Smoke and my last wedding.
Sep 5, 2017 00:53:54 #
I just shot my last wedding. I may shoot some renewals but no more regular weddings. The one thing i just saw and its pretty neat, photographers are using colored smoke bombs as a back drop for bride photos. Some i loved, have any of you seen this or done it?
Why my last wedding , though i charge a few thousand , by the time i get brides to fill out my shot lists, choose firxt look spots, tell me where they want phots taken afterwards, then take time to look at that spot, usuall^y a local park. then the day of, they want shots of hair, makeup dressing, etc, then first look , the church, then local park , reception , its a whole day , the one i just did was almost 11 hours. then a week of editing, then a few more days of editing the co shooters pix. Then arranging albums and enlargments, i may take in 2500 bucks buf when you add up the hours , im not making much per hour. Then im constantly being under bid by these guys with entry level cameras , kit lens , no idea what DOF means . They shoot a few weddings , then never get called again ,they vanish and there is anither guy right behind them. And dont get me started on the co shooter, he was last minute . The woman that works with me had a last minute emergency. The guy talked the talk but missed the first kiss on the alter, no shots of brides mother coming down isle. Brought his own car but was late to the reception, i dont need the money, i dont need the aggrivation so , im done.
Shooting birds and animals and dogs in pounds waiting for a home is more fun.*
Why my last wedding , though i charge a few thousand , by the time i get brides to fill out my shot lists, choose firxt look spots, tell me where they want phots taken afterwards, then take time to look at that spot, usuall^y a local park. then the day of, they want shots of hair, makeup dressing, etc, then first look , the church, then local park , reception , its a whole day , the one i just did was almost 11 hours. then a week of editing, then a few more days of editing the co shooters pix. Then arranging albums and enlargments, i may take in 2500 bucks buf when you add up the hours , im not making much per hour. Then im constantly being under bid by these guys with entry level cameras , kit lens , no idea what DOF means . They shoot a few weddings , then never get called again ,they vanish and there is anither guy right behind them. And dont get me started on the co shooter, he was last minute . The woman that works with me had a last minute emergency. The guy talked the talk but missed the first kiss on the alter, no shots of brides mother coming down isle. Brought his own car but was late to the reception, i dont need the money, i dont need the aggrivation so , im done.
Shooting birds and animals and dogs in pounds waiting for a home is more fun.*
Sep 6, 2017 10:15:57 #
Hi Bdk,
I started my own wedding photography business in 1965. I operated alone the first two years and experienced many of the time consuming frustrations you described in your post. I was then offered a chance to sub-job weddings for the local studio. It was still a long day shooting the wedding and paid less but eliminated all the before and after work.
I gave up wedding photography when we started our family and began photographing our children growing up. I still photograph our grandchildren for enjoyment. The technology has changed but your post shows that many of the frustrations in wedding photography still exist today. I enjoyed reading it and reflecting on the old memories it brought back.
John
I started my own wedding photography business in 1965. I operated alone the first two years and experienced many of the time consuming frustrations you described in your post. I was then offered a chance to sub-job weddings for the local studio. It was still a long day shooting the wedding and paid less but eliminated all the before and after work.
I gave up wedding photography when we started our family and began photographing our children growing up. I still photograph our grandchildren for enjoyment. The technology has changed but your post shows that many of the frustrations in wedding photography still exist today. I enjoyed reading it and reflecting on the old memories it brought back.
John
Sep 6, 2017 11:09:49 #
BKD, in regards to your last wedding that is a personal choice we all have to make. I may hit a wall one of these days, but I don't do that many per year. In regards to the smoke, I am interested in seeing some examples. I was so impressed with some images from another site using Atmosphere Aerosol I bought four cans of it.
