If you have been photographing weddings for a while, you know that you spend a lot of time on noisy weddings, and here is my public service announcement to please protect your ears. your quirky. All wedding photographers and filmmakers need ear protection as part of their kit for the many hours we spend sitting in front of bands and DJ speakers at volumes that are unsafe for hearing. our senses, so I’ve compiled a few options for you to consider below.
First, let me tell you about my experience through hundreds of weddings that I have photographed in the hope that it may save some of you from the mistake of not taking your hearing health seriously. When I started photographing wedding receptions, like every photographer I’ve ever met, I ignored the loud music and continued taking pictures. For the first few years, even though the music might be unbelievably loud, I didn’t feel worse when I got dressed, until one night I wasn’t. This kind of thing can happen instantly. At first it didn’t seem like a big deal, which you’d think will pass in a few hours, but tonight the ringing didn’t stop and I spent a sleepless night wondering if I had a problem. any permanent. Truth be told, since then, I’ve lived with mild tinnitus, a condition with no cure, meaning I can’t get rid of the constant slight tinnitus in my ears. While I don’t find it debilitating, I also don’t think I hear it in general now (ask my wife, ha!), especially in noisy environments. Super-quiet spaces can also be annoying. Thankfully, it hasn’t gotten worse over the years thanks to good ear protection, and most of the time, my mind adjusts to it. All that being said, please take my advice and reduce your risk, possibly with one of the four solutions below.
Four options for ear protection
ear gas
My top pick is the magnetic earplugs ear gas, which you can buy for about $35 USD and is something I use at every event I photograph. These earplugs reduce sound by about 15dB but don’t block it in a way that keeps you from hearing things, so you can still talk to people without having to take them out. They come with several adjustable tips for mounting and a metal case to toss them in your camera bag. One hundred percent, these are my favorite recommendations, and honestly, they’re so good that I often forget I’m even wearing them.
bulk disposable
In the cheap category you have foam and gel style earplugs that you can buy in bulk at the supermarket. They work great and you don’t need to keep track of them as they are disposable. However, they cut down on sound in a way that can affect your ability to hear clearly while you’re working. Easy, cheap and effective but not as convenient if you need to communicate with clients, second photographers or wedding coordinators.
Soundbrenner Minuendo
Moving up the food chain, there are earplugs for musicians, like Soundbrenner Minuendo, for around $160, takes the best parts of the Eargasm earplugs to an even more versatile and premium level. These headphones have no electronics but they do have a switch at the top that allows the user to reduce the volume of the environment to anywhere from 7dB to 25dB so you can choose how much volume you get. Pretty cool if you don’t mind the price tag, and they have the benefit of a small, black design that looks a lot like Bluetooth headphones.
AirPods Pro 2
Finally, I know at least some photographers are using AirPods Pro 2 instead of earplugs to reduce sound at events. Apple doesn’t list this as an AirPods feature, but with transparency mode and active noise cancellation, it looks like it offers at least some protection. If you already own AirPods Pro 2, I think you should give these a try and of course, you get the added benefit of all the other features of the headphones. The downside of using AirPods in my opinion is that first, there’s no design goal for the AirPods to be used as hearing protectors in noisy environments, and second, you have to charge them. I suppose something is always better than nothing, so if you have some, I would definitely give it a try.
Bonus
Apple Watch users, your watch comes with a Noise app that will warn you when you’re in areas where sound could damage your hearing. Just make sure you allow ambient sound measurements and you’ll have some warning when in an unsafe environment. Next time you’re working at the front desk, check the numbers. If your gigs are like mine, they can easily reach 100 dB, far beyond what’s beneficial for your ears.
That’s it, just a PSA from me to you that I really hope you’ll keep in mind if you’re a wedding videographer or photographer working the long weekend nights in front of the band. Remember, your ears are one and made. If you mess them up, that’s it. They will not repair themselves. This is an easy fix and cheap insurance for your future.
Final Note: I hope it’s obvious, but I’m not an expert in ear protection, Tinnitus or sound, so if you really have questions about this, feel free to check it out. your doctor’s opinion.
