For Photographers
A few fellow photographers have reached out for advice for shooting the Mass. While I do not profess to be an expert, here are some things I have learned.
What advice would you give someone just starting church photography?
Be familiar with the order of the Liturgy you’re shooting. I cannot stress this enough. I didn't realize how many gaps there were in my knowledge of the Mass until I started church photography, and I credit church photography for really solidifying my familiarity with the order of the Mass. Regardless of the Rite, regardless of the Form, you have to know the order of the Liturgy. If it's a special Liturgy with additional things like Confirmations or a procession, talk to the priest or MC beforehand about the order and pick up a booklet if they're available. Always be thinking about what’s coming next and where you want to be.
Talk to the priest and find out where you are and are not allowed to be; the last thing you want to do is be in a place that is distracting to him or anyone else in the sanctuary. Can you come all the way up to the front pew? Would he rather you stay as close to the back as you can?
If you want to shoot from the choir loft, communicate with the choir director and/or organist beforehand to make sure you won’t be getting in anyone’s way while doing so. The music director of the Oratory is a good friend of mine and never has a problem with me being up there, but I still check in before Mass if I plan to be in the loft at all. It’s common courtesy and makes it easier for me and the musicians to do our jobs with as few disruptions as possible.
Map out the church before Mass starts and figure out what places will and will not work for photography. I almost never shoot from the Gospel side because the Oratory’s eagle lectern, while beautiful, almost completely obstructs my view. Give extra consideration to what places work well for important moments of the Mass, such as the elevations and the Ecce.
Is having a photographer in the church is distracting to the people?
It seems that people are used to me walking around with a camera since it happens fairly often - and I’m also not the only photographer at the Oratory - and nobody’s ever said anything to me about it.
Be as respectful as you would be in the pew while also realizing that the same level of respect will look different when you’re in a different role. When I’m moving around the nave, I keep my eyes down or straight ahead and don’t look at or engage with anyone in the pews. I try to time major movements through the nave during the people’s transitions from one position to another. For example: if I’m kneeling in the center aisle for the elevations, I wait to get up and move until everyone stands for the Pater Noster (Our Father).
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Once people realize what you’re doing, they probably won’t think much about it for the rest of Mass. If all else fails, you will be there with the permission of the priest and can fall back on that.
How do I still pray when I'm photographing the Mass?
I have yet to find a satisfactory solution for this. The prayer-work balance isn’t new to me. I also struggled unsuccessfully to find it when doing church music regularly, though I do find it easier to balance photography and prayer than music and prayer.
Of course, all we do should be offered to God. My work as a photographer is very much a prayer, and I entrust my work to St. Veronica and my Guardian Angel before every Mass I shoot. Even so, I photograph a lot of the major feasts and solemnities throughout the year and sometimes it’s hard for me not to come away from a Mass feeling like I didn’t really honor the day properly. ​
When I have a minute, I catch up with the Propers in my Missal. This often happens during the homily. (Sorry, Canon!) I try to follow the gestures of the Mass (bowing my head at the Name of Jesus, kneeling during the Creed at the Incarnatus, etc.) while I’m shooting, and I often let those gestures take precedent over "getting the shot." I usually photograph the Ecce and then return to my pew to prepare for a few minutes before going to the end of the Communion line.
​During my church music days, I picked up the practice of going to an additional Mass that I wasn't "working." I feel less distracted in my role of photographer and don't do this frequently now, but occasionally I go to the Low Mass just to attend because I'm photographing the High Mass.