Sep 6, 2017 14:25:25 #
I have often said and written that “wedding photography is not for the faint of heart, the lazy photographer or the impatient shooter. I love and enjoy wedding photography but I never said it is fun”- it ain't fun- it's downright hard work! We are working when others are playing- and some folks play real hard at celebrations. We are practicing technological science and creating art under time constraints and oftentimes less than ideal conditions and it could be physically taxing work.
Wedding photography is one of those jobs that requires some degree of emotional involvement with our clients and what the are experiencing on the wedding day and yet we must maintain an air of calmness and professionalism throughout. Personally, I have been more tired and and psychologically “drained” after a long wedding assignment than after a long day of hard physical strain but there is also a good feeling of accomplishment for a good job “under my belt” and that gets my enthusiasm going for the next job at hand. It's also the kind of job that can't be done well if the photographer begins to loose enthusiasm and love for the work and the challenges that it presents. Negatives attitudes reflect directly in the results and that's when it's time to pack it in! If you “don't need it” and don't like it, why do it? It ain't fair to yourself or your clients!
From the very beginning of my career, I have always considered wedding photography as a potentially lucrative, profitable and money-making BUSINESS. With that in mind, I had to make certain that all of my investment of time, and effort in each and every wedding assignment was intrinsic in my fees. This requires a solid business plan and a price schedule that reflects all of my expenses, costs of sales and my own remuneration, otherwise, simply stated, it just doesn't pay! Surely, working hard and long for a small pittance is a fast track to a negative attitude.
I have been it this business for a very long time and I have seen a lot of difficult situations go down- the stuff wedding photographer complain about; uncooperative clients, shooting schedules going totally off track, lateness and tardiness by clients and staff members, inapt second shooters and assistants, equipment failures problems getting paid, disgruntled brides...a long list of bad stuff! Well folks- bad things, unexpectedly and accidentally, sometimes happen to good folks but in the majority of COMPLAINTS, I find hat most of these problems that befall wedding photographers are SELF INFLICTED! Theses difficulties arise as a result poor planning and bad management.
I can't tell anyone around here what to do, I can only SHARE with y'all what I do to preclude difficulties. I have no complaints and have not had an unreasonably troublesome wedding in years- decades- eons!
Regardless of what mode of coverage my clients prefer; formal, photo-journalistic or USUALLY a mixture of both, I plan with them, very precisely as to exactly what level of cooperation THEY will have to invest. If I can not secure that cooperation, I simply won't take on the job! Why should anyone make a job harder than it has to be?- it's a formula for failure! When everyone is on the same page, things go well. Of course, there can always be a glitch that has to be circumvented but that comes with the territory. I have NEVER had to get into an unpleasant client relationship or an altercation at a wedding. I have NEVER had a real quarrel with the clergy, the videographer, the catering staff, the guests or the amateur photographers- it's all in the planning! There is always a “Plan B”! I can philosophize my head off but it boils down to a simple rule- “pissing off other folks- other photographers, guests, staff whom ever we encounter at weddings never works out well and always backfires! Planning and diplomacy works best!
STAFF- When I started out in the business, my first boss and mentor said this to all of his photographers, assistants and trainees- it went something like this: “If you are ever a NO-SHOW or late to a wedding, I will come to you house, under the cover of darkness and murder you in your sleep”! Well- the police take a dim view of that, but I still tell my rookies the same story. The only excuse for a no-show is DEATH or totally debilitating sudden illness. If you have the flu- you get to the job anyway until a replacement is dispatched! Assistants and second shooters have to be trained, known to be reliable, able and sober and the need to be well paid.
SMOKE? I am elated that all of the reception venues around my city no longer allow smoking. Used to be that one can suffocate from all of the secondhand smoke at parties! “Smoke-bombs” at weddings? Not sure- don't know! On commercial jobs in my studio, we use smoke machines- they use harmless oil smoke fluids. Well- they use sparklers, the DJs have strobe lights so why not colored smoke? I don't know if would want to set off such a device at a wedding- sounds interesting- I'll do the research! Hey, some folks think it is distracting to use flash at a wedding...SMOKE??? OK- got it- I just Googled it on my phone- they have commercially available “Smoke Grenades” in all kinds of colors- for TV, film, theatrical and photography use. At the studio, I use white smoke and trans-illuminate it with back-lights with colored gels- you can't shoot flat light directly through smoke as the light will reflect off the smoke back into the lens. I don't know if colored smoke would be messy or harmful. See I gotta learn something new every day!
