?

Qarik · July 9, 2014

if you get a goofy couple..it can happen. It could also be fun! I would oblige as I would immediately jump into techno geek mode to try and figure out how to pull off the shot! (of course this would be only AFTER I get the good stuff).

michaelglenn · July 9, 2014

There are some people that do just genuinely like "cheesy photographs". I have no problem photographing it, but those aren't the images I advertise. But maybe the photographers in your area enjoy that style. If that's the case, kill the competition with the art that you produce!

Moogle Pepper · July 9, 2014

Well if I had to do a cheesy photo, I would ask someone to press the shutter so I could do a photo bomb.

But are you looking at those Russian wedding photographs for inspiration?

I mean you can extrapolate this thought with what is trendy today and what was trending a couple years ago as cheesy.

troopers · July 10, 2014

Moogle Pepper wrote: »

But are you looking at those Russian wedding photographs for inspiration? I mean you can extrapolate this thought with what is trendy today and what was trending a couple years ago as cheesy.

Nope. What Russian wedding photogs?

Foques · July 10, 2014

Funny that Moogle mentioned russian photogs.
There are a scores of Russian videos/photographs that are - as you call them - really that cheesy. I've been getting blown away by the number of those, in RU side of internet as well. I get seeing them here and there, but this style appears to be really, REALLY popular out there for some reason

to be honest, though, I do wonder if it is "popular" because a wedding photog out there is much more of a rarity than it is here

Example 1: http://ekabu.ru/fun/80469-iskusstvo-russkoy-svadebnoy-fotografii.html

Example 2: http://www.fresher.ru/2011/06/09/svadebnyj-fotoshop/?replytocom=43998

Example 3: http://foto-kor.ru/album.html - this one is the actual studio

troopers · August 12, 2014

OMG, just came across a photo where the entire wedding party was running frantically away (towards the camera) from a.....

...t-rex. Like a scene from Jurassic Park.

I'm baffled.

Foques · August 12, 2014

well, that one was meant as a joke, and was taken by a pretty good guy, if memory serves me right.

r3t1awr3yd · August 13, 2014

Glort wrote: »

I usually try to give my clients a heads up when asked to do these shots.

I'll say something like " You ever see pics of your parents in the '70's and look at what they were wearing and go OMG?" they will laugh and say yeah. I'll say " You really want to make the same mistake with your WEDDING pics and have your kids wondering if you were smoking crack at the time and look twice as lame as your parents do to you in those pics now?"

That usually puts an end to the question and any more silly requests and earns you a bit of respect as having more insight to the game than just being able to puch a button.

^^ THIS. I tell couples all of the time to avoid patterns because they don't generally age well. If they're super insistent, I'll say we can do some with the patterns and some without. And if they're a really fun couple and genuinely want terribly cheesy and horrid photos... like someone said above, oblige them but don't advertise 'em

Sam · August 13, 2014

troopers wrote: »

OMG, just came across a photo where the entire wedding party was running frantically away (towards the camera) from a.....

...t-rex. Like a scene from Jurassic Park.

I'm baffled.

I had to check and see if I put my T-Rex chasing the bridal party image online.

This is what the bride wanted. I had no problem in doing it. There were plenty of
the normal shots.

Why not try and make the bride happy?

If later they think it isn't cool any more they can dispose of it. What the heck is the harm.

Sam

cab.in.boston · August 13, 2014

troopers wrote: »

OMG, just came across a photo where the entire wedding party was running frantically away (towards the camera) from a.....

...t-rex. Like a scene from Jurassic Park.

I'm baffled.

This apparently is a "thing," although it seems awfully weird to me. However, the fad should die now, because no bridal party could create a shot to top this one, which actually includes Jeff Goldblum, who was a guest at this wedding...

From:
http://petapixel.com/2014/08/06/jeff-goldblum-joins-best-running-away-t-rex-wedding-photo-ever/

troopers · August 13, 2014

cab.in.boston wrote: »

This apparently is a "thing," although it seems awfully weird to me. However, the fad should die now, because no bridal party could create a shot to top this one, which actually includes Jeff Goldblum, who was a guest at this wedding...

From:
http://petapixel.com/2014/08/06/jeff-goldblum-joins-best-running-away-t-rex-wedding-photo-ever/

This is a tad different than the one I saw...I can't believe this has occurred more than once.

Maybe I'm the nutty one, since I'm not offering scenes from the Jurassic Park wedding photos.

WillCAD · August 18, 2014

There will always be a market for the absolute traditionalist photographer who does nothing less than ultra-classy, formal, rigid portraiture.

There will always be a market for experimental, artsy, grainy, black-and-white wedding pics.

There will always be a market for cheesy, funny, humorous, self-deprecating wedding pics.

There will always be a market for everything in between.

The relative sizes of these various markets in relation to the others will always vary according to location, culture, background of the couple, and current trends and fads.

And there will always be arguments among wedding photographers who think that anyone who caters to a market other than the one they have personally chosen as the right one is a fool and a traitor to the good name of professional wedding photography.

Meanwhile, I watch the arguments with an amused smile on my face, because whichever market you choose, it's pretty obvious that all of the pros in this thread are finding clients and making a living at it, which blows the argument that "that's the WRONG style!" completely out of the water.

PS: I loved the dino shot, especially the prototypical one that had Jeff Goldblum in it. Must go fast, must go faster, must go faster!

Whats up with the "cheesy" photos?

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