Friend Wants To Do Sister's Wedding With A Nikon D7100 (Page 3): IF BIG IF.. Wedding is was outside, maybe he can pull it off, have him PLease read all these suggestions. As mentioned...

wanderingbear Loc: San Diego

IF BIG IF.. Wedding is was outside, maybe he can pull it off, have him PLease read all these suggestions. As mentioned even the Pro's with thousands of $$$$ of gear and years of experience can ALL tell you of unsatisfactory outcomes. When in the Old days of Film I have been aware of several HORROR STORIES OF CAMERA FAILURE, FOR JUST 1. ( the reason for a back up shooter) When the film was processed it was Blank. Some undetected camera glitch. This was a BIG Wedding, guests and family had come from all over. You can Never reshoot a wedding.!!!!!
In this day of Digital a better chance to capture an image. However with digital some photographers can have a wedding book done by the end the last dance. Completion is fierce out there. I know of several photographers who have drastically cut their rates and with digital they have saved hours of processing. Biggest plus he may save a relationship. So sit back and enjoy the wedding.

Bear

DoyleY Loc: Worland, Wyoming

mas24 wrote:

A friend who owns a Nikon D7100, and owns only two... (show quote)

I see the potential for a nightmare and the possible alienation of family, at least temporarily. I know I myself am not ready for such a task. This is her day, maybe someone could persuade her at least to think long and hard about it before the arrangements are set in stone.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

mas24 wrote:

A friend who owns a Nikon D7100, and owns only two... (show quote)

Tell him:

Plan, plan, and plan some more. Pay particular attention to what Gene51 said, above. You cannot have too many backups, too many notes, too many lists of what to bring, what to capture, where to be when...

A little paranoia is a good thing, if you channel it into a plan. The #1 thing to remember is that this is the bride's day. If you contribute to her and her mother's peace of mind and positive vibes, all will follow.

Best advice I can give you is to do a site survey at the time of day when the wedding will be held, to notice the light. Talk to the official performing the ceremony to learn the limits on photography during the ceremony.

If your camera has a silent shutter mode, use it.

You need gear that works, that you know how to use, and that you trust. Beyond that, it's not about the gear. It's all about planning, anticipating, knowing what the client wants, and seizing opportunities to add to that at special moments.

jmsail365 Loc: Stamford, Ct

mas24 wrote:

I told him to prepare for a long day when he does it.

A very long day and he will have to approach it like a wedding photographer would and not as a guest which isn't great if it's your sisters wedding.

Grnway Loc: Manchester, NH

Gene51 wrote:

This is an idea that if certain planets are aligned, the moon is full, and the stars are smiling, could turn out ok. However, my experience is that when an inexperienced photographer does something like this it often does not end well.

Things that can go wrong on this most important of days for a couple:

1. Gear failure. It happens. It sounds like he/she does not have backup gear, just in case.
2. Not having a contract - even if he is doing it for free, there needs to be a contract that describes a scope of work - what shots he/she is expected to get, and when the shooter is expected to deliver the proofs
3. Inexperience with gear - nothing worse than waiting for a photographer to stop fumbling around with the camera.
4. Dropped lens, left the battery in the charger, left the memory card in the card reader - it happens.
5. On the day of the wedding, the Bridezilla emerges - it happens, and unless he is a super-dooper people person, she (or her mother) will be completely unmanageable.
6. Not having a Plan B, Plan C etc - wedding party is late, it starts to rain, the wind kicks up - things you have no control over but happen nonetheless - contingency plans need to be in place "just in case" and need to be discussed beforehand.
7. A single flash and a work light will not do. Points to lack of experience. Shooter needs to be fully familiar and comfortable with low ambient light and bounce flash. Fast lenses are not the answer. You can't shoot a wedding at F1.8 - shallow depth of field will spoil a lot of the shots. Good shooting technique, even better post processing skills so that high ISO shots are not too noisy. I doubt the minister will allow you to set up a work light in the church. Many won't even let you use flash - too distracting.
8. MWACs and GWACs - moms with cameras and guys with cameras - nothing worse than having a great shot spoiled by someone's cellphone and hand right in the middle of the scene. This needs to be discussed and if the bride and groom do not agree to an "unplugged" wedding, where there will be a designated time and place to take shots of and with the wedding party and the couple, they will need to understand that your friend is not responsible for the results.
9. Not having enough batteries, memory cards.
10. Not having an assistant - I would never personally take on an assignment like this without an extra hand. Just having an extra hand to hold a pole mounted flash held by an assistant will greatly improve the results.
11. Permits - if some of the shooting will be done outside, at a park or somewhere else, a photographer will need to secure a permit.
12. Insurance - what happens if something goes wrong - you are on someone else's property - you are liable if someone is injured as a result of your negligence. Insurance is a must.
13. What happens if your friend goes out to dinner the night before the wedding, eats something that causes them to get sick and wakes up the next morning with the sluices open at each end? This speaks to contingency plans in #6.

These are some of the gotchas - all of which I have either seen happen or have happened to me.

I suggest your friend not take this on. This is too important a day. Right now, they are thinking of the money they'll save. After the wedding they may end up being really disgusted at the results, and there goes another personal relationship down the tubes. A wedding shooter has to be confident, experienced, and extremely well-organized to pull it off. And he/she doesn't get a do-over if things don't work out.