I don't know If I am gonna put in an order for some smoke bombs before my next wedding. Imagine flying to a destination wedding with smoke bombs in you gear- “What are theses “grenades” in you luggage sir”?... says the security guy! Well, you say, “they are smoke BOMBS”! You gonna have some explaining to do!
So...Sadly, many good things come to an end. For me, I figure I have about two more wedding seasons before I totally retire form the wedding aspect of my business and let the rookies take it over- that's why I have been training them. I am now 73 yours old but I am a tough old geezer and can still move relatively fast despite the aches and pains that come with age. I do work with a crew to take some of the strain off.
I always joke that if I were to come to my untimely demise in the midst of a wedding ceremony, at a church or synagogue, that would be handy. They could knock off the funeral right on the spot and carry on with the party! My second shooter could pinch hit- he or she is well trained!
With kindest regards, Ed
Wedding photography is one of those jobs that requires some degree of emotional involvement with our clients and what the are experiencing on the wedding day and yet we must maintain an air of calmness and professionalism throughout. Personally, I have been more tired and and psychologically “drained” after a long wedding assignment than after a long day of hard physical strain but there is also a good feeling of accomplishment for a good job “under my belt” and that gets my enthusiasm going for the next job at hand. It's also the kind of job that can't be done well if the photographer begins to loose enthusiasm and love for the work and the challenges that it presents. Negatives attitudes reflect directly in the results and that's when it's time to pack it in! If you “don't need it” and don't like it, why do it? It ain't fair to yourself or your clients!
From the very beginning of my career, I have always considered wedding photography as a potentially lucrative, profitable and money-making BUSINESS. With that in mind, I had to make certain that all of my investment of time, and effort in each and every wedding assignment was intrinsic in my fees. This requires a solid business plan and a price schedule that reflects all of my expenses, costs of sales and my own remuneration, otherwise, simply stated, it just doesn't pay! Surely, working hard and long for a small pittance is a fast track to a negative attitude.
I have been it this business for a very long time and I have seen a lot of difficult situations go down- the stuff wedding photographer complain about; uncooperative clients, shooting schedules going totally off track, lateness and tardiness by clients and staff members, inapt second shooters and assistants, equipment failures problems getting paid, disgruntled brides...a long list of bad stuff! Well folks- bad things, unexpectedly and accidentally, sometimes happen to good folks but in the majority of COMPLAINTS, I find hat most of these problems that befall wedding photographers are SELF INFLICTED! Theses difficulties arise as a result poor planning and bad management.
I can't tell anyone around here what to do, I can only SHARE with y'all what I do to preclude difficulties. I have no complaints and have not had an unreasonably troublesome wedding in years- decades- eons!
Regardless of what mode of coverage my clients prefer; formal, photo-journalistic or USUALLY a mixture of both, I plan with them, very precisely as to exactly what level of cooperation THEY will have to invest. If I can not secure that cooperation, I simply won't take on the job! Why should anyone make a job harder than it has to be?- it's a formula for failure! When everyone is on the same page, things go well. Of course, there can always be a glitch that has to be circumvented but that comes with the territory. I have NEVER had to get into an unpleasant client relationship or an altercation at a wedding. I have NEVER had a real quarrel with the clergy, the videographer, the catering staff, the guests or the amateur photographers- it's all in the planning! There is always a “Plan B”! I can philosophize my head off but it boils down to a simple rule- “pissing off other folks- other photographers, guests, staff whom ever we encounter at weddings never works out well and always backfires! Planning and diplomacy works best!
