Booked My Most Challenging Wedding to Date-Suggestions Anyone?
Sep 21, 2012 23:10:52 #
Hello fellow photogs! This is my first post on your forum, but I was thinking some of you may be able to offer me some advice. I booked a wedding for Dec 31, 2012 and it is an outdoor, winter wedding that doesn't start until 5:00p. (Sunset in my area is 5:15p that night. The reception is indoors in a bar, but the wedding is in a backyard. Any suggestions for some good shots? They do want to have some "urban" shots in downtown Toledo that night. All I keep thinking about is how dark and cold it will be! Am I crazy? Or do you think it will be a good challenge for me?
Any advice is appreciated! :) Thanks!
Any advice is appreciated! :) Thanks!
Sep 21, 2012 23:13:20 #
Sep 21, 2012 23:18:28 #
Great challenge, but I do not have the faintest idea how to do it.
Welcome and good luck.
Welcome and good luck.
Sep 21, 2012 23:52:00 #
I would want to find out why such an unlikely choice of timing and place was made rather than something more traditional. Having more information may be a guideline on how to approach it.
Sep 22, 2012 01:09:04 #
Sep 22, 2012 02:07:14 #
If I were tackling that kind of job I would use the Sun Surveyor app ( http://www.sunsurveyor.com/ ) onsite at the wedding location to figure out exactly where the sun would be in that 5:00 to 5:30 window and plan your shots accordingly.
It is an iPhone/iPad/Android app that uses your location to display the sun and moon positions on the current or any other date. It even has a "virtual reality" mode that overlays the sun/moon arcs onto the devices camera screen.
You can also use it to figure out where the moon will be when they want to get the street shots. If it is going to be in the sky anywhere on the shooting night you can pre-plan some locations and angles that will have the moon in the background.
Having just written the above I got curious and fired up Sun Surveyor on my Android and see that you are going to have a nearly full moon rising at about 6PM in Toledo on Dec. 31. You should be able to plan some dynamite shots with the moon shining down on the happy couple!
BTW - welcome to UHH. I'm relatively new here myself and I think I learned about Sun Surveyor in another thread here.
It is an iPhone/iPad/Android app that uses your location to display the sun and moon positions on the current or any other date. It even has a "virtual reality" mode that overlays the sun/moon arcs onto the devices camera screen.
You can also use it to figure out where the moon will be when they want to get the street shots. If it is going to be in the sky anywhere on the shooting night you can pre-plan some locations and angles that will have the moon in the background.
Having just written the above I got curious and fired up Sun Surveyor on my Android and see that you are going to have a nearly full moon rising at about 6PM in Toledo on Dec. 31. You should be able to plan some dynamite shots with the moon shining down on the happy couple!
BTW - welcome to UHH. I'm relatively new here myself and I think I learned about Sun Surveyor in another thread here.
Sep 22, 2012 06:02:56 #
oldmalky
Loc: West Midlands,England.
Hello and welcome to the site,I am unable to help on such a project as yours as i do think your mad (winter freezing cold outside,but best of luck anyway)
Sep 22, 2012 06:15:54 #
Vanis: They are going to live in the cold, so why not get married in the cold. Likely be more folks at the reception than the wedding. I can picture the bride in white standing in a foot of newly fallen snow. Might make for some interesting pictures.
If it was me, I would start practicing now. Sure the sun don't set till 7:30 ish, so get out there and do some test shooting. A white sheet hanging on a clothes line will make the bride. Experiment, play, shoot lots and look at your pictures, see what works, see what does not work. It would be really good if you could get into the yard where the wedding is going to be now, to do some testing. Keep in mind, the sun will be further south on the 30 of December than it is now.
Steve, the new guy
If it was me, I would start practicing now. Sure the sun don't set till 7:30 ish, so get out there and do some test shooting. A white sheet hanging on a clothes line will make the bride. Experiment, play, shoot lots and look at your pictures, see what works, see what does not work. It would be really good if you could get into the yard where the wedding is going to be now, to do some testing. Keep in mind, the sun will be further south on the 30 of December than it is now.
