Sometimes showing up at a wedding is like a scene out of a Wild West film. You walk in the church and down the hall, staring you down, is the videographer, with his crew and entourage of equipment. It’s a showdown, and you both draw your cameras to see who can stake your territory the fastest.

While this might be a bit dramatized, photographers can attest to the tension between the video crew and the stills photographers at weddings. It’s understandable – you both want the best shot and the best lighting so you can deliver the bride and groom the best work, but the reality is you both can work together to achieve breathtaking video and stills.

We recently had the chance to sit down with Josh Rask, the videographer for Clark+Walker Studio and talk about what makes a good videographer-photographer relationship.

PP: Sometimes at weddings, you can almost feel the tension between the video crew and the stills photographers, what do you do as a videographer to help set the stage for a great wedding where the bride and groom get great video and stills?

JR: Well first of, I do get to work with a large variety of talented photographers, each with their own style and flare. And I feel as though I am in a unique position to relate to the photographer simply based on the fact that I am using the same equipment to film the wedding as they are photographing it. If I’m working with someone for the first time, it’s usually the first thing that they notice, and kind of sends the signal that we’re on the same page.

PP: The same page? What does that entail, more than just the day’s schedule I imagine?

JR: Right, it’s about the fact that I approach shooting video much like a photographer approaches shooting stills. It’s of course about the light, the details, and the flow of the day, but there are other more subtle things that make for a good video that also work for photo.

PP: That’s a good point, at the end of the day there is a lot of common ground between video and stills.

JR: Working together as opposed to taking turns with the couple really helps stage some great ideas and shots that might not have happened. What I find that is important for great video is movement, like dancing in the vineyard at sunset. That can make for great photos as well. That interacting is a fun way that expresses some of their personality, and we are interacting with them making for a great experience, and not a tug of war. It also produces very similar final products for the vision they wanted for their wedding on both formats.

PP: Let’s talk a little about the workshop video you’ve been working on with us. In a few words, how would you describe the experience?

JR: Ridiculous! I didn’t know what I was getting into! All joking aside, it was a very cool project. I have shot tons of weddings, but I was nervous the entire time for this one, trying to both make a great video for the couple and get Luke photographing and talking about shooting the wedding at the same time!

PP: Any particular crazy moments on location while you were shooting that you can share with me.

JR: During the ceremony, I’m way in the back with a long lens, getting the couple

and the environment, getting wrapped up in getting some great footage. Out of the corner of my eye I see Luke signaling to me that he was in position for a shot, that was my cue and I had to switch over to focusing on him and what he was doing photographing the wedding. I was constantly shifting gears. It helped having an additional videographer, but even then it’s a lot to keep track of and do a great job.

PP: I remember seeing the footage for the first time and thinking that this is insanity! As a photographer, you’re running around sweating to death in the summer heat, photographing a wedding and then turning to the video crew to explain why your sweating and running around to get the shot. Hats off to you, Luke and the rest of Clark+Walker for pulling this off!

JR: Thanks! It was a team effort for sure. And we can’t forget that the couple was great! Of course it was very kind of them to agree to letting us attempt this at their wedding, but they were an awesome couple to work with…period! They were very comfortable in front of all the cameras, offering expressive and natural movements. We couldn’t have done it without such a great couple who put a massive amount of trust in us.

Not only did the couple graciously allow Pinhole Pro to shoot a workshop video as their wedding was taking place, we also paid for their wedding video which was shot by the same team shooting the workshop video! This was quite the accomplishment for the crew at Clark+Walker.