Working with a Wedding Photographer is all about teamwork. Couples pay thousands of dollars to book vendors with hopes that they can all come together and work as a unit. One of the critical relationships in a wedding, well at least in my opinion, is the relationship between a photographer and cinematographer. These two vendors are the keys to a wedding because most of the time, the only memories the couple will have, after their wedding day, is the photos and film. A key sign that your wedding photographer and cinematographer aren’t working as a unit is shown in the final product. The cinematographer is normally present in a majority of the photographer’s shots, and the photographer is present in the cinematographer’s footage. Sometimes that cannot be avoided, depending on location size and rules of the venue, but most of the time this shouldn’t happen. Yes, we are all guilty of being in each other’s shots, but it shouldn’t be 45% of the shots. I have developed a few tips to help build the relationship between these two critical vendors:1) Communicate DAYS Before the WeddingIt is always a good thing to be prepared. Talk with each other before the day comes. This is a good time to decide on locations for the one on one time between the bride and groom.2) Communicate the Day of the WeddingEven if you communicate with each other before the wedding day, DO IT the day of as well, just to make sure nothing changes. The wedding timeline can change at any moment. It is critical that the photographer and cinematographer BOTH know all changes.3) Two Way Radios are Always a BenefitI recently purchased two-way radios to help me communicate with my team. I brought 3 because I also want to communicate with the photographer as well. Two Way Radios work best because it allows communication without being seen. If I need the photographer to move or vice versa, all I have to do is hit a button and speak quietly.4) Always Keep Eye ContactAlways keep good eye contact. You should never forget about each other. The minute you forget to make eye contact may be the minute you walk into someone’s frame. I am not asking you to stare at each other all night, but every now and then, glance over to make sure he or she is okay.Always remember, vendors are a team and at the end of the day, it is about providing top-notch service to the couple. Not making sure you look good! Be a team, not an I.