Here are some photos from my first wedding that I shot at the weekend. For a long while I have been hoping to start shooting weddings, but just never had the opportunity arise without advertising myself. I was recommended to a couple via a mutual friend who had previously worked as a hair stylist on a fashion shoot I photographed. I was very nervous in the morning, but had got to know the clients fairly well at meetings so felt fairly relaxed as I started to documenting there special day.
Below are some images from the day, I am yet to show the Bride and Groom - any comments welcome
They are not bad. The shots themselves are really nice for a first wedding for sure. I would just keep refining your processing. You will find that most established wedding shooters (or any shooters for that matter) have a very particular processing style. Your pictures are not processed bad...they just could be better.
Great job posting and having the guts to step in the critique ring!
I'll second what Doug said...not bad at all, but the processing leaves me feeling a bit flat. The client will no doubt love the content though.
A couple of specific things... Keep working to include a range of focal lengths into your coverage. A lot of the shots from the ceremony seem to be quite "safe" in terms of focal length. Get in tight for some emotional close ups, and get wide for some location / scene setting shots.
Be careful when posing groups on a diagonal. Your DOF will never cover such a large group and have everyone in focus. Looks like you were shooting that one (#16) in a hallway and had no option to shoot them in a line, so next time bunch them together in small groups/clusters. Group shots that look like police line-ups rarely look good.
I pretty much wanted to say what Doug said. Some of the photos were processed nicely but there are some that look like unprocessed raw files IMO.
hardlyboring wrote:
They are not bad. The shots themselves are really nice for a first wedding for sure. I would just keep refining your processing. You will find that most established wedding shooters (or any shooters for that matter) have a very particular processing style. Your pictures are not processed bad...they just could be better.
Great job posting and having the guys to step in the critique ring!
Also, I never understand how some people can do spot metering and Aperture priority. I just feel like that is a recipe for a disaster. How do you do it? Maybe there is a trick I haven't learned? Exposure lock or something?
I agree with what others have said. For the most part your compositions are good and your content is interesting. Watch your exposures. Quite a few look too dark to me. Nothing that can't be fixed with some processing.
Robin Usagani wrote:
Also, I never understand how some people can do spot metering and Aperture priority. I just feel like that is a recipe for a disaster. How do you do it? Maybe there is a trick I haven't learned? Exposure lock or something?
I use exposure lock and Zone System. I don't use it a lot because I can't hold the exposure lock down for too long without getting cramps.
vtec44 wrote:
I use exposure lock and Zone System. I don't use it a lot because I can't hold the exposure lock down for too long without getting cramps.
Please explain what you mean byZone System. Zone System traditionally refers to a methodology developed by Ansel Adams and I'm curious to know if that is to what you refer.
dmacmillan wrote:
Please explain what you mean by Zone System. Zone System traditionally refers to a methodology developed by Ansel Adams and I'm curious to know if that is to what you refer.
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions everyone, I have shown the clients the photos and they were very pleased with them which is a relief! Ive also been asked by one of the guests if I can photograph their wedding next year which is really good news
I was actually unaware I was shooting Aperture priority with spot metering, I probably should have checked this. I found on a lot of occasions, especially in the church, the exposure was out, so I resulted to using the FEL lock - at least now I know what the problem was!
As for what equipment I used, I used a canon 1DsIII, and took a wide selection of lenses with me (just in case :P) but for the majority I stuck with using a 70-200 f.28, 85mm f1.2 and a 24-105 f4.
Very nice set and takes some guts uploading on here, I've only done it a few times having stalked the group for a few years. I felt physically sick first time it did it. It's a great place to get honest advice and feedback, some seriously talented people on here and they share their knowledge generously.
You've done a great job, sounds like they're thrilled too. You have caught some great moments which will be treasured. Good job.
Are you full time? Fancy getting a coffee sometime? Give me a shout
vtec44 wrote:
I use exposure lock and Zone System. I don't use it a lot because I can't hold the exposure lock down for too long without getting cramps.
Is this a rhetorical question or do you honestly want me to explain?
I guess it was somewhat rhetorical.
I have a degree from the college where Fred Archer and AA developed the Zone System. Since you're from California, you might have heard of it. It's Art Center College of Design.
I learned a more traditional version of ZS, where multiple readings are made of the reflectivity of the scene so you can determine the ratio from shadow with detail to brightness with detail, as well as placing Zone 5. Negatives are then exposed for either compression or expansion. In the digital world, expansion is easy while compression is more involved. In the context of wedding photos (this thread) where you have only one exposure, compared to landscape where you can use multiple exposures as a method of compression, your choices are more limited. It requires manipulation of the scene to fit the dynamic range into the sensor's capability. To this purist, that's not exactly ZS, nor is exposing to the right.
I do miss the days of shooting sheet film, taking careful notes, then using development techniques to expand or compress the negative range as appropriate, although overall I find digital equivalent techniques more flexible and more controllable.
Well I don't have a degree from a famous art institution. I graduated from a small college specialize in design. I have a more practical understanding of the Zone System, mainly tonal scale from the Zone System, to help me get close to the exposure I want (or expose to the right if I want) quickly. If all else fail, I always have a light meter with me.
