One of the first things most couples do when they start to plan their wedding is hire a photographer to capture memories of the special day.
While it doesn't necessarily guarantee top-notch quality, there are many couples that pay thousands of dollars to ensure that the pictures turn out perfect.
However, sometimes these once-in-a-lifetime photos can get ruined by none other than camera-happy guests who unknowingly get in the way during the big as well as those small blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, especially during the ceremony.
In 2015, Australian photographer Thomas Stewart wrote a 26,000-word PSA on Facebook in which he reminded guests to stop using their cellphones while the ceremony is underway.
"Guests with phones, iPads and cameras get right in your photographer's way," he wrote. "You're paying a photographer quite a bit of money; that means you want great photos. We cannot do our best work with people getting in our way. These same guests will get in YOUR way. You will miss moments of your own wedding day because there'll be an iPad in the way. You will miss seeing your partner's face in the aisle."
While Stewart opted to get his point across via social media, one photographer took a more aggressive approach.
A video clip from a wedding in Kentucky has recently gone viral after photographer Ashley Easterling physically made sure the bride's stepmother got out of her way while she captured the newlyweds' first kiss.
Without any context, viewers may think Easterling's behavior was odd but in that moment, it was exactly what she needed to do to successfully carry out the job she was paid to do.
"I politely asked several times for [the stepmother] to move," Easterling told The Daily Mail. "She popped off something smart... I told her I was the paid photographer, then she told me I wasn't doing my job and walked right in front of me. Nope. I'm paid to do a job, and dang- this girl is doing her job one way or the other."
When the woman wouldn't move, Easterling shoved her out of the way with a shoulder bump.
Easterling posted the video on her YouTube page and it has garnered over 135,000 views and a lot of comments praising her for acting fast.
"The photographer did well, a bit 'brutal, but did well. I'm a wedding photographer and I know what it means. LOL. Some guests are really rude and do not understand that interfering with the work of us photographers, put at risk the success of important shots, for which we are paid."
"That wedding guest was rude. It's not like the lady got up and didn't know the photographer was there but she had the nerve to walk in front of the photographer. Boy that got me heated."
"Way to go, Ashley! For your future gigs, you should ask the wedding officiant, best man, or maid of honor to make an announcement before the ceremony to make people aware that the wedding couple have hired you for their photos, and to ask guests to give you your space to work and to keep clear of the aisles and/or altar. I'm not sure if that was done for this wedding and even if it was, I wouldn't be surprised if a woman like that acknowledged and simply didn't care."
"Good job photographer💪💪💪. With all the moments she chose to cut in only during their first kiss as a married couple. Even without it being a wedding it's a very rude and immature behaviour."
"What an amazing photographer she did the right thing. I know I had to tell a group a people to place all cellphones away because they are not being paid. Great job to the great photographer."
Some viewers pointed out that the stepmother wanted to ruin the photographer's shot on purpose, judging "from the way she skipped away at the end."
On her Facebook page, Easterling shared a statement in which she said that she hopes this video can serve as a reminder to keep photographers in mind when attending weddings.
She wrote:
"My hope is that people see this and realize that it's not about them, it's not about me or whatever photographer is shooting a wedding, but about the bride and groom. They hired a professional for a reason. Please have respect for the bride and groom and the photographer. The photographer is there to do a job and they were hired by the people there that matter the most that day. The Bride and Groom.
