When Chicago area wedding photographer and DWF Pro Member Tim Coughlin encounted this extra special “Uncle Bob” he did what any of us would have done is his shoes. HE SHOT HIM!
Uncle Bob is a slang term used by professional photographers to describe a wedding guest or relative with a camera, who due to their lack of tact and experience, end up in the way throughout the day.
This particular Uncle Bob asserted inserted himself into the wedding by bumping the pro, standing in the aisle during the processional and recessional and even went so far as to run to Costco to produce a 4×6 album on his way to the reception. He was in the way so much so that the professional photographer was reprimanded by the Priest for nearly 15 minutes even after explaining that he wasn’t working with good ole Bob.
Think we’re kidding? Have a look at this, not to be mistaken with George Washington crossing the Delaware that is is Uncle Bob standing on a church pew…
Do you have a great Uncle Bob story or Photo? We’d love to hear it.
24 Comments at "I Shot Uncle Bob And I Think I Liked It"
That is so disrespectful. Uncle Bob’s just don’t get it and how they can ruin once in a lifetime images for the bride, all for their greedy little selves. Shameful.
At our last wedding we had a “former” wedding photographer( shot two for money and quit) setting up groups and blasting away with her Canon 50D…. for the fun of it.
This will become even more commonplace. They do it because it is enjoyable and because they can…. and there will be many “former wedding photographers” out there.
Until we get over ourselves as being so important that no one should emulate our actions, or until Brides and Grooms set a limit on this behavior by their guests, it will continue to bother and plague us.
Good ol’ Uncle Bob and other relatives. Of course anyone can take a picture, ‘have a digital camera so will shoot. So that makes ‘me’ a photographer, doesn’t it? No. Anymore than my buying a sharp knife at an art supplies store makes me a heart surgeon.
Despite what good Ol’ Uncle George Eastman said, there IS more to it than just pressing the button. Unlike Big Yeller it is us that does the rest.
OK Uncle Bob, You have a camera, But have you got an EYE?
Is that . . . No . . . Couldn’t be . . . Is it . . . A POP UP FLASH in the second photo? I forgot what those things looked like!!
that’s so disrespectful to god. you dont stand on that.
johnlo, what makes you think God cares about the pew?
(though still a bad idea since the priest almost certainly cares)
We have been to weddings and of course take our cameras. But, being professionals we will talk with the “hired” photographer and make sure we’re not stepping on anyone’s toes. As for the Uncle Bob’s of the world… We suggest to them that if they follow us around they can get the same shots without us being in each other’s way. Seems to work. One photog told us that he gives out his business card and on the back says “Official Paparazzi” and tells them that he’ll take the shot first then call out for the paparazzi to take their shots. Everyone is happy.
My UB experience involved a couple of “newbies”(?) trying to pickup some business outside the temple in Salt Lake. They’d approach the newly weds, and offer their services. You get 30 minutes on the temple steps, and this really cut into quality time for the couples images. They just didn’t get it; or maybe they did.
I’ve seen them all…in fact I think Uncle Bob simply follows me around! Although, in most cases I’m dealing with the female variety. On one particularly delightful occasion Aunty Bobbie stepped in front of every shot I took in the church then turned around and apologised for getting in my way, before promptly doing the same again continuing to apologise. When her battery died she came to me and told me I needed to provide her with my spares. I told her I would love to help her out and then apologised for the fact that I wouldn’t!
I now speak with those officiating the ceremonies and ask them to inform the guests that I appreciate their assistance in allowing me to get the photos I need and whenever an opportunity arises, I will step out of the way, give them a wave and they may snap off as many shots free of my rear-end.
In the wedding planning phase, the photographer should request that the bride ask any Uncle Bob’s in the family to do the following: (1) do not shoot during the ceremony (2) do not shoot over or opposite the pro (3)the pro should allow the Uncle Bob’s to get their shots after he/she is finished. If asked most Uncle Bob’s will cooperate. If you see Uncle Bob, go up to him her and ask them to be sure to stay out of the way and that you will give them a chance to get their shots.
THANK YOU for your post with pictures of the typical Uncle Bob in all his glory standing on the pew to get the shot that you probably just choreographed.
