mickeys Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

you are right at not wanting to do it. very nice of you to help find one for her

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

I did both my daughter's weddings. It was film then and I developed and printed them as well. They still speak to me.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

You made the right decision and I commend your resolve. Weddings are emotional and rarely is everyone happy with all the photos, but a professional has a better chance at getting most of it right and not missing the classic and composed group shots. It is NOT an easy venue to do correctly, especially without an assistant of two. There are too many variables. Unless you do wedding for aliving, it is hard to remain focused on just the wedding without second-guessing yourself on technical issues, lighting, grouping, special shots, etc.

Having said that, I took along my old trusty Canon 30D to my son's wedding 8 years ago. We had a professional and his assistant do all the requisite stuff, and I just had fun taking shots that I liked, and occasionally sneaked an over-the-shoulder shot of the pro's staged line-ups.

Well, the pro did a very poor job with lighting and compositions were mechanical, no attention to facial expressions, single shots of a large group, etc. Terrible stuff. My son and daughter-in-law were in tears. They thought $3,495 should have gotten them Bridal Magazine caliber photos.

My pictures (candids and incomplete coverage) saved the day for the bride (it is so nice to start off on the right foot with a new daughter-in -law).

But if I had to do it again, I would still hire a pro for a wedding, every time! Picking the right pro (NOT a company who contracts photogs) and looking thru his work, etc. is the best (and only) way to go for something as difficult and emotion-charged as a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) wedding.

randyreed Loc: New York

It is nice to see someone do a good deed.
you did it well and stayed out of the bulls eye.

Rader Loc: Northwest Missouri

Not sure what your family is like guess mine is closer. I shot my sisters wedding. I was just out of college I knew little understanding light and yes i did it for free. They werent great photos but they were good not great. She appreciated the job and I enjoyed doing it for her. I guess family dynamics work different for everyone

rayford2 Loc: New Bethlehem, PA

Anytime someone gets involved in a family function like this, or sells something of value to a family member it often becomes a catch-22 situation.
If you DON'T take the wedding pictures you're a bum because money was spent that could have been used for something else.
If you DO take the pictures on an amateur basis, they will never be as good as a PRO's because they weren't taken by a PRO in the family's mind.
If they come out substandard, regardless of your warnings, watch the feathers fly.
As stated previously, don't sell a car to a relative either. That's looking for trouble, been there and done it.
Best thing is to tell them you don't have a wedding lens for your camera.

pjreed Loc: Tonopah, Arizona

I wear mine when the mood fits, and I wear it where ever. I also have one that reads, "You can't fix stupid, not even with DUCT TAPE!

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

I think you made the right decision.

You should take your camera and shoot, too. I expect you will be more courteous to the pro than other guests less knowledgeable that will also be shooting away. And you'll enjoy it so much more now without the pressure.

pjreed Loc: Tonopah, Arizona

Photos for family weddings should be in the same category as lending money to family.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

(I got a call the next morning from by sister-in-law(my niece's mother)and she was hysterical. It turns out that somehow the so-called pros memory chips from "both" of her Canons somehow had gotten wet and were destroyed. All the images were lost. )...quote

Water will not harm a card. I sent one through the washing machine (both cycles) by mistake once. Left it to dry out for a couple of weeks when I discovered it, then tried it out in the camera and it worked. I'm still using it!

AVarley, you are doing the best thing for both of you. There's just too much pressure with shooting a wedding and being the bride's sister both. It would take all the fun for you out of the day. I like the suggestion from others here that advise you to take along a little point and shoot camera and just do candids just for your own fun.

Good luck with it, and I hope you have a fun day at your sister's wedding.

checkmark

Come on! Jus think of how many family members are gona be there? You could do this one thing? This will be like all dressed up and no where to go as a photographer. While they are all dressed up the things you could get them to do. I'd have to have fun with this.

lovesscrapn Loc: Wisconsin North of Milwaukee

Great advice and you don't want to spend the day behind the camera you want to celebrate this day with her!

JCook Loc: Piney Flats Tennessee U.S.A

Clint Eastwood said it best " A mans got to know his limitations"

checkmark

I vote for you at my next family get together. Well I do have a rich uncle.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

"You have to ask yourself, "Do I feel lucky today?". Well, do ya.... punk?"