Wedding Photography
Oct 28, 2013 09:30:27 #
Hi Joe,
You've already gotten some very good responses. Then only thing I'll emphasis that you did not have on your list of equipemnt is flash units (the best you can afford) with a battery supply and prepare a "shot list" before the wedding. I worked from a standardized shot list that I customized with the help of the customer. You need to know who is important to be photographed besides the bride/groom. I also requested a "guide" to help me fine these "important people." A guide who isn't a drunk is a good thing as well and how you approach that subject with the cusstomer is up to you. Take care & ...
You've already gotten some very good responses. Then only thing I'll emphasis that you did not have on your list of equipemnt is flash units (the best you can afford) with a battery supply and prepare a "shot list" before the wedding. I worked from a standardized shot list that I customized with the help of the customer. You need to know who is important to be photographed besides the bride/groom. I also requested a "guide" to help me fine these "important people." A guide who isn't a drunk is a good thing as well and how you approach that subject with the cusstomer is up to you. Take care & ...
Oct 28, 2013 11:04:35 #
Specialize in Gay/Lesbian weddings. Most heterosexual photographers won't do them. Wide open market.
Probably more lucrative as Gays and Lesbians tend to be more open minded, of higher intelligence, and usually have more income to work with.
Probably more lucrative as Gays and Lesbians tend to be more open minded, of higher intelligence, and usually have more income to work with.
Oct 28, 2013 11:05:58 #
jsimp3 wrote:
Greetings everyone, br br I am needing any advice... (show quote)
Definitely go to the rehearsal to see what will happen and where.
Definitely speak to the person in charge to see if there are any rules involved, such as no flash photography, etc.
Definitely arrive early and review lighting of the church, etc.
Oct 28, 2013 11:16:07 #
jsimp3 wrote:
Greetings everyone, br br I am needing any advice... (show quote)
Rotate 4 or 8 Gb memory cards. I know a wedding/event photographer who was established on Mamiya medium format camera's. He went digital.
Shot his first "digital" wedding on a 32 Gb memory card. Card turned out bad at download and recovered NO pictures.
Fortunately, his assistant was shooting one of his Mamiya's before I bought his film gear. He now rotates 8's on ALL event photography.
Oct 28, 2013 11:28:07 #
ROCKY JA wrote:
Dear Joe br br When I started my photography busi... (show quote)
This is great advice but a little dated,(maybe twenty years). Back in the day, 2 1/4 was the preferred format to use and 120 and 220 film was the film to use. This was the wedding photo business. Today, it is the norm to shoot using a DSLR without a problem. Many use the Canon 5DII or III or Nikon D800 or 600 and edit their own work. This is the business today. Proper lighting, of course is extremely important as it was then, and as it is now.
Oct 28, 2013 11:44:29 #
You might try u-tube for some videos on the subject. When I was doing this some 25 years ago, I got two videos on the subject that helped me a lot. One thing I always did was seek the unusual photos and took many of the people attending, coming in and at the reception. I did both video and still. I quit doing this because I got tired of it and in the last video I did, my video equipment failed, but gave no indication it had failed. I got the wedding but only a little of the reception. It took the manufacture 6 weeks to fix my equipment, but I could never trust it again.
Oct 28, 2013 12:05:24 #
I will speak from the perspective of the officiant. Be prepared when he/she says "no flash" during the ceremony. If flash is allowed do not be the one photog who distracts the ceremony and that officiant uses this experience as reason to not allow flash. I do not allow flash when I offiate weddings inside. That flash is very distracting and affects the vision of all attending.
Oct 28, 2013 12:06:37 #
You have a lot of good suggestions here, the best suggestion I see is get some help from an experienced person.
Visit the site several times ahead of time at the same time of day you will be shooting and shoot some images.
Make a list of the shots you absolutely need.
Put the 24-70 lens on one camera and the 70-200 on the other.
bring extra chips and batteries, for flash and camera. And again get some help.
Visit the site several times ahead of time at the same time of day you will be shooting and shoot some images.
Make a list of the shots you absolutely need.
Put the 24-70 lens on one camera and the 70-200 on the other.
bring extra chips and batteries, for flash and camera. And again get some help.
Oct 28, 2013 12:07:24 #
Oct 28, 2013 12:08:21 #
Oct 28, 2013 12:41:57 #
bigshot wrote:
Definitely go to the rehearsal to see what will happen and where.
Definitely speak to the person in charge to see if there are any rules involved, such as no flash photography, etc.
Definitely arrive early and review lighting of the church, etc.
Definitely speak to the person in charge to see if there are any rules involved, such as no flash photography, etc.
Definitely arrive early and review lighting of the church, etc.
Rehearsals are often in the evening. Weddings are often in the afternoon. Don't wait until the rehearsal to review the lighting in the church; same applies for the reception site. Go there NOW to see what the light is like during the same time of day as the event. And like everybody else involved in that day, check the weather forecasts. Crummy weather means crummy light. Is your light stand or shooting position going to end up being at the same place where the buffet gets set up? What is the customer's "rainy-day" backup plan? Good luck! You'll need it.
Oct 28, 2013 14:01:03 #
A wedding is no place to practice or make a 'learning experience'. Even without a written contract, it carries a large measure of accountability. If you do agree to produce a certain result, you are bound, and getting anything after is extremely expensive and near impossible.
A one time shot requires confidence first and backup people and equipment to see your promise through. Your first undertaking will be one of the greatest challenges. Plan each part of the day and walk through it in your mind photographing it. How many people, where, what conditions, shots to be taken, poses of couples and groups, and the best logical sequence to do it in. When you pull it off and succeed you will have praise, joy, money, friends, and wonderful history to reflect back on. I wish you the best.
A one time shot requires confidence first and backup people and equipment to see your promise through. Your first undertaking will be one of the greatest challenges. Plan each part of the day and walk through it in your mind photographing it. How many people, where, what conditions, shots to be taken, poses of couples and groups, and the best logical sequence to do it in. When you pull it off and succeed you will have praise, joy, money, friends, and wonderful history to reflect back on. I wish you the best.
Oct 28, 2013 21:36:10 #
jsimp3 wrote:
Thanks Charles for the for the advice. I have had the opportunity to assist as a second shooter on two occasions, as medium sized weddings. On those occasion I did not deal directly with the client, and I wasn't responsible of the entire shoot. Actually
I wasn't looking for this job
it sorta found me. I will do all the research I can.
Thanks for the council.
Thanks for the council.
Your welcome. Now that I think about it Rocky is right on with his recommendations. Have attended many weddings over the years and without a doubt the best photographs were done with something other that a 35, usually medium format. Question is, which came first, chicken or egg. Of course, good wedding photos can be taken with 35/DX/FF cameras but Rocky to me is right on.
Oct 28, 2013 22:32:44 #
I'm not sure how much time you have between now and the wedding but if you have committed to this event I would suggest you check and see if you have a local camera group, find someone who has or is doing wedding photography and offer to shoot as a second at no charge and learn while you get the rest of the wedding shots for te primary photographer.....their is much more to photographing a wedding than you can imagine....and for $500 it would be 800-1000 shots and on a DVD ...maybe
Oct 28, 2013 22:38:22 #
jsimp3 wrote:
Greetings everyone, br br I am needing any advice... (show quote)
do you have any idea what the bride is looking for? budget has nothing to do with this, is she looking for those images plastered all over pinterest? if so can you deliver that quality? is your friendship worth $500 if you fall short?
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