You have been asked- Do you really want to shoot that family or friends wedding?
Apr 16, 2018 21:57:45 #
franksfun
Loc: Bucks County PA
Did candid’s at freind’s wedding in 1970. The pro’s work failed completely. All they had were mine. In 1972 a close friend who had seen my candids asked me to do her wedding. I did it for her and her husband as a gift. Candlelight between Christmas and New Years. About 100 shots, no problems, great shots, tons of stress. After that, candids only. I shoot my candids and put a small album together and give it as a Christmas gift to the couple on their first Christmas. Always a great surprise to the couple, and their parents. When possible I would supply the negatives, but now the print files on a digital media so they can have them as well. Over the past 8 to 10 years I have done a few weddings as the only shooter, my wife being my assistant. These were done at cost or just above cost to help out family or close freinds who did not have the means to hire a pro. You can make the events a lot of fun by engaging everyone, and it is rewarding. The more serious the requirements for the shoot though, the higher the stress levels goes up. And to finish my experiences, ITS HARD WORK! You are on the go and on your feet for the better part of 10 to 15 hours, not to mention the post processing work. I will give the pros a lot of credit for what they do.
Apr 17, 2018 00:48:31 #
I am pleased to se so many responses to this thread. I know my repartee was kinda silly but as I mentioned, there are some serious undertones. I really appreciate all the opinions, pros and cons and especially some of the funny stories and even a few of the "horror" stories.
Many years ago, when I was shooting wedding in the New York City Metropolitan Area there were several very large and lavish catering establishments out on Long Island that accommodated multiple weddings in each time slot every weekend and even many during the week. On a typical Saturday night in June there could be 15 receptions ongoing at once- each in separate ballrooms. Usually when all the guests were busy eating, (stuffing their faces) and the photo ops were little to be had, all the photographers would take a break congregate in the lobby and chat, gossip, exchange "war" stories" compare their gear and schmooze and kibbutz for half an hour and then we would all rush back for the beginning of speeches, dancing and other festivities. I miss that! These current conversations are reminiscent of of that comradery.
Whenever the subject of wedding photography arises here we talk about the difficulties and responsibilities of the job, the issues of amateur or professional coverage,we hear about successes and failures and of course we talk cameras, lenses, lighting and all that fun stuff.
There are always mentions of the financial aspects- the business.
Sadly enough, for me, even in many professional circles, I hardly hear about the passion, enthusiasm and love of the job. Of course we want to preserve "good memories" and cover all the highlights but I have alwasy felt it goes much deeper that that. With today's technology, just about anyone can come up with sharp clear images and document the occasion but what differentiates "nice picture" from a "killer coverage" .Aside from the prerequisite technical and artistic talent and abilities, for me, it all starts with a compassionate mindset.
When I train wedding photographers and assistants for my staff and when I conduct seminars and workshops on wedding photography, I ask all my students to negate the term "bridezilla" from their vocabulary and hopefully from their psyche. I consider it a nasty word that negates respect and ketones the antithesis of professionalism. I don't understand where this comes from! I have been photographing wedding for over 50 years and most of the ladies are lovely! I teach my photographers that some brides are nervous, perhaps temperamental or emotional but as the professional YOU are their cameraman/woman, director, coach and confidant so you need to know how to cope with theses personalities. The same applies to everyone in the bridal party- the inlaws, the outlaws- you gotta have the people skills and saintly patience.
This monkeybusiness of lateness, lack of cooperation, and other kinds of wedding chaos can be easily avoided by careful advance planning with the couple, determining their tastes, what they are willing and now willing to do as per their photography during their weddings and getting everyone on the same page. If there is no meeting of the minds, I simply don't take on the assignment. I don't refuse a job out of resentment or dislike for the potential client. I just want them to hire someone that is more in tune with their approaches- perhaps someone that they will be happier with. A contract or a plan is meaningless unless all parties are pleased with the stipulations, the deal and the price.
My mindset- I want the bride and groom and their entire family and wedding party to look like movie stars in there wedding pictures. Sometimes the already look like movie stars and models and sometimes the do not but I am gonna try real hard. I want the simplest off the rack gown to look like something out of a high fashion magazine. I want that modest church to seem like a majestic cathedral, moms little garden to resemble the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" and the neighborhood Legion Hall to look as good as an opulent ballroom. I sometimes get to work in some awesome places with some truly naturally photogenic people but not always so I know this sounds crazy. Thing is, if you try for the impossible you will get something well above average.An old teach of mine used to say "photograph the wedding through the bride's misty eyes"! I know that sound mushey, old school, unsophisticated, maybe tacky but I never forgot that concept. Perhaps the modern bride is less sentimental but romance, elegance and emotion never goes out of style and if you can capture those moods you are a master.
The notion that folks are NEVER happy with the portraits is silly- obviously, nobody likes truly unflattering images of themselves. Thing is, that wedding photography is traditionally an offshoot of portraiture and if you know your portraiture, you can create flattering portraits people- stuff they will like and pay good money for. It's also part photojournalism so you gotta have an eye for human interaction and emotion and be fast on the trigger.
