Ask Anything :: Shot Lists

With so many consultations over the last few weeks (12 to be exact!) we’re full of answers to our Ask Anything series. We love talking with new couples, hearing their story, getting to know them, showing them our style of photography, and answering all of their questions. Recently we were asked about “Shot Lists”, and if we accept them. It’s a fantastic question, and one that everyone should talk to their photographers about. Our answer isn’t exactly black and white, so we thought we’d explain our point of view on shot lists here today.

 

A Shot List for those of you who don’t know, is a pre determined list of photos a couple is requesting of their photographer. There are TONS of example shot lists on the world wide web, and thanks to The Knot couples can find a 7 page shot list ready to print and hand over to their photographer. A shot list like the ones we’ve seen online include photos of “Bride walking down aisle”, or “First Kiss”, or even “Portrait of Bride and Groom”, and we can’t forget to mention the request for a photo of “The Cake”. After looking at shot lists like this, all we can really say is… “Really?!” These things need to be written down? Couples think they need to tell their photographer to get a photo of the Bride walking down the aisle? Surely not, surely these lists are just one more thing big name websites have come up with to market their services to Brides. We hope so at least. Any photographer worth their weight does NOT need a shot list of this sort. If you feel a lengthy list of any and every possible photo of an entire wedding day is necessary to give to your photographer… you need a new photographer.

The answer to the “do you take shot lists” question is NO. No we do not work from lists like this, and our couples do not need to provide one. The reason why? We don’t need them. We don’t need to look down at a piece of paper as reference while we’re shooting, in order to remember to take the always expected, classic photos of a wedding day. OF COURSE we’re ready for that shot of a Bride walking down the aisle! YES we’ll be taking a photo of the rings. GOODNESS YES there will be portraits of the couple! Having done this for several years now, the shot list you might have written down is constantly running through our minds. It’s muscle memory at this point, a system imbedded into our method to how we document a wedding day. So no… we will not need to use a shot list, and you won’t need to worry about putting one together.

Think about it… do you want your photographer spending all day with their eyes down at a piece of paper making sure they are staging every photo you’ve requested? Missing out on the true, candid moments that are going on around them? Probably not. Spending time checking items off a shot list also kills the creative ability of your photographer. Lists like this stifle a photographer’s artistry. If you hired your photographer because you love their photos, then the best thing you can do is step back and let them work. It’s so important to TRUST your photographer. If you do, then a shot list shouldn’t be anything you worry about. These lists do more harm than good.

Additionally, we are not able to accept Pinterest shot lists either. What we mean by that is, we won’t be referencing your Pinterest board in order to replicate photos you found there. We’ve never been interested in copying anyone else’s work, our goal is to turn your wedding into the next Bride’s inspiration. Our goal is to shoot in OUR style, making YOUR wedding day one to remember. So while we don’t mind looking through your photography Pinterest board to get a better feel for the specific types of photos you’re more geared towards… we will use that information as a guide, not as a stencil. We’ll shoot the “Bride looking over shoulder” photo our way.

Of course, there is a time for a true shot list even for us. When it comes time for the Family Formal photos on a wedding day we absolutely need and require a shot list! THIS is the time where we don’t want to miss anyone. These photos aren’t about artistic style or composition, these photos are meant to cherish the “who” of your wedding day. Who was with you, who was still alive, who was there, who traveled from Australia to be with you… these are your family members. We want to know their names, their relation to the couple, and every single grouping you are requesting. We take your list, then organize the order of the photos in a manner that makes the most sense time wise. We even arrange the order of photos to allow the Bride to get into place just once, allowing her to be able to stand still while others gather in next to her. This means her train only needs to be fluffed and straightened once and we can breeze through the photos quickly, getting you and your family to cocktail hour as soon as possible.

Also to mention, we understand not every wedding is a cookie cutter replica of the “standard”. We know there are unique elements to each wedding day, and that’s why we make sure to address any oddities, special events, or unique circumstances with every couple long before their wedding day. It’s no secret we like to be prepared for everything, and so this too is an area wee make sure to cover. These unique elements to a wedding day are plugged into our timeline (which is printed and referenced throughout the day) so we stay on track and always know what’s coming.

 

In short, we DO NOT work with full day shot lists. We DO work with, and request from all of our couples, a Family Formal shot list. And of course, we come to each and every wedding prepared for the specifics of that day. Your job is to get married, our job is to document it in photos… in our style.