Shelly and Scott's "I Do" ('Bob')
You might recall that this year has been a year of weddings for the employees of Matchmaker Logistics. Early this year, Pam Pickral (nee Carrier) tied the knot, and a few weeks ago, Shelly Hamler (nee Stoddart) got married. I had the pleasure of attending both weddings, and I was honored to participate in such wonderful, meaningful occasions.
I usually forget my camera, or bring my camera and then, get so caught up in the moment that I forget to take photos. But, at both Pam and Shelly’s weddings, I remembered to snap a few shots. I later learned that there is one wedding guest notorious among professional wedding photographers. His name? Uncle Bob.
Shelly and Scott's "I Do" (Pro)
Come to find out, wedding industry professionals use the term ‘Uncle Bob’ to describe a wedding guest or relative with a camera who gets in the way of the professional photographer throughout the day, but is oblivious to the fact he’s interfering. (To see what I’m talking about, click here.)
Although most professional photographers will admit that ‘Uncle Bob’ means well, there is a heated debate as to the best way to handle these dear ol’ ‘uncles’. A photographer cannot be everywhere at once, and it’s nice to have other people’s points of view.
Pam and Chuck's First Dance ('Bob')
But, although you can sometimes get great photos with an automatic camera, the pros insist that even the most expensive photography won’t make up for their trained eyes. In the words of Claude Adams, “having a camera makes you no more a photographer than having a hammer and some nails makes you a carpenter”.
To prove the point, Shelly and Pam provided us with some ‘Uncle Bob’ shots to contrast with their wedding photographers’ photos. I confess, I took one of these pictures, but I promise that I did NOT get in the way of the pro!
Pam and Chuck's First Dance (Pro)
There is a story about the legendary author, Jack London. He went to have his portrait made by noted San Francisco photographer Arnold Genthe, and began the encounter with effusive praise for Genthe’s photographic art. London kept saying things like: “You must have a wonderful camera…It must be the best camera in the world…You must show me your camera.”
Genthe then used his standard studio camera to make what has since become a classic picture of Jack London. When the sitting was finished, Genthe could not resist. He said: “I have read your books, Jack, and I think they are important works of art. You must have a wonderful typewriter.”
Have your own Kodak moment this weekend,
~Bob
P.S. And an official congratulations to our newlyweds, Shelly and Pam as well as their respective husbands, Scott and Chuck. They are very lucky guys!
