Reply To: Fautog by force. Stories welcome!

[stef]

How do you address it with people without making an enemy of them?

In short, you say “No”.

In long, you say “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”.

 

They are putting the need for getting good images on you instead of taking their own responsibility. If not letting someone take advantage of you and put you in that situation makes an enemy out of them, they obviously weren’t your friend anyway.

 

You should probably explain, very clearly, “I’m not a pro, and if you really want to capture the event, you have to hire a pro. A good pro, not some mom with a camera / a kid whose parents say he has a really good eye / or (like me) a nature photographer hobbyist. If this is an important life event you want to capture for the ages, you should spend far more on documenting it properly than you spend on your dress and cake combined.”

Then, take that disposable camera, and take the best shots you can make with it. Enjoy yourself, and suffer no guilt. Their problem is not your problem.