Software to correct in raw/ camera equipment for weddings (Page 2): Now, tell them what you really think... :lol: wait, I have a question :hunf:...

Johnny Loc: Shreveport, La

sinatraman wrote:

Excuse me I do not mean to be harsh but if you have to ask what RAW is you are no more qualified to be a wedding photographer than you are qualified to lead Seal Team six in a commando raid. You want to learn to do weddings then GO TO SCHOOL. AT THE VERY LEAST SIGN up for the New York Institute of Photography correspondence course.They have a whole unit on wedding photography, and by the time you are done you will know what raw is and what cameras (as in plural or more than one body) and other equipment you will need. If you cover a wedding and your camera breaks or an accident occurs and you dont have a back up body the wedding party is SCREWED and you will get sued and have a bad reputation. This is the most important day in a couples life and since there is no second chances the photographer has to be competent. This is someones wedding, it should not be trusted to someone who doesnt know what he/she is doing. This is not a learning expierence for you to make a few bucks. There is a reason it is called PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. Just because I own a car doesn't make me a professional NASCAR driver, just because I own a toolbox full of craftsman tools doesnt make me a professional auto mechanic and just because I have a camera doesn't mean I am a professional photographer. Sorry to be so harsh but it really pisses me off that the guys and gals who put in the time to be trained properly, invested in the proper equipment, and whose livelhood depends on wedding photography are being undercut by every tom dick and uncle floyd with a cannon digital rebel one lens and no clue. You want to learn wedding photography? call around to any professional photographer that does weddings see if he is hiring for an assistant. tThats the best hands on training you can get. If they arent hiring offer to work for free. You still will be getting a first rate education on wedding photography for free. No I am not a wedding photographer. My dad was a professional photojournalist who did weddings on the side. but since he graduated from brooks institute of photography he knew what he was doing. I saw what crap he had to put up with and wanted no part of it.

Excuse me I do not mean to be harsh but if you hav... (show quote)

Now, tell them what you really think... :lol: wait, I have a question :hunf:

Hiskid.58 Loc: Erie, PA

My priority suggestion is that you go to your local library and check out as many current digital wedding photography books that you can find. There are quite a few that explain equipment, posing, software etc. Lens questions are tough because it matters what camera you have. If you have a cropped sensor, you will need one set of lenses, if you get a full frame sensor, then your lens selection will be different. Basically you need wide angle for group shots, a normal lens for the normal shots, a portrait lens, a short and medium telephoto. I use a Canon 40D (1.6 cropped sensor), an 18-50 f2.8, a 28-105 f4-5.6, and a 70-200 f2.8. As for selecting a flash, get the best one you can afford. I use the Canon 580 flash with an off-camera chord and a Stroboframe camer-flip bracket. I also use flash diffusers. Another thing that's not necessary but great to have is an external battery pack. There is a lot of software out there for working with raw files. If you already have Photoshop, you really don't need another one. It will do all you need.

Hiskid.58 Loc: Erie, PA

I am one of the photographers who supposedly undercuts the pros. The people I do weddings for would not have anything more than friends snapshots if it weren't for me (or others like me). There is absolutely no way they could afford $1000's for their wedding photos. I've heard all the arguments about paying for receptions, dresses, etc. but can't spend for a photog, but that's our American priority. Large splendid wedding and start our life together in major debt. Kind of sad, but the reality. If I can help a couple out and I'm pretty sure they really can't afford the bug bucks, I'll do their wedding. I usually only do about 4/year.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Hiskid.58 wrote:

I am one of the photographers who supposedly under... (show quote)

:thumbup: All good by me.

VCheriyan

Hey Sinatra. You sound like a FRUSTRATED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER!!!! Maybe you need to take some classes in Photography Sales Class!!!

VCheriyan

Hi Hiskid. Thank you very, very much for answering my question unlike Sinatra who did nothing but critisize and gave no intelligent answer. Your advice on the equipment to buy is exactly what I was looking for. I wish you all the best in your work as a wedding photographer and lets put all the so called "PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS" (Sinatra and others alike) to think again. There are amateurs like us who can give people what they want at a cheaper price and good quality.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

trishrose wrote:

Daniel, also to you "well said". It's no... (show quote)

:thumbup:

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

Well - let me join the chorus. Even though friends/family or whoever asks you to take their wedding pictures doesn't mean you have to say yes. I have over 30 years of experience and yet when asked to do a wedding I decline and tell the folks best to get someone who knows how to do wedding photographs. My expertise is landscape and wildlife but that doesn't mean I am a good wedding photographer. Canon cameras come with photo editing software - Nikon does not, they make you buy it. Also, at the least you will need at least two bodies and two lenses, a very good flash, filters and light reflectors to do it right.

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

Hiskid.58 wrote:

I am one of the photographers who supposedly under... (show quote)

Good for you hiskid.
:thumbup:

brandy sanders Loc: louisiana

ok well i am not even near being a pro and i was asked to do a wedding for one of my daughters friend. she told me she hired someone to photograph her wedding and then they told her they could not make it. well the other shooter showed up during the reception and that all she shot. the had a teenager shoot the wedding till she gotoff of work. i told her i would do it and i did. my photos were good but i dont think they were great. most of you know how it is with people, the more you have the more bad faces you can get. she was very happy with the photos because if i wasnt there she would not have any. so that, i guess, was my wedding gift to her. sometimes you a not so pro to shoot for you with managable results.

