Detroit, Mi – Stanley Shelton, co-owner of J & S Portrait America in Wayne Michigan, was recently interviewed. When asked about the necessary skills it takes to be a good wedding photographer, Stanley said, “You have been hired to capture truly special moments of a couple’s very special day. A very important skill is being able to deal with people. I am in a very unique position. Here I am, many times a complete stranger in the very middle of these two family’s most personal moments. The most important skill is fitting into these family’s lives for that day without “pissing off” the bride and groom. On this day I literarily have to be a chameleon. I consider myself Stan the invisible photo man, on this day. What I’m saying is I CANNOT DRAW ANY ATTENTION TO MYSELF. This is not my wedding nor am I there to take photographs for myself. I try as hard as I can to find out from the bride to be, what she and her husband to be want photographically. I will not be pushy or demanding, even if we are running out of time. There’
Stanley recalled a scenario where he and his wife showed up at the bride’s apartment for scheduled pre-ceremony shots. “When we got there, the bride’s brother was the only one there to greet us. He explained that the bride and her mother had left to get their hair done and they wre not back yet. Not to worry, we sat down for an hour and a half. Finally, they show up. However, mom is far from happy. Apparently, she did not like her hair “do”, she thought she looked like a chicken. She was very upset and so was her daughter. This is not good. So, guest what we had to do? My wife, who was helping me, ended up redoing mom’s hair and calming down everyone. We got to the church forty-five minutes later than we were suppose to”. Stanley said, “They later told us that we had saved their wedding, and were genuinely grateful because we did not add any pressure to them on that already stressful day. So I know that a photographer has the ability to make things manageable or he can make himself unforgettable in a negative way. I’m grateful that we are blessed with that ability to make things go smoothly”
You must be Knowledgeable in the basics of photography, as well as, being skilled in both traditional and photojournalism types of photography.
