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Archive 2013 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]

  
 
smukshots
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


joelconner wrote:
I am so glad I did not know about this forum before I started shooting weddings. If I had (and had asked for advise), I might have freaked out and never started.


Yeah ... it can be discouraging.

But eye opening and helpful...
All advise and criticism is good just depends how you take it. (my opinion)




Jan 04, 2013 at 02:41 AM
KibblesNbitz
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


I've seen people with far less talent post about doing their first wedding here and they got less criticism for it Probably because those people were doing it for free and you're charging, but still....

I think you'll do a very decent job. Your website/portfolio has a lot of great shots, and I'd say your overall ability level is way above most people that post about doing their first wedding or any hack off craigslist. You really should have insurance, but I completely understand why you don't right now. Doesn't make it correct, but I understand.

One little tip I can give you for the formal/group shots....I know you said space will probably be limited, but use the longest focal length lens you have, whether that be the upper range of the 70-200 or a 135L or whatever. The telephoto compression does a lot to make formal/group photos look way better than anything you get with less than 85mm.

Everyone is giving sensible advice and each point is very valid.....but sometimes you just have to get out and do something in order to grow and flourish.



Jan 04, 2013 at 02:52 AM
Ian Ivey
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


But still I think I am not going to use flash because the church is decently lit (recessed lighting)... I don't want to be too distracting

You may want to have flash there for the procession and recession. Even in a reasonably well-lit church, you can end up with shutter speeds that are too slow to freeze subject action. People will surprise you with how fast they move up and down the aisle, and it's helpful to get your shutter speed up to 1/200 or faster by bouncing or even (dare I say it?) using direct flash dialed back a couple of stops to just work as a subtle fill/additional light source.

The procession/recession coverage is one of the most common things new wedding photographers screw up, because it is deceptively complex to get the shot right.



Jan 04, 2013 at 02:54 AM
kwhaley29
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


smukshots wrote:
Yeah ... it can be discouraging.

But eye opening and helpful...
All advise and criticism is good just depends how you take it. (my opinion)



It takes a lot of guts to open a thread like this and take whatever comes your way. I think that you've done quite well in terms of how you have responded to the advice so far. You're going to encounter photographers in the industry who truly are professional to the core and will offer you constructive feedback that you can use to improve upon yourself. You're also going to encounter those who think that giving feedback is a free pass to tear others down without offering anything worthwhile or useful. We all expect others to have thick skin or to "suck it up" but I think it's also incumbent upon those leaving responses to make sure that we bring something of value to the table when we jump into these threads.

.



Jan 04, 2013 at 07:46 AM
That Photog
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Get insurance! $300/year gets me $2 Mil liability and 10k equipment (includes rentals). This one wedding covers it.
I would also recommend LLC if you aren't already.
If you are going to do this, protect yourself.
Oh, and don't forget to pay taxes!



Jan 04, 2013 at 10:57 AM
smukshots
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


That Photog wrote:
Get insurance! $300/year gets me $2 Mil liability and 10k equipment (includes rentals). This one wedding covers it.
I would also recommend LLC if you aren't already.
If you are going to do this, protect yourself.
Oh, and don't forget to pay taxes!


I will look into it! ... but does it cover weddings only? What if this happens to be my only wedding this year... I got the wedding by luck and word of mouth.



Jan 04, 2013 at 11:22 AM
smukshots
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Ian Ivey wrote:
You may want to have flash there for the procession and recession. Even in a reasonably well-lit church, you can end up with shutter speeds that are too slow to freeze subject action. People will surprise you with how fast they move up and down the aisle, and it's helpful to get your shutter speed up to 1/200 or faster by bouncing or even (dare I say it?) using direct flash dialed back a couple of stops to just work as a subtle fill/additional light source.

The procession/recession coverage is one of the most common things new wedding photographers
...Show more


Thanks! I will most def have the flashes by me. Reception I intended to use them... I guess I was afraid to be too disruptive during the ceremony ... but most likely it won't be too noticeable...



Jan 04, 2013 at 11:25 AM
smukshots
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Ian Ivey wrote:
You may want to have flash there for the procession and recession. Even in a reasonably well-lit church, you can end up with shutter speeds that are too slow to freeze subject action. People will surprise you with how fast they move up and down the aisle, and it's helpful to get your shutter speed up to 1/200 or faster by bouncing or even (dare I say it?) using direct flash dialed back a couple of stops to just work as a subtle fill/additional light source.

The procession/recession coverage is one of the most common things new wedding photographers
...Show more


Thanks! I will most def have the flashes by me. Reception I intended to use them... I guess I was afraid to be too disruptive during the ceremony ... but most likely it won't be too noticeable...