I too have been repromanded by a clergy member and chapel attendant about our snap happy associate that was NOT our fellow professional photog.
My favorite “uncle Bob” is the one you politely approach asking them not to get in the aisle or take pictures right behind you. They respond with a look of who do you think you are? In which I politely respond the HIRED CONTRACTED wedding photographer.
I do have a great “uncle Bob” story…He (a true fellow professional) actually recommended me to the Bride & Groom. At the wedding he did take pictures during the ceremony completely out of our camera view. He was participating in the wedding and reception as a guest not the photographer. Snaps for all the COOL uncle Bob’s who actually understand that we put a lot of effort and responsibility into capturing a couple’s wedding memories with beautiful and artistic images.
Unbelivable! This has happened to me more than once and I am amazed at how agressive they can be. I talk to the bride and groom before the wedding and warn them that the “wanna be photographer” can ruin their pictures by flashing at the same time I flash and causing an exposure problem. They can also distract the wedding party and you have half the group looking at the photographer and the other half looking at the “wanna be.” I’ve saved some of these pictures and show them during the final interview process. I had one guy stand right next to me–so close that I couldn’t lift my camera to take the picture. Guess what? I was really mad. I asked him to move and to please leave the room. I don’t think he did. There is only so much you can do, but warning the bride and groom up front helps. A little.
every wedding i get these people, and for a laugh, i photograph them and blend them into the clients final photos, so they can see their lovely guests, hard at work, creating great images. and getting in the way.
i crouch when i shoot at ceremonies, so i do not get in the way of the guests view or the videographers [even though i end up with bruised knees the entire summer! wedding ceremonies are long!], i wait until people stand to sing to get a back of church shot, or my co-photographer does it for me, and after i take a signing of the register shot, i stand aside, so guests can get a quick snap too.
i appreciate that ‘uncle jim’ or ‘aunt gillian’ as we have code named them ["aunt gillian, two o'clock!"], but it would be nice if they were as courteous to us and other guests, as we are with them.
i even pose the bride and groom in the family groupings at the end, so everyone can get a nice shot, so they will leave us alone!
usually when we kindly ask them to remain seated they do, but theres always someone out there with a 1000D with kit lense, whos just dying to prove they can take better shots than the professionals.
oh well, we cant all have perfect jobs….
[...] Wedding industry insiders even have a name for the aggressive amateur photographer getting in the way at weddings: Uncle Bob. You don’t have to look very hard to find a million rants about how Uncle Bob has ruined professional wedding photos with the flash from his camera, photobombing gorgeous poses, kneeling in the aisle blocking the view of the vows, and even standing on pews. [...]
[...] Wedding industry insiders even have a name for the aggressive amateur photographer getting in the way at weddings: Uncle Bob. You don’t have to look very hard to find a million rants about how Uncle Bob has ruined professional wedding photos with the flash from his camera, photobombing gorgeous poses, kneeling in the aisle blocking the view of the vows, and even standing on pews. [...]
[...] Wedding industry insiders even have a name for the aggressive amateur photographer getting in the way at weddings: Uncle Bob. You don’t have to look very hard to find a million rants about how Uncle Bob has ruined professional wedding photos with the flash from his camera, photobombing gorgeous poses, kneeling in the aisle blocking the view of the vows, and even standing on pews. [...]
I threatened a videographers life once. punched a DJ but im always nice to family I tell them once and usually they get the idea orr the best way to get them out of your hair is make them a feww assistant and tell them to do something inane like shoot atmosphere or group photos.
Well… at least there’s content aware fill!
During a wedding that I shot I was approached by the preacher before the wedding had started, who also happened to be the uncle of the bride. He asked me to please not disrupt the ceremony with flashes and I promised him he would not be disturbed while I was shooting. The second it started, I noticed a lady standing on the second level of the church pointing her camera directly at the preacher, flash blaring, constantly flashing. He never said a word to her, never signaled for her to stop, nothing. I found out later that evening that she was his sister, the brides aunt, and she wanted to be the only one getting great shots, so she sent him to talk to me….. the paid photographer. Lovely!!
