[twitch]

I have to laugh at the expectation that somehow parents have control over their kids at all times like they are some sort of remote control car. Sheese. It's ridiculous to expect that.

I have no problem with other parents pulling my kids up if they are doing dumb things. I warn adn instruct my kids on where to stay away from or be careful of. However I cannot control everything my kids do.

So I think that the OP'er took a gamble leaving such a valuable lens in a position to be knocked over and broken, and it didn't pay off. Of course the parent should have apologied, the bigger question is whether they should have paid some or all the cost. I don't know, but if that happened to me I wouldn't expect the parent to pay, I'd be kicking myself instead.

[eddie1960]

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."
— Socrates

lmao perfect quote

[Ratmagiclady]

Eh, they've been blaming ''liberal' parenting' and randomly whaling on kids till they run around screaming with no respect for anything or anyone, while knocking over struggling wedding photogs, themselves, for a very long time.

I've been bodily-separated from wedding rigs I was reloading on tables by rich kid-smackers in hallways thirty yards wide, just cause they felt piqued. Then treated *me* like crap in front of their kids cause they knocked a rig worth far more than I was getting paid on the floor.

Don't leave anything down at a wedding that you can't walk away from. (Or retain by force, really)

Anything you can't keep on your person at all times must pass what I call 'The Drop Test:'

"If I drop this on the floor, am I losing money tonight?"

At nearly every wedding, ('traditional' ones, anyway) you can count on there being any relative quantity of three things: stress, children, and alcohol. Carry defensively.

[D4rknezz]

I am getting into weddings this year, and this little event and the stories that you guys tell adds to the precautions I need to take later on.

I am not sure what to do to be honest, I have been looking into strobe setups for on-location lighting. Some of you have wrote what you do to secure your gear (like keep on person, etc), however, these strobe setups standing on a lightstand by themselves, worth 700-2500 dollars while i stand back to take a picture.....

There is a certain amount of gamble, to be sure. Maybe i should look into insurance.
?

[Ratmagiclady]

I am getting into weddings this year, and this little event and the stories that you guys tell adds to the precautions I need to take later on.

I am not sure what to do to be honest, I have been looking into strobe setups for on-location lighting. Some of you have wrote what you do to secure your gear (like keep on person, etc), however, these strobe setups standing on a lightstand by themselves, worth 700-2500 dollars while i stand back to take a picture.....

There is a certain amount of gamble, to be sure. Maybe i should look into insurance.
?

With big lighting rigs like that, worth doing. If you rent, you can probably get that.

Of course, according to the 'drop test' I'd also be charging more if I were bringing that sort of setup to bear. If you're getting paid for a whole package, you can cover yourself before long, but I wouldn't lay out so much to bottom-feed.

I've assisted on weddings with the formal group shots and all, *despised* the contrivance of the lighting. (Captive audience, that part's OK. ' I just got so like, 'If you want a mobile portrait mill, hire Bachrach, they'll do this better.' No one frames and critiques the party-of-eighty-lined-up-in-a-hotel-after-a-few drinks.

They just want to see everyone's faces, are usually indulging the MOB to even be there in the first place, and it never seemed to miss much if they'd be like, 'I remember when we lined up for this, wasn't that photog a character.' and if you can work some personality in, you've got flip-book treasures for them. That was my attitude with the ol' 6x7 and potato masher flash balanced into the ambient. (What flash synch? ) That was what I'd do on my own.

People selling whole wedding packages with the albums and the formal lighting and squeezing in a portrait session and all that were getting twenty four hundred in *80s'* dollars. They'd also keep the negs and mark up albums and sell enlargements that people are now expecting to get off Iphones for free. Don't feel obligated to imitate that on the cheap and take all the risk on yourself. (That's what I say while cranky, anyway. )

Fact is, if while shooting an event, you felt the need to leave a seven hundred dollar lens on a table somewhere, (And I say that as someone who's never owned a seven hundred dollar lens in her *life* ...you were carrying too darn much, or expecting to carry too little, and probably not of the right stuff.

[D4rknezz]

Fact is, if while shooting an event, you felt the need to leave a seven hundred dollar lens on a table somewhere, (And I say that as someone who's never owned a seven hundred dollar lens in her *life* ...you were carrying too darn much, or expecting to carry too little, and probably not of the right stuff.

