Wedding photographer’s anti-iPhone rant strikes a nerve

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iPhone-wedding
No one wants to see your iPhone in their wedding pics.
Photo: Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash

A wedding photographer calling for people to stop using their iPhones at weddings has gone viral with an angry Facebook rant.

Hannah Stanley is asking smartphone users to “please stop viewing weddings you attend through a screen” and avoid getting in the way of the professional photographer.

The post comes after one wedding guest ruining a perfectly good photo of a bride and her father by blocking Stanley’s view with their iPhone.

Smartphone cameras have gotten so good that they’re a perfectly good replacement for a dedicated snapper for the vast majority of people. If you look at the five most popular cameras among Flickr users, they’re all different versions of the iPhone — and that has been the case for years now.

A better camera in your pocket means you never miss an opportunity to take a great photo. It also means you’re much more likely to take photos and videos at any time — and that can sometimes have its downsides.

If you get in the way of the professional photographer at a wedding because you wanted your own snap for your Instagram Story, that’s a problem.

’Please, let me do my job’

Stanley explains why that’s a problem in her Facebook rant, titled “To the girl with the iPhone…”

Not only did you ruin my shot, but you took this moment away from the groom, father of the bride, and the bride. What exactly do you plan on doing with that photo? Honestly. Are you going to print it out? Save it? Look at it everyday? No. You’re not. But my bride would have printed this photo, looked at it often and reminisced over this moment as her dad walked her down the aisle on her wedding day. But instead, you wanted to take a photo with your phone, blocking my view, and taking a photo that you will not use.

Guests, please stop viewing weddings you attend through a screen but instead turn OFF your phone, and enjoy the ceremony. You are important to the bride and groom, you would not be attending the wedding otherwise. So please, let me do my job, and you just sit back, relax and enjoy this once in a lifetime moment.

Stanley’s post has been shared a staggering 169,000 times, and received more than 170,000 reactions on Facebook so far. It has also attracted more than 1,000 comments, and most of them agree with Stanley’s sentiments.

Other professional photographers weighed in with their own complaints. Some said they have started asking clients to ban smartphone use during their wedding ceremony.

Stop using your iPhone at weddings

“I shot a wedding one time and a member of the BRIDAL PARTY was taking pictures during the ceremony,” wrote Nicole Attaway. “I literally had to throw out half of the pictures I took for that reason only.”

“THE POINT IS that we should enjoy the moment with the wedding party family,” added Christi Cox. “Put your phones up and let photographer do the job they were hired to do.”

“’Im talking to a bride’s sister right now about shooting her wedding in October,” said Sara Brooks. “I think they’re about to back out because they dont want to tell over 200 guests to put away their cell phones.”

Not everyone agrees with Stanley, though.

Amateur photographers can be useful, too

Some feel the complaint is blown out of proportion, and others suggest that it’s just an excuse for a Facebook rant. Many also argued that some of their favorite wedding shots weren’t taken by the professional photographer.

“I totally get what they’re saying, but some of my favorite pics from my wedding came from family and friends who took pictures with their phones,” wrote Cherri Rodriguez. “Photographers can’t be in every place at once.”

“For those looking to hire a photographer for your wedding… Consider finding someone who sees obstacles as simply things to overcome … and not opportunities to create viral blog posts about the evils of cell phones at weddings,” blasted Nick Durante.

There can be a happy medium

Personally, I’m not sure a total ban on smartphones during weddings is the best solution. Close friends and family like to capture their own memories of the big day — and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

But you should consider that those getting married paid a lot of money for a professional photographer to be there, and they don’t want you ruining their photos. Use your phone, then, but try not to get in the way.

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