On Thu, 03 Apr 2003 17:31:17 GMT, Gary Eickmeier <geickmei@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

>Neuman - Ruether wrote:

>> With permission (not always received), I place unmanned

>> small cameras (no lights!) in back and/or side areas

>> of the area around the altar at the walls, out of sight

>> (or with minimal sight, using flowers, fake ivy, etc.

>> for concealment) on clamps or light-stand poles AWAY

>> from the ceremony area (exception: the Jewish enclosure,

>> when possible - otherwise there is no view at all), and

>> most definitely not on the altar (table). So, where do

>> you place your camera? On top the bible, for elevation?

>> Next to the communion cup? In front of one of the candles?

>> Do you obscure the view of the cross, if any? If the

>> officiant chooses to read from the rear of the altar,

>> must he look over the camera? When blessing items on

>> the altar, is your camera included in the items blessed?

>> Does it appear, when the officiant is praying, that

>> he is praying to your camera? We want to know...;-)

>I usually ask the priest to wear a helmet-cam, and operate a glide-cam

>if he is willing. The altar boys are on the boom mikes and cranes.

Hey, wish I'd though of those, for cameras 7 and 8! ;-)

>David, this is definitely one of your silly posts. Are you thinking

>that "altar" means "altar table"? That I am putting a camera on the

>table? The altar is the entire area in front of the communion rail.

Ah - then we are in agreement on all but definition of

terms. I would call ONLY the "table" the altar...! To

do otherwise contradicts a LONG history of the term, I

think...;-)

>I

>guess you might call it "sanctuary" but I just think of it as an altar

>cam and a rear cam.

The "sanctuary" can have a wider meaning, and the altar

is specific to the "table" center-front, though calling

the front camera "altar cam" may be appropriate, even

if it is in the area of the altar (but not ON it...! ;-).

>We've been putting cameras up there for about 15

>years now. The only complications have been the First Presbyterian and

>All Saints Episcopal, which require unmanned cameras only. So we use a

>remote camera with umbilical leading to the side area.

I use concealed or partially concealed cameras in the

area of the altar, too (with permission, not always

granted - as I pointed out above...) - and whatever

is up there in front is visible in photos and my video

(in addition to being visible to the ceremony participants)

so concealment is useful. I would NEVER place an obtrusive

element up front like a manned camera (and my unmanned

ones are on thin poles and are small) unless specifically

requested to do so. This is a CEREMONY we are recording...

>How in the hell else are you going to see the bride and groom's faces

>during the ceremony?

From the side camera(s), from the rear camera(s),

from the small nearby WA camera(s) - and the couple

does turn at various points in the ceremony, especially

the main parts, like ring/vow-exchanges/kiss (see

frame-grabs of a ceremony, at:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/wedding9.html (with the

reception at:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/wedding10.html and:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/wedding11.html). I had

three cameras up front (but you don't see them...),

one near the back on the left side, and two at

the back, high above the main aisle... BTW, the

wedding clients often tell me it is better to

miss shots than to be obtrusive - I often "pick

up the pieces" from experiences often related to

me, like, "The videographers at my sister's wedding

were SO OBNOXIOUS, with those big cameras up front

with lights on, that they RUINED the wedding!"

This *is* a ceremony, religious or not (many I shoot

are not...), and care with it is more important than

"getting the shot"...