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

VCHERIYAN- I shoot with a canon 20d-love it-wish i had a second-really wanting a canon 5d to go along with it. Yes, weddings are hard-you do need two cameras so your not changing lens constantly, but you can make it happen and get great shots with a couple of lens and one camera. Qould definitely be much easier with two or even two people shooting would be better, but it is what it is, and if you absolutely love what you do, you can manage with the one camera. You WILL be extremely exhausted trying to be at 10 places at one time to get those shots you want to make. Make your list ahead of time and remember those shots, but also get those unexpected ones. Have a tripod for those posed family shots, and a monopod for thoseshots you still need to take having your arms feel like they're about to fall off, equipment is heavy. Think about your shots and fill your frames, lots of close ups. The more you think about your shots when taking them, the less post processing you will have to do. If I had to spend 16 hours of editing photos, as someone mentioned above, that would tell me, I'm not very good at what I do. Just my opinion. Have extra batteris for SURE and even an extra flash card. Happy shooting! The more you do, the better you get. And if someone trust you enought to ask you to shoot thier wedding, always let them know your experience and that your not a PRO, but you LOVE what you do. :)))

henrycrafter Loc: Orem Utah

sinatraman wrote:

Excuse me I do not mean to be harsh but if you have to ask what RAW is you are no more qualified to be a wedding photographer than you are qualified to lead Seal Team six in a commando raid. You want to learn to do weddings then GO TO SCHOOL. AT THE VERY LEAST SIGN up for the New York Institute of Photography correspondence course.They have a whole unit on wedding photography, and by the time you are done you will know what raw is and what cameras (as in plural or more than one body) and other equipment you will need. If you cover a wedding and your camera breaks or an accident occurs and you dont have a back up body the wedding party is SCREWED and you will get sued and have a bad reputation. This is the most important day in a couples life and since there is no second chances the photographer has to be competent. This is someones wedding, it should not be trusted to someone who doesnt know what he/she is doing. This is not a learning expierence for you to make a few bucks. There is a reason it is called PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. Just because I own a car doesn't make me a professional NASCAR driver, just because I own a toolbox full of craftsman tools doesnt make me a professional auto mechanic and just because I have a camera doesn't mean I am a professional photographer. Sorry to be so harsh but it really pisses me off that the guys and gals who put in the time to be trained properly, invested in the proper equipment, and whose livelhood depends on wedding photography are being undercut by every tom dick and uncle floyd with a cannon digital rebel one lens and no clue. You want to learn wedding photography? call around to any professional photographer that does weddings see if he is hiring for an assistant. tThats the best hands on training you can get. If they arent hiring offer to work for free. You still will be getting a first rate education on wedding photography for free. No I am not a wedding photographer. My dad was a professional photojournalist who did weddings on the side. but since he graduated from brooks institute of photography he knew what he was doing. I saw what crap he had to put up with and wanted no part of it.

Excuse me I do not mean to be harsh but if you hav... (show quote)

You are absolutely right. I am more than 40 years intothe business. I have done more than a few weddings. I tend to rage at the beginners who think that the untrained eye is competent.
It seems that the majority are looking for instant gratification.
My advice is get off the ego trip and get educated.

VCheriyan

trishrose--thank you very, very much for the sound advice. Your words of wisdom and encouragement are amazing!!! I understand it is a tough job but with my will and enthusiasm I am confident I can succeed.
I wish you all the best in your endeavor!!

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

VCheriyan wrote:

trishrose--thank you very, very much for the sound advice. Your words of wisdom and encouragement are amazing!!! I understand it is a tough job but with my will and enthusiasm I am confident I can succeed.
I wish you all the best in your endeavor!!

:thumbup:

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

Henry and Sinatra, I'm not trying to argue with anyone, right or wrong. I'm just saying that 40 years ago, before you went to school and got formally trained in photography, surely, you picked up a camera and took pictures of someone or something. That moment is what made you decide you enjoyed photography and wanted to pursue it. Did you NEVER accept an offer to take someone's picture who thought you were good enough, before you finished school? Excitement from the ones who see your work is what excites one to do even better.I dont think people are begging to shoot weddings because they want to screw it up for couples, those couples saw photos that that person has taken, and asked that person to do photos for them. They know there is always a chance for something not to go well, even with professionals, there are problems, If they're asked and they have the confidence to do it, then wow, fantastic! Just my opinion again, but we're not doing brain surgery here, so I don't think eveybody who is asked to do photos for someone else, has to be professionally trained. Some people have natural talent and some who are schooled really dont have that natural talent. Alot of people go to school for alot of different things, but it doesn't always make them a PRO. I hired a PRO for my daughters wedding-what I got was 4000 shots that weren't worth much-so there you go. Sometimes a PRO is over rated in more professionals than we can imagine. Everyone have a great day and keep inspiring others to follow dreams. If I think I can do a good job for someone when asked, wheather its photos, baking a cake, working on a car, or WHATEVER ELSE, if I think I can do, even without school, More power to me!