After over 5 decades of wedding photography and too many wedding that I can count, I have seen very little negative or unfortunate occurrences in my experience. Only one wedding turned into a serious drunken brawl- they did bring the police in with riot gear, there was only one call to the fire department, a few calls for the paramedics and two sad calls for the coroner's office in all those years. Only one badly hungover groom and the odd fainting bride. Family politics and altercations don't bother me- I am a good referee. I will spare y'all the gory details because they are indeed rare. Most folks are polite and especially well mannered at weddings.
There must be one of y'all out there that aspire to this lucrative and interesting profession!
Common y'all I wanna hear more of the good stories! True enough, wedding photography ain't for the faint of heart or the impatient or lazy photographer.
Many years ago, when I was shooting wedding in the New York City Metropolitan Area there were several very large and lavish catering establishments out on Long Island that accommodated multiple weddings in each time slot every weekend and even many during the week. On a typical Saturday night in June there could be 15 receptions ongoing at once- each in separate ballrooms. Usually when all the guests were busy eating, (stuffing their faces) and the photo ops were little to be had, all the photographers would take a break congregate in the lobby and chat, gossip, exchange "war" stories" compare their gear and schmooze and kibbutz for half an hour and then we would all rush back for the beginning of speeches, dancing and other festivities. I miss that! These current conversations are reminiscent of of that comradery.
Whenever the subject of wedding photography arises here we talk about the difficulties and responsibilities of the job, the issues of amateur or professional coverage,we hear about successes and failures and of course we talk cameras, lenses, lighting and all that fun stuff.
There are always mentions of the financial aspects- the business.
Sadly enough, for me, even in many professional circles, I hardly hear about the passion, enthusiasm and love of the job. Of course we want to preserve "good memories" and cover all the highlights but I have alwasy felt it goes much deeper that that. With today's technology, just about anyone can come up with sharp clear images and document the occasion but what differentiates "nice picture" from a "killer coverage" .Aside from the prerequisite technical and artistic talent and abilities, for me, it all starts with a compassionate mindset.
When I train wedding photographers and assistants for my staff and when I conduct seminars and workshops on wedding photography, I ask all my students to negate the term "bridezilla" from their vocabulary and hopefully from their psyche. I consider it a nasty word that negates respect and ketones the antithesis of professionalism. I don't understand where this comes from! I have been photographing wedding for over 50 years and most of the ladies are lovely! I teach my photographers that some brides are nervous, perhaps temperamental or emotional but as the professional YOU are their cameraman/woman, director, coach and confidant so you need to know how to cope with theses personalities. The same applies to everyone in the bridal party- the inlaws, the outlaws- you gotta have the people skills and saintly patience.
This monkeybusiness of lateness, lack of cooperation, and other kinds of wedding chaos can be easily avoided by careful advance planning with the couple, determining their tastes, what they are willing and now willing to do as per their photography during their weddings and getting everyone on the same page. If there is no meeting of the minds, I simply don't take on the assignment. I don't refuse a job out of resentment or dislike for the potential client. I just want them to hire someone that is more in tune with their approaches- perhaps someone that they will be happier with. A contract or a plan is meaningless unless all parties are pleased with the stipulations, the deal and the price.
My mindset- I want the bride and groom and their entire family and wedding party to look like movie stars in there wedding pictures. Sometimes the already look like movie stars and models and sometimes the do not but I am gonna try real hard. I want the simplest off the rack gown to look like something out of a high fashion magazine. I want that modest church to seem like a majestic cathedral, moms little garden to resemble the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" and the neighborhood Legion Hall to look as good as an opulent ballroom. I sometimes get to work in some awesome places with some truly naturally photogenic people but not always so I know this sounds crazy. Thing is, if you try for the impossible you will get something well above average.An old teach of mine used to say "photograph the wedding through the bride's misty eyes"! I know that sound mushey, old school, unsophisticated, maybe tacky but I never forgot that concept. Perhaps the modern bride is less sentimental but romance, elegance and emotion never goes out of style and if you can capture those moods you are a master.
The notion that folks are NEVER happy with the portraits is silly- obviously, nobody likes truly unflattering images of themselves. Thing is, that wedding photography is traditionally an offshoot of portraiture and if you know your portraiture, you can create flattering portraits people- stuff they will like and pay good money for. It's also part photojournalism so you gotta have an eye for human interaction and emotion and be fast on the trigger.
After over 5 decades of wedding photography and too many wedding that I can count, I have seen very little negative or unfortunate occurrences in my experience. Only one wedding turned into a serious drunken brawl- they did bring the police in with riot gear, there was only one call to the fire department, a few calls for the paramedics and two sad calls for the coroner's office in all those years. Only one badly hungover groom and the odd fainting bride. Family politics and altercations don't bother me- I am a good referee. I will spare y'all the gory details because they are indeed rare. Most folks are polite and especially well mannered at weddings.