One last thing - has the couple contacted the caterer, the florist, the tailor, the reception hall, DJ/Musicians, etc to see if they will get a discount? Probably not. The couple is not placing a proper value on photographic services, and this is a red flag. They are expecting great results for free.

I cannot say it enough - your friend should not accept this. Too big a responsibility. I there is time, your friend should at the very least find a wedding photographer that is willing to take him/her on as an unpaid assistant, just so he/she can get a better sense of what is involved.

This is an idea that if certain planets are aligne... (show quote)

Bingo!

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Did your friend volunteer to do the wedding, or was he asked? There's a HUGE gap between the two. If he volunteered, he had better deliver! If he was asked, he may have a lot more leeway and there may be more forgiveness for any of the possible pratfalls on Gene's list.

I would suggest that your friend do some assisting with a pro on another wedding prior to this, if possible. Only then will he realize that the 6-8 hours of shooting is just the tip of the iceberg for a wedding shoot.

markinvictoria Loc: Victoria TX

Found out about 15 years ago...that hiring a pro doesn't guarantee great results. My daughter hired one of the best known professional photographers in this town of about 50,000 for her second wedding. She cried when she seen the photos...they were horrible. I was shooting with a cheap Fuji S5000 at the time and my photos looked much better than the ones she paid big bucks for.

cthahn

If he has never done a wedding before, DO NOT DO IT. There is more to a wedding than he or you can imagine. You need two or more of everything plus help that is knowledgeable and experienced about a wedding. A wedding is a one time event only, and can not be repeated. He is trying to be a hero by saving someone some money, and when he fails, will blame everything else but himself.

Yeti Bigtoe

If that's what the couple wants, so be it. Best would be a little help with equipment and kind words of encouragement. Not every couple has the priority of spending a gazzillion dollars for a mountain of pics only to put themselves further into debt.

oceanarrow

mas24 wrote:

A friend who owns a Nikon D7100, and owns only two... (show quote)

Done weddings over the years,very tough job,even if you know what your doing.know your equipment,have back up for everything.my wife dealt with posing and people were not allowed to slow the process down by having countless relatives take slow shots of my pose.everyone was informed before the day. Found it to be stressful and ,for me ,not worth the money.my work came out well,but one day I realized that maybe I should do only what I want to do.I did a cook book for a museum and photographed incredible art work in museums and I was never stressed.that was my calling.I guess it does not hurt for the experience ,but weddings are serious work.I thought that was something that I had to do to show that I was a true photographer.I always was a photographer,just didn't find my niche yet

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

37 years ago my wife and I were married. I wasn't into photography much then but I was taking a lot of kodachrome and ektachrome. Good friend of mine voluteered to take pictures at the church and reception, which was at my home.
I put all the pictures in an album and gave them to us.
They are our memories and I am glad I have them. It was the "personal" touch that did it.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

There are probably dozens of reasons for your friend not to do this wedding, but gear isn't one of them. The major reason to do it is that his sister asked him, and she should be reminded that he isn't a professional wedding photographer so some screw-ups are possible. Yes, the 18 - 55 mm lens may be a bit short but will get the job done (and given the venue that's probably the one he will use most); certainly the Nikon 7100 is up to the task.

He should go the the church at least several days before the wedding and check out the conditions, especially the light (amount and type) both in the church and at the reception venue, and take some test shots just to make sure he's got the camera settings all properly set with perhaps Auto-ISO @ 100-800 so he doesn't have to worry about it. He should also talk to the presiding minister and find out if he/she has any suggestions or prohibitions. I'd suggest he put the 18-55mm on the camera and leave it there through the wedding and pre- & post- activities at the church. The family is normally 'up front' so he'll have a reserved seat and cut a deal with the appropriate mother to get the aisle seat! If your friend has the knowledge and equipment to shot and process RAW, I'd recommend that too--it might salvage some less than perfect shots.

If he has no clue as to the type of pictures generally taken, reviewing some friends' wedding albums would help.

His knowledge of photography & his equipment is probably more important than prior wedding experience. I'd never shot a wedding, and wasn't "the photographer" at either my daughter's or son's wedding, ten and two years ago respectively, but I took a lot of shots at both and the majority of them came out fine. I was using a Canon 60D with the 18-135mm kit lens, but I don't think I ever had the need for the longer focal length.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

Yeti Bigtoe wrote:

If that's what the couple wants, so be it. Best would be a little help with equipment and kind words of encouragement. Not every couple has the priority of spending a gazzillion dollars for a mountain of pics only to put themselves further into debt.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I had a lens that quit working at a shoot several weeks ago. Got it fixed and its working better than I remember it ever working before. A back up lens is a great idea.

aardq

This is a lifetime event. It's not like being some where you can return to if the pic don't come out or something goes wrong. Be a good Brother and help pay for the pro. Shop around for a pro that will work with you on price. If needed, they can save some money by buying fewer pic. You can also take a lot of candids at the wedding, and the reception. Some of them can be used instead of buying the more expensive candids the pro shoots. But let the pro shoot the weeing and the family pic immediately after the wedding. The couple will thank you in 10, and20, and 40 years from now when they look at the pro's pic.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

rmalarz wrote:

Huh??? The 28~300 is all that's needed. The external flash unit will do quite well.
--Bob

Bob....This is the second time in this thread that it's been mentioned that the 28-300mm is all that is needed. I just hope that Dandelion and James Robert don't spoil the party.