Steve, the new guy
Sep 22, 2012 07:54:24 #
If I were tackling that kind of job I would use the Sun Surveyor app ( http://www.sunsurveyor.com/ ) onsite at the wedding location to figure out exactly where the sun would be in that 5:00 to 5:30 window and plan your shots accordingly.
When you figure this out,,talk to the couple about how they are arranging the backyard for the ceremony. Would be a good discussion to have, as most people don't even consider the sun, and how it can help or play havoc with photography.
When you figure this out,,talk to the couple about how they are arranging the backyard for the ceremony. Would be a good discussion to have, as most people don't even consider the sun, and how it can help or play havoc with photography.
Sep 22, 2012 07:58:39 #
shutterbug64
Loc: Colorado
If it's really cold, keep an extra set of batteries next to your body or in a warm place. Keep your backup camera warm also. Keep a good lens cloth handy for when a lens goes from cold to warm or is it the other way around. Your bride and groom, as most are, are living in a fantasy world, they and you should be ready to tuff it up. Have a plan B for the weather. Keep the camera next to your body under a coat when not shooting. Have an assistant to help keep your stuff warm. Good luck & practice shooting in the cold. The stuff inside will be a piece of cake in comparison.
Sep 22, 2012 07:59:35 #
vanis wrote:
Hello fellow photogs! This is my first post on you... (show quote)
:) :)
Lot's of time for planning.
I'm thinking of starting specializing in divorce photography. Carve out a new niche, as the wedding field is quite crowded. Few challenges shooting outdoors, as transactions are almost exclusively outdoors - except for any divorce party, perhaps. Hand out my cards at weddings.
:)
Sep 22, 2012 08:15:56 #
I'm thinking of starting specializing in divorce photography. Carve out a new niche, as the wedding field is quite crowded. Few challenges shooting outdoors, as transactions are almost exclusively outdoors - except for any divorce party, perhaps. Hand out my cards at weddings.
:)[/quote]
Regarding your last sentence - Does the saying "Yae tho I walk in the valley of Death" mean anything. :D :D :D
:)[/quote]
Regarding your last sentence - Does the saying "Yae tho I walk in the valley of Death" mean anything. :D :D :D
Sep 22, 2012 08:54:38 #
shutterbug64 wrote:
If it's really cold, keep an extra set of batterie... (show quote)
I agree with shutterbug64's comments about keeping things like batteries warm. You have an extreme challenge here!! Not only do you have to shoot one of the hardest jobs, it will most likely be even more challenging with the addition of extreme elements. I've never had a problem going from hot to cold with equipment. However I know we've all had problems going from cold to warm. I'm guessing this thing will shift from outside to inside quickly! If it were me, I would just leave one camera inside so I can start shooting immediately and not have to worry about condensation. That outside camera will take about 30 minutes to acclimate to the warm I would think. I would really like to see some of your results. Good luck!!!!! Robert
Sep 22, 2012 09:15:07 #
I love doing night images in my location (Minneapolis)
I use a flash with a small softbox to light my subject and then drag the shutter to bring in the buildings in the background. You will need a very sturdy tripod and I would suggest a cable release.
I would do two things before the big date:
- Know your locations, have two to three locations within minutes of each other, if it is cold your subjects will look cold, have them bring jackets to keep warm until you are ready to shoot.
- Practice shoot, go out there this week at night and shoot so you know what you are dealing with.
I use a flash with a small softbox to light my subject and then drag the shutter to bring in the buildings in the background. You will need a very sturdy tripod and I would suggest a cable release.
I would do two things before the big date:
- Know your locations, have two to three locations within minutes of each other, if it is cold your subjects will look cold, have them bring jackets to keep warm until you are ready to shoot.
- Practice shoot, go out there this week at night and shoot so you know what you are dealing with.
Sep 22, 2012 09:19:35 #
saichiez
Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon
Scoutman wrote:
quote=vanis Hello fellow photogs! This is my firs... (show quote)
Yes!!
Use Video, because there IS going to be plenty of action. A still camera will likely only capture blurred images.
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