There must be one of y'all out there that aspire to this lucrative and interesting profession!
Common y'all I wanna hear more of the good stories! True enough, wedding photography ain't for the faint of heart or the impatient or lazy photographer.
Apr 17, 2018 07:45:49 #
I like the idea of asking to tag along/be allowed to shoot with the hired hand. And be sure they hire the hand...
(UNLESS you are a professional hired hand)
My personal keeper rate at weddings is very dismal. Of course, no experience, either.
Slenderizing/good siding/beautifying - the public in general- takes a talent that is still foreign to me.
Think of all the relatives and friends, sizes and shapes, etc... then compare to people of Walmart jokes.
then you get the idea, sort of... It is very hard to do, in my opinion
(UNLESS you are a professional hired hand)
My personal keeper rate at weddings is very dismal. Of course, no experience, either.
Slenderizing/good siding/beautifying - the public in general- takes a talent that is still foreign to me.
Think of all the relatives and friends, sizes and shapes, etc... then compare to people of Walmart jokes.
then you get the idea, sort of... It is very hard to do, in my opinion
Apr 17, 2018 09:58:46 #
About five years ago, my brother got married. I've done a number of weddings professionally, and made good many at it. However, I got out of the business a number of years ago, so I now consider myself a "civilian". I go to weddings and observe, never taking even cell phone pix.
When my wife and I packed for the trip, I loaded up the car, and decided I'd take not only my D500, but an extra Speed Light and a wide/normal zoom as well. He had called me and told me he had a professional photographer. I'm good to go, though, just in case.
"Just in case" got there on the wedding day. The pro was wretchedly ill, and in the local ER. I got pressed into service. When in business, I had back-up cameras, multiple lights, etc. But, it's amazing what you can do with a single SB800, a couple of index cards, and bounce lighting.
All the old instincts and best practices were there, and I got a boatload of great photos, plus some new themes I had only read about. I created a nice album, plenty of extras, and I got a lot of complements on my work. My wife, who always worked as my second, slipped effortlessly into her previous role.
We had a ball, and still had plenty of time for enjoying the festivities. Brother and I are even closer, now.
However, I would never do a wedding for a relative, especially as a planned event. Leave it to the real professionals.
When my wife and I packed for the trip, I loaded up the car, and decided I'd take not only my D500, but an extra Speed Light and a wide/normal zoom as well. He had called me and told me he had a professional photographer. I'm good to go, though, just in case.
"Just in case" got there on the wedding day. The pro was wretchedly ill, and in the local ER. I got pressed into service. When in business, I had back-up cameras, multiple lights, etc. But, it's amazing what you can do with a single SB800, a couple of index cards, and bounce lighting.
All the old instincts and best practices were there, and I got a boatload of great photos, plus some new themes I had only read about. I created a nice album, plenty of extras, and I got a lot of complements on my work. My wife, who always worked as my second, slipped effortlessly into her previous role.
We had a ball, and still had plenty of time for enjoying the festivities. Brother and I are even closer, now.
However, I would never do a wedding for a relative, especially as a planned event. Leave it to the real professionals.
Apr 17, 2018 12:45:13 #
bthomas42 wrote:
About 45 years ago while in Florida for my wife's cousins wedding I took about 100 pictures during the wedding and reception without a flash. Just found the slides an copied them to my computer. On a recent trip to visit them I took a CD with the pictures. I turned out these where the only pictures of their wedding, The photographer the hired got drunk and none of the pictures he took where usable. They where overjoyed to finally have some pictures of their big day.
I can't help but wonder why you waited 45 years to let them see the photos. Has the subject never come up where they said they had no pictures of their wedding?
Dennis
Apr 17, 2018 13:36:42 #
bthomas42
Loc: North Ridgeville Ohio
They never mentioned it. I found the slides when going thru boxes of old slides from the 60's and 70's
Apr 17, 2018 13:39:22 #
bthomas42 wrote:
They never mentioned it. I found the slides when going thru boxes of old slides from the 60's and 70's
Thank you. I was just curious.
Dennis
Apr 17, 2018 15:35:46 #
I will photograph a family wedding for fun, but only as a guest, only as a photojournalist, and only if thereâs a true wedding pro getting paid to get the stuff the bride and her Mom wants. Thatâs my niche, and I stick to it. I stay out of the proâs way and donât copy his/her scenes or setups. I get the stuff they werenât hired to cover. I've been asked to be the photographer but I tell them this is your special day and you should pay a professional. I make a gift of my efforts after editing if necessary.
Aug 10, 2022 12:57:10 #
Aug 10, 2022 12:58:04 #
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Aug 10, 2022 13:30:26 #
Urnst
Loc: Brownsville, Texas
lamiaceae wrote:
Like Vietnam one should shout "Hell no, we wo... (show quote)
Aug 10, 2022 13:31:05 #
Aug 10, 2022 20:17:31 #
bkinnie wrote:
It all depends
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