What is ruining wedding photography
Apr 25, 2014 08:23:50 #
The latest craze is for everyone at the wedding to "shoot away" with their iPhone cameras and instantly upload them to an app like Wed Pics. I recently attended a wedding where that was being promoted. I actually participated and must say that the process was very easy (I was simply attending this wedding). Today's bride (and young people in general) are happy with casual snapshots with friends. They don't even like posed pictures. I agree, that is what is ruining wedding photography as we know it today. The desire for hundreds of unposed snapshots. I believe some photographers have helped to bring this on. People no longer want to wait for the "official" photographer to take posed pictures for 30 minutes to an hour while all the guests wait for the reception to start. I refuse to do a wedding where the bride and groom and wedding party won't all show up early and get those group & individual pictures done before the wedding. Let's face it, the wedding business has changed and what brides want is changing. There will always be a few that want really good pictures and are willing to pay for them. Those are the ones I look for. Otherwise, I simply stay away from weddings. Not bashing anyone here...it's just my opinion after 30 years of doing weddings.
Apr 25, 2014 09:01:38 #
bkyser wrote:
I just hired a new girl under contract to be a sec... (show quote)
I did enjoy reading your post!! :) Usually skip the long ones--but this one held my interest!!!
Apr 25, 2014 09:17:16 #
chaprick wrote:
The latest craze is for everyone at the wedding to... (show quote)
Everything changes, often for the better, but not always. When I was a kid in the '50's, if you wanted to make a phone call beyond your local area you had to call the operator. It took time and often a good deal of patience. I wonder how many of today's young people have ever even spoken to an operator When my Father would pull into a service station for gas one, sometimes two men would come out to pump gas, wash the windshield, check the oil, etc. Now, not only are service stations almost extinct, but we get the pleasure of pumping our own gas. Technology continues to make it easier and cheaper for most people to do for themselves what they used to have to hire someone to do. Unfortunately, that seems to work against wedding photographers. I don't imagine the situation will get better anytime soon.
Apr 25, 2014 09:29:02 #
LFingar wrote:
Everything changes, often for the better, but not ... (show quote)
In those days, when I was sixteen, gasoline was selling for $.249 a gallon and unemployment wasn't such a big problem like it is today when service is out and the bottom line on the balance sheet seems to be pretty much all that is considered in business.
Apr 25, 2014 09:33:44 #
flyguy wrote:
In those days, when I was sixteen, gasoline was selling for $.249 a gallon and unemployment wasn't such a big problem like it is today when service is out and the bottom line on the balance sheet seems to be pretty much all that is considered in business.
Unfortunately the bottom line on those balance sheets now includes multimillion dollar bonuses for top executives. Those companies choose not to hire people to provide service, and even send jobs to other countries, just to cut costs so the executive bonus can be larger. America is in trouble and I'm afraid the majority no longer cares. It's sad.
Apr 25, 2014 09:50:07 #
chaprick wrote:
The latest craze is for everyone at the wedding to... (show quote)
The weddings where you can actually take formals before the actual ceremony are indeed a rare treat for us. I have 6 scheduled between now and the beginning of August, and out of those, only one is going to let us get the formals before the service. Not sure I'd want to turn away the other 5 like you do, though. Very interesting thought.
Apr 25, 2014 11:08:34 #
The best piece of advise I was given was to use a tripod for many of my shots, it forces you to slow down, think about the shot, composition, focus ........... you get my point.
Just this week I had a bride from 2012 who had a disaster of a photographer for her wedding, she came to me to see if I could magically make a pile of krap into a thing of beauty ........ very sad
Just this week I had a bride from 2012 who had a disaster of a photographer for her wedding, she came to me to see if I could magically make a pile of krap into a thing of beauty ........ very sad
Apr 25, 2014 11:29:35 #
bkyser wrote:
The weddings where you can actually take formals before the actual ceremony are indeed a rare treat for us. I have 6 scheduled between now and the beginning of August, and out of those, only one is going to let us get the formals before the service. Not sure I'd want to turn away the other 5 like you do, though. Very interesting thought.
I started telling brides back in the 80's that the best time to see the groom for the 1st time (and mostly visa versa) was "before" the wedding. That is when you get the intimate loving pictures. I would also tell them that it is frustrating for guests to be left waiting on pictures to be taken. Then I would tell them that I am a professional and if they wanted to use me as their photographer that is the only way I work. Most of them would go away and think about it for a while and I would say more than half came back and agreed. ALL of them said they liked it after the fact. The ones that came back truly wanted good pictures and paid a lot for them. THOSE are the weddings you want. I say weed out the others. Go for the good stuff. It works. People actually respect a business that sets rules and then insists on following them. If they don't like the rules..cut them loose. It was interesting that the weddings I did before I had rules were very stressful and people did not want to cooperate. After I started laying down rules it was like the bride started telling everyone to listen to the photographer. You should not be the doormat at a wedding. People would see the great pictures we got and word of mouth made me a very busy and successful wedding photographer. That's the way you do it!! Again...just my opinion.
Apr 25, 2014 11:34:07 #
LFingar wrote:
Everything changes, often for the better, but not ... (show quote)
I remember up to the late sixties early seventies there were still service stations that would pump the gas and check under the hood for you. But Alas that has gone the way of everything else, and as far as I know Oregon is the only state that does not allow you to pump your own gas or check under the hood.
