102 Part II Wedding Photography Techniques and Concepts "Hello, everyone. My name is ____ and this is ____. We are the photographers and we'll be shooting photos with you today. While we're here in the dressing room, if you want us to step outside while you change, or for any reason at all, just let us know and we'll wait outside. If we don't hear any requests to leave, we'll assume that whatever you're doing is something you want recorded in the pictures. If there are any images that contain nudity, we put them on a separate disc so the bride and groom can control who sees them." After giving a speech like this, you'll often hear a sigh of relief from the bride. It eases her ten- sion and reassures her that you are simply there to capture images of the day. If she wants pictures of herself getting dressed, that's up to her. Know what not to shoot Taking photos of children in the dressing room is an extremely sensitive area. My general rule is never photograph nude or partially nude children unless they are actively involved in a photograph that was requested and arranged by the other adults in the wedding party -- not you. For example, I once shot pictures of all the guys in their underwear at their request, and they wanted the ring bearers to be included. I can't imagine anyone complaining to me about something like that because I was simply doing what my clients requested and had nothing to do with arranging the shot. Another general rule that keeps everything safe is the swimsuit rule. If a photo will show more than what you would see if the person were in a swimsuit at the public pool, don't shoot it, unless it's the bride and she's requested that you shoot the whole process -- even if she's nude.