Pains of photography..

[ironglow]

  When I posted just one photo from my Grand daughter's wedding, i knew I was posting a rare project. 

  Why was it rare? It was rare, because my son took wedding photos..he actually had to..no choice.

  He normally refuses two type photos..weddings and babies or little children.  I often wondered why he turned that
   work over to others, until I sat through the routine with this one.

    So what are the reasons he turns these jobs away?

 1) His time on scene is too valuable to spend the time needed to wait for the baby/child to smile, giggle, wave it's
     hands or whatever.

  2) To Mom her baby is the most beautiful in the world...even though it may be far from it !  If the photos are
      completely honest..they don't believe it.  OK..so you do the usual cleanup, and submit the photos.
       Then she wants to go through the photos one-by-one...fix this, fix that..and that

  3) Weddings... to start a lookalike for Nancy Pelosi..thinks when she puts the bridal gown on, she at the least..
    automatically looks like Taylor Swift.

  4) In most weddings, there is the mother of the bride, a couple sisters of the bride...and maybe an aunt por two
      all vying to be boss of preparations and the choreography on the big day.  Too many bosses...

  5) He doesn't need the work..so he is willing to pass it to others. 

6) When he can make  several product photos for a manufacturing firm in an afternoon, then process them that
    evening..and produce the same income, what would be your choice?
   
    Products for instance, don't have sisters, aunts or cousins, and you don't have to wait for them to smile or
   giggle.   ..Plus he does that photography at home in his own studio.

[Bob Riebe]

My Aunt used to work for a photo studio, her one job, to touch-up photos.

[ironglow]

My Aunt used to work for a photo studio, her one job, to touch-up photos.

   ..And some you just can't touch up enough..  When he does head shots for any corporation, doctor's group or law office with many members for instance...he normally processes about 10 years off each subject.
 
   There is one law office led by a female, that gets the same treatment...but the boss insists the equivalent of about 40 years erased.
   I can't imagine the confusion when somebody comes in with her pictured business card they have been given by
   somebody else, then looking for her at the office....

[darkgael]

This is an interesting thread. I can understand why a photographer would want to avoid personal/portrait photography with the built in dangers of human vanity.
A basic “problem” with portraits is the fact that we are used to seeing ourselves as reflections….we look into mirrors, store front glass, etc. Reflections are reversed images. The change from what we are used to seeing to what is actual can be disorienting for some.
The reflected Darkgael has his hair parted on the right; the real Dg parts his hair on the left. That liver spot on his left cheek is really on the right. The sum of these little differences add up to an image that may be disturbingly unfamiliar for some.

[ironglow]

This is an interesting thread. I can understand why a photographer would want to avoid personal/portrait photography with the built in dangers of *human vanity.

A basic “problem” with portraits is the fact that we are used to seeing ourselves as reflections….we look into mirrors, store front glass, etc. Reflections are reversed images. The change from what we are used to seeing to what is actual can be disorienting for some.
The reflected Darkgael has his hair parted on the right; the real Dg parts his hair on the left. That liver spot on his left cheek is really on the right. The sum of these little differences add up.

  I think you nailed it with the vanity issue.  My grandson helps his Dad with certain shoots, when his Dad's schedule requires it..still no babies or
  weddings. He doesn't do drone work however, since he doesn't have a pilot's license.

  He is however a professional DJ, and makes decent money at a couple nearby resort clubs.  Last weekend, he did a wedding he agreed to. back
  last year.  He agreed to a price for X number of hours on the day of the wedding, to set up his equipment the day before.
   Well, somehow, they interpreted it that he would go through the whole routine for the "practice" wedding, the day before.  He managed to satisfy
    them for the time, although he had another engagement scheduled.  He does genuinely like the couple however.
   
    On the wedding day, the groom slipped him an extra $550.  He often gets $100 tip, the $550 seems a bit overdone.  It looks like the
    groom thought he owed the $550 yet, for the gig, so grandson is contacting  the folks to be sure what it was meant for.

[ironglow]

My Aunt used to work for a photo studio, her one job, to touch-up photos.

  Today, "editing" is an industry in itself.  My son shoots all day, sometimes up to 4 different homes or commercial spreads, then he comes home and
  works until wee hours.. editing.

  If he is very busy, for certain projects, he utilizes a professional editor to help him..  It so happens this editor is overseas, in the far east.