Apr 25, 2014 11:37:44 #
I have about 20 weddings booked this season, 2 already took place. I would say half of them will do a first look :)
My prices start at $1,695 and go up to $3395. Sometimes an assistant to take care of lighting and on the $3,395 package & have a 3rd shooter for half the time.
Good money, not going to turn down the 50% who don't do a first look. I would say most of the time my picture count is somewhere between 500 - 1000 depending on if I have a 3rd shooter
My prices start at $1,695 and go up to $3395. Sometimes an assistant to take care of lighting and on the $3,395 package & have a 3rd shooter for half the time.
Good money, not going to turn down the 50% who don't do a first look. I would say most of the time my picture count is somewhere between 500 - 1000 depending on if I have a 3rd shooter
Apr 25, 2014 12:01:55 #
I do agree with you...though I don't shoot pro and never (of course) shot a wedding.
I can't imagine what kind of quality control goes into 5000 images!!
I'd rather have 100 stellar shots and 5000 garbage shots.
I can't imagine what kind of quality control goes into 5000 images!!
I'd rather have 100 stellar shots and 5000 garbage shots.
Apr 25, 2014 12:05:35 #
marine73 wrote:
I remember up to the late sixties early seventies there were still service stations that would pump the gas and check under the hood for you. But Alas that has gone the way of everything else, and as far as I know Oregon is the only state that does not allow you to pump your own gas or check under the hood.
No self-service in NJ
Apr 25, 2014 14:31:45 #
If the group shots are taken at the Wedding location I like to take the pictures after the Wedding. I get a lot more cooperation. Before it seems at least one important person does not show up on time. After the wedding they are all there. You always have two or three Aunt Millies and Uncle Bobs that show up and interrupt the session. One time I had have the bridal party go out for hamburgers. To do it afterworlds you have to put down the law beforehand that everyone will cooperate. I have an enforcer appointed by each side of the family to make sure this happens. If everyone is there I start with the large group shots and go down to the Bride and Groom and if not start with Bride and Groom and work up. Before the wedding I get candads in the dressing room and the bride and groom alone in more formal shots. I think that one thing that is hurting the wedding business is the so called photojournalism type of photography. Most people think anyone with a camera can do that. - Dave
Apr 25, 2014 18:21:18 #
strobe
Loc: Central Iowa
Two things from my own wedding:
Our wedding photographer was a member of the church my wife grew up in. She was still a member there and the wedding was held there. I don't know if it was special to us or weddings in that church or if it was in his general contract, but he guaranteed that we could get any more prints that we wanted from him for 10 years, and we did order a few later. The next clause was that after 10 years or a year after his death, which ever came first, we received the negatives. They are now safely ensconced in our lock box at the bank. We may print as many as we want, we just aren't allowed to sell them. I have no inclination to sell any of my wedding pictures anyhow. That seemed reasonable to acquire the negatives.
Back in those days, there was only 1 official photographer for a wedding, at least the weddings I went to. I brought my own camera to the wedding, planning on taking pictures, not seeing that I had a lot to do. Well as things rolled through the afternoon and toward the evening wedding things picked up. A friend of my wife's family was there and offered to do what ever was needed. After checking with my wife I handed him my camera and some film and pointed to my camera bag with extra batteries, and a bunch more film. When you wind the film back, wind the leader clear into the cassette so it can't be double exposed. Afterwards that will make it easy for me to know which ones are exposed and which ones aren't. I told him to take pictures of everything the photographer didn't take pictures of. I set the flash on auto and the F/stop to match and shutter on x/sync. All he had to do was focus. I found out later that he had Parkinson's Disease, but fortunately the strobe eliminated that as a factor. He went through several rolls of film and had a bunch of good pictures. We were delighted to have those pictures as well.
Our wedding photographer was a member of the church my wife grew up in. She was still a member there and the wedding was held there. I don't know if it was special to us or weddings in that church or if it was in his general contract, but he guaranteed that we could get any more prints that we wanted from him for 10 years, and we did order a few later. The next clause was that after 10 years or a year after his death, which ever came first, we received the negatives. They are now safely ensconced in our lock box at the bank. We may print as many as we want, we just aren't allowed to sell them. I have no inclination to sell any of my wedding pictures anyhow. That seemed reasonable to acquire the negatives.
Back in those days, there was only 1 official photographer for a wedding, at least the weddings I went to. I brought my own camera to the wedding, planning on taking pictures, not seeing that I had a lot to do. Well as things rolled through the afternoon and toward the evening wedding things picked up. A friend of my wife's family was there and offered to do what ever was needed. After checking with my wife I handed him my camera and some film and pointed to my camera bag with extra batteries, and a bunch more film. When you wind the film back, wind the leader clear into the cassette so it can't be double exposed. Afterwards that will make it easy for me to know which ones are exposed and which ones aren't. I told him to take pictures of everything the photographer didn't take pictures of. I set the flash on auto and the F/stop to match and shutter on x/sync. All he had to do was focus. I found out later that he had Parkinson's Disease, but fortunately the strobe eliminated that as a factor. He went through several rolls of film and had a bunch of good pictures. We were delighted to have those pictures as well.
Apr 25, 2014 19:04:09 #
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