Dressing for success

dave lackey

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There are two venues that I have become curious about in regard to dressing for the work ahead. :)

1. Weddings/Special Events - Using an RF and an SLR...how would you dress for working the venue?

2. Street Photography - Using an RF and an SLR...how would you dress and what bag works best when carrying the gear with you? Comfort here seems much more important than above.

Input is always appreciated from such a knowledge base here on RFF!:D
 
I always think it's best to dress to the occasion, it's part of getting respect from other people. For general stuff I go with jeans and t-shirt (an extra layer if it's cold) and no bag. Film goes in the pocket and camera over the shoulder, however I'm finding the Contax T3 to be the best choice these days as it also fits in a pocket. I only take a bag if it is for work and I need to be prepared, if not I just adapt to the camera, it makes things a lot easier.
 
Wedding - Wayne Cooper black pants with Black julius marlow dress shoes, any number of dress shirts that must be comfortable.

Street/random - Jeans and t-shirt, bomber jacket if it's cold. For a bag, I prefer something really small, and either canvas or leather. Canvas for when it doesn't matter and leather for when I want to look a bit smarter. I'll keep my camera on a hand strap around my wrist and usually my wallet/phone/1-2 extra lenses in the bag.
 
Wedding: I think it would depend on the degree of formality. Generally, though, I'd favor dark pants, black sweater or t-neck, and very comfortable black shoes.

Street: I like cargo pants (good for keeping rolls of film), a drab colored shirt w/ pockets (my lightmeter slips into one of these), and a bland looking jacket if it's chilly. And very, very comfortable shoes. I usually carry a Domke 5xb bag, big enough for two cameras, an extra lens, and film, and not much else.
 
For a wedding I dress to look professional and unobtrusive while showing respect for the B&G on their big day.

For street shooting I wear whatever fits in with the surroundings and is likely to generate the least interest. Tourists mostly get ignored. Bags with zipper closings and which are not a visual invitation to steal expensive equipment are good. Some people even use converted nappy or beach bags to reduce the risk of theft. Comfort, convenience and security for your gear are my primary considerations.

How you dress is one part of how you present to the world. Another part is how others perceive your attitude during the wedding or event, or out in the street. An appropriate attitude for the situation can smooth the way for good images.
 
X-tra large Domke photo vest and Tilly hat.... ;)

actually, usually just my jeans and maybe a button up shirt. Try to have one of my EMT t-shirts or sweat shirts underneath, gets me out of all sorts of fuzz related photo jams while shooting on the street.
 
For weddings, I'd wear what most other people are wearing.

For street, I wear whatever I feel like wearing. Mostly jeans and a shirt or tshirt. I don't let what I'm wearing affect the way I shoot or my confidence. I try not to let anything affect the way I shoot, especially people objecting to me shooting.
 
Nice slacks/pants with creases, polished leather shoes, collared shirt and stylish jacket, maybe a cravat ... and not a hair out of place!

Good enough for HCB. :D
 
Having shot about a million weddings, I always dress like a fellow guest so I blend in. As I only shoot film and no flash, I do not wish to be noticed, so I can "prowl" around.
 
I enjoy the cooling action of sweating so I dress very lightly for weddings and executive portraits, I put that in my contract and explain that if I wear a tie, I will die. I don't care if I look silly, if I am uncomfortable the photos will suck.

For the girls I usually have boxer shorts on.
 
I went to school so I do not have to shoot weddings for a living. This said, it all depends where -including in which country you happen to be. Blending in.
 
For street I wear black shirts usually. Cameras and straps seem to blend in. I tend to keep a camera off my hip and can swing it up if it's not on a wrist. The black shirt really makes the camera blend out of notice.
 
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