Hahah. I will agree with you this point, its true, I was carrying too darn much. The work laptop is worth more than the lens, and was on the table too.

I was told there'd be a large screen for display of the photography work as I take them; so I have streamlined PP to seconds (automated resizing, cropping, BW conversion and pasting of signature); prepped myself for a ...take 20 shots and have them up immediately kind of thing.

The organizers were ...poorly organized; and didnt have the screen when I was there. So now I have a laptop that weighs a ton (desktop replacement) sitting unused. One way or another I would have left something valuable somewhere. Except , if it had been my laptop on the floor, it would have been in pieces, and there isnt any laptop forum i feel i can voice my complains. Hahahaha.

Next time I volunteer, I should charge


I am not exactly the social guy; nor do i feel I have the kind of character/charm that clearly shows from your posting - which I think would be a huge selling point! Nor do I have a captive audience.
So i have to disagree with your other point in regards to the need of lighting rigs and stuff on location , while I think charm and personal connection will work for some photographers; with me it will have to be technical all the way, cuz otherwise I have nothing to show!

It was great to hear everyone's opinion on this, and its a learning curve for me to be sure, even if I feel there is nothing else for me to do except to always be prepared for the worse.

[Ratmagiclady]

Heehee, well, there's lots of different ways to work events and all. I imagine the market's that much harder these days with all the decent digital stuff.

As for how your personal manner is, well, just pay to your strengths there. You can't guarantee how shiny a mood you might be in, anyway, (By now you'd think I'd realize random crankiness means I'm about to come down with a cold. ) ...but sometimes it helps to consider it a little like show biz.

[Jonathan Mac]

+1.

Jason

+2...

[C-Factor]

If I was in the same situation I would have approached the parent and suggested some pumishment, perhaps a spanking. It wouldn't fix my possibly damaged lense, but I would feel better if the kid had to suffer some too.

[JeffJS]

I would have punished the parent and made the kid watch. Maybe it's a good thing I don't do event photography.

[zlorfik]

Kids act as their parents would act, in most cases. There's no point arguing with people in such situations, they won't even listen, not talking about reparation. That's why I avoid crowd, whenever possible.

[mtroute]

The behavior of a child is a direct reflection on the quality of the parenting, period. I have 3 kids who are constantly praised for there good behavior in situations where most other kids are being absolute terrors. I owe it all to my parents (and Jim Fay) who would beat the shit out of us for misbehavior. I am pretty sure they didn't care to be our friends or about our self esteem. I don't beat my kids, but they are certainly held accountable for their behavior.

[Voytech]

The behavior of a child is a direct reflection on the quality of the parenting, period. I have 3 kids who are constantly praised for there good behavior in situations where most other kids are being absolute terrors. I owe it all to my parents (and Jim Fay) who would beat the shit out of us for misbehavior. I am pretty sure they didn't care to be our friends or about our self esteem. I don't beat my kids, but they are certainly held accountable for their behavior.

Coming from a similar parenting background, I know exactly what you're talking about. Now, as a parent myself, I see the challenge in front of me and frankly, I'm terrified not to pamper my son into a brat. He's already showing signs of a little menace at 14 months old.

[eddie1960]

Coming from a similar parenting background, I know exactly what you're talking about. Now, as a parent myself, I see the challenge in front of me and frankly, I'm terrified not to pamper my son into a brat. He's already showing signs of a little menace at 14 months old.

trick would be not to try and be their friend, hold them accountable for their actions and impart a sense of responsibility to them. something like having an employee who can't quit on you lol
i'm glad people no longer beat their kids but lack of any discipline is a huge issue now. as for general responsibility i never cease to be amazed by kids lack of it. we had a pretty nasty snowfall here a couple of weeks back. you could predict who would show for work by age alone. over say 40 and they were all there under 30 none were, between 30-40 it was a mixed bag. One of the assistant managers in my wife's region (Godiva retail stores) was scheduled to open. he lived a good 10 miles closer to the store than the store manager and was scheduled to open. he called in due to the snow and the store manager made it in to open despite short notice. there's a career limiting move

[daacon]

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."
— Socrates

+1 indeed