STAFF- When I started out in the business, my first boss and mentor said this to all of his photographers, assistants and trainees- it went something like this: “If you are ever a NO-SHOW or late to a wedding, I will come to you house, under the cover of darkness and murder you in your sleep”! Well- the police take a dim view of that, but I still tell my rookies the same story. The only excuse for a no-show is DEATH or totally debilitating sudden illness. If you have the flu- you get to the job anyway until a replacement is dispatched! Assistants and second shooters have to be trained, known to be reliable, able and sober and the need to be well paid.
SMOKE? I am elated that all of the reception venues around my city no longer allow smoking. Used to be that one can suffocate from all of the secondhand smoke at parties! “Smoke-bombs” at weddings? Not sure- don't know! On commercial jobs in my studio, we use smoke machines- they use harmless oil smoke fluids. Well- they use sparklers, the DJs have strobe lights so why not colored smoke? I don't know if would want to set off such a device at a wedding- sounds interesting- I'll do the research! Hey, some folks think it is distracting to use flash at a wedding...SMOKE??? OK- got it- I just Googled it on my phone- they have commercially available “Smoke Grenades” in all kinds of colors- for TV, film, theatrical and photography use. At the studio, I use white smoke and trans-illuminate it with back-lights with colored gels- you can't shoot flat light directly through smoke as the light will reflect off the smoke back into the lens. I don't know if colored smoke would be messy or harmful. See I gotta learn something new every day!
I don't know If I am gonna put in an order for some smoke bombs before my next wedding. Imagine flying to a destination wedding with smoke bombs in you gear- “What are theses “grenades” in you luggage sir”?... says the security guy! Well, you say, “they are smoke BOMBS”! You gonna have some explaining to do!
So...Sadly, many good things come to an end. For me, I figure I have about two more wedding seasons before I totally retire form the wedding aspect of my business and let the rookies take it over- that's why I have been training them. I am now 73 yours old but I am a tough old geezer and can still move relatively fast despite the aches and pains that come with age. I do work with a crew to take some of the strain off.
I always joke that if I were to come to my untimely demise in the midst of a wedding ceremony, at a church or synagogue, that would be handy. They could knock off the funeral right on the spot and carry on with the party! My second shooter could pinch hit- he or she is well trained!
With kindest regards, Ed
Sep 8, 2017 18:40:35 #
Thats funny carrying smoke grenades on a plane. I can see the news now UHH member arrested for carrying incendiary device on plane. The attempted hijack was thwarted by a quick thinking TSA agent who just happened to wake up from his nap at the right moment. News at 11
Sep 13, 2017 17:07:44 #
They are easy to come by, just go to a paintball supply store. One of the best ways to use them is to backlight the smoke.
Was going to do that yesterday. Had a girl that is a nut for superhero movies/comic books, etc. She wanted to do a shot in front of a very gothic building downtown. We met down there, only to find out that the building she had chosen was our federal courthouse (the county one would have been just as bad) anyway, I quickly spoke to the security guard, and he politely suggested that if I didn't want to be arrested, we needed to not do the smoke shots.
I may have to do them somewhere else later. It was super windy, so it probably would have disbursed very quickly and not been as "cool" as I had envisioned. Using smoke downtown is not a good idea. A smoke bomb in front of a federal building......yeah....not this guy HA
bk
Was going to do that yesterday. Had a girl that is a nut for superhero movies/comic books, etc. She wanted to do a shot in front of a very gothic building downtown. We met down there, only to find out that the building she had chosen was our federal courthouse (the county one would have been just as bad) anyway, I quickly spoke to the security guard, and he politely suggested that if I didn't want to be arrested, we needed to not do the smoke shots.
I may have to do them somewhere else later. It was super windy, so it probably would have disbursed very quickly and not been as "cool" as I had envisioned. Using smoke downtown is not a good idea. A smoke bomb in front of a federal building......yeah....not this guy HA
bk
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