I had one of these at my first wedding last year. I was hired on by my friends (who were getting married), and when I showed up all of the family members looked confused and surprised. “Oh, ANOTHER photographer?” I mentioned that the couple asked me to shoot, and the family members responded “OH, we already hired a professional, but this is good I guess!”
I spent an hour thinking “oh neat, I get to work with someone experienced, this wedding won’t be so bad after all”. Turns out, it was Aunt Sally who showed up to the party, armed with her brand new (as of two days prior) Nikon D5000 with kit 18-55 lens, auto mode armed, and the pop-up flash primed for action.
My best photos from the wedding I needed to either crop or do some serious photoshopping, because she spent the better portion of the procession standing behind the bridesmaids with the camera at arms’ lenght above her, not watching her screen but looking straight forward, snapping away and dangling her strap on the maids’ heads. I’d dig up a picture of just that, but I’m not at my studio computer and don’t have the album online anymore.
She snapped roughtly four times as many pictures as I took, and when hers and my own pictures were collected by another friend who was compiling a gift album, she told me that she used almost none of the aunt’s pictures, thus making it even more infuriating as (though obviously) all of her intrusion was literally for nothing except uploading five flat pictures to the couples’ facebook pages that night, which made everyone else really impatient to see my own pictures because “if aunt sally could get these up so fast why can’t YOU, mr professional?”.
ugh
Mentioning to the Bride and Groom is good, but the Maid of Honor and Best Man is better and/or personal attendants. They are usually the ones in charge of various duties during the wedding anyways. Doesn’t hurt to have a few others keeping the Uncle Bobs in check.
I am sl thrilled that I stumbled upon this! I am going to meet with a bride & groom today and it’s my first wedding as a photographer. I do have a clause in my contract about other photographers shooting, whether they are pro or not, but this has given me something to really keep an eye open for! I think I will use the advice about the recruiting the maid of honor and the best man! Hopefully, I won’t have an Uncle Bob story to share!
oh, the uncle bobs of the world.
i’ve had both good and bad experiences with the uncle bobs, and admittedly was an uncle bob myself at the first wedding i ever took my camera to.
the one time that i was an uncle bob, i was so nervous about getting in the other photographer’s way that i tried super hard not to be a nuisance to her…i stood way back during the shots she set up, or at least behind her field of her periphery from another angle. she was super nice about it as a result and even wished me luck on building a portfolio afterwards. thankfully, my next three shoots were as a hired second so i got the majority of my wedding experience as a REAL assistant, lol.
there’ve been a couple uncle bobs during the weddings i’ve shot that…well…hm. how to be delicate. ummm…the fact that they had a camera and a penchant for being in the way was only a FRACTION of the shit they pulled on the bride and groom’s big day — so i honestly felt worse for the couple than myself by a long shot. the couple has to deal with that forever, i just have to deal with them for half a day. if that makes sense.
there’s a nice camera that’s not yours at every wedding, and for the most part, people are super deferential to the hired photog, and really nice about not getting in your way. if you give them the chance to shoot what they want, they’re a lot less likely to start barging in before you get YOUR shots throughout the day. from what i’ve noticed, most people with dslr’s really aren’t trying to compete with you.
admittedly there have been quite a few family formals that ended up not to my liking as a result of large group shots with people all looking different ways despite my attempts to command all their attention to MY lens. that can be frustrating, especially since i always take at least three shots of each group formal pose to try to ensure there’s at least one shot with no blinkers or gazers, haha. i HATE having to send an image back where one person in the group isn’t looking at me, and weren’t in any of the shots i took despite telling everyone to look at my lens and counting down…sigh.
“I threatened a videographers life once. punched a DJ but im always nice to family…” – dskagle
This struck me because, as a videographer who also does photos (though it’s not my primary medium), it’s incredibly frustrating to deal with photogs who don’t seem to understand that the bride & groom have paid for, and contracted with the videographers as well.
I like to introduce myself to the photog prior to the event to make myself aware of their range during the ceremony, any lighting that’s established for the reception, etc… HOWEVER – I think it’s nice to have a reminder now and again that, when doing photos it’s as important to avoid being the “Uncle Bobs” of the video as well! After all, when the couple gets their video, the last thing they want is hours of footage of the back of their photographer’s head (or attempts to avoid it)!
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