Jan 04, 2013 at 11:25 AM
That Photog
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


It covers everything. If you are shooting portraits and granny trips on a cord, or a baby tips over and bumps on a hard corner... It covers if your lights are plugged into a wall and they short and burn down the building...
Liability is one of our biggest risks.
Errors and ommisions / lose of data is another huge risk but a properly written contract should take care of most of that.



Jan 04, 2013 at 11:34 AM
micla
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


I shot my first wedding ever as the primary photographer. Some tips to make sure the day goes smoothly (helped me a ton).
1) Hire a second photographer with more experience than you in weddings.
2) Make sure you have ample backup equipment.
3) Write out a timeline of wedding day and leave plenty of time for portraits. I normally allocate 1 1/2 hours towards this.
4) Get insurance. I purchased insurance through PPA.
5) Drink a lot of water the week prior to the wedding.




Jan 04, 2013 at 12:22 PM
kwhaley29
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


micla wrote:
I shot my first wedding ever as the primary photographer. Some tips to make sure the day goes smoothly (helped me a ton).
1) Hire a second photographer with more experience than you in weddings.
2) Make sure you have ample backup equipment.
3) Write out a timeline of wedding day and leave plenty of time for portraits. I normally allocate 1 1/2 hours towards this.
4) Get insurance. I purchased insurance through PPA.
5) Drink a lot of water the week prior to the wedding.



Good advice! Speaking of water, bring some bottled water and something to snack on. It may be a long day and you'll need to to stay hydrated and keep your strength up. Granola bars are easy to store and they can be eaten pretty quickly.

Also, basically anything you can do to help out with the little "emergencies" that pop up throughout the day is going to make a good impression on the client and their guests. . For example, be sure that whoever is with the guys when they are getting ready has a pocket knif on them. A lot of times the groomsmen get new socks with their tuxes and they need something to cut the little piece of plastic holding them together.



Jan 05, 2013 at 09:49 AM
smukshots
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


That Photog wrote:
It covers everything. If you are shooting portraits and granny trips on a cord, or a baby tips over and bumps on a hard corner... It covers if your lights are plugged into a wall and they short and burn down the building...
Liability is one of our biggest risks.
Errors and ommisions / lose of data is another huge risk but a properly written contract should take care of most of that.



Really? Great I will look into everything!

There is a lot I need to work on for the business aspects of everything. I just have not had the time to thoroughly do it since I graduated high school like I had plan. But you and everyone else is definitely helping and giving some professional insight!!



Jan 05, 2013 at 02:26 PM
smukshots
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


micla wrote:
I shot my first wedding ever as the primary photographer. Some tips to make sure the day goes smoothly (helped me a ton).
1) Hire a second photographer with more experience than you in weddings.
2) Make sure you have ample backup equipment.
3) Write out a timeline of wedding day and leave plenty of time for portraits. I normally allocate 1 1/2 hours towards this.
4) Get insurance. I purchased insurance through PPA.
5) Drink a lot of water the week prior to the wedding.



Thanks for the useful tips!!!

What is your average time spent on per group portrait
(I have under a hour for portrait time and the bride really wants group photos)



Jan 05, 2013 at 02:30 PM
smukshots
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


kwhaley29 wrote:
Good advice! Speaking of water, bring some bottled water and something to snack on. It may be a long day and you'll need to to stay hydrated and keep your strength up. Granola bars are easy to store and they can be eaten pretty quickly.

Also, basically anything you can do to help out with the little "emergencies" that pop up throughout the day is going to make a good impression on the client and their guests. . For example, be sure that whoever is with the guys when they are getting ready has a pocket knif on them. A
...Show more

Snacks and water!! Got it ... That is a usual must for me on most days... If I don't eat I go into a hyper speed mode and people tend not to understand what I say

So bring pocket knife, maybe bobby pins, safety pins stuff like that??



Jan 05, 2013 at 02:35 PM
Robin Usagani
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


I havent read the responses. Chinese wedding? Good luck with that. A lot of pictures and a lot of people with cameras taking so many shots.


Jan 05, 2013 at 02:38 PM
smukshots
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Robin Usagani wrote:
I havent read the responses. Chinese wedding? Good luck with that. A lot of pictures and a lot of people with cameras taking so many shots.


Ahaha... That was my first thought when I saw the bride! I hate to stereotype but it is very much expected.
I am half Japanese so growing up , when someone asked where my dad was at events I would have to point out the asian guy with the DSLR camera and 70-200 lens... as well as his brother...

But I talked to the bride she gave me permission to tell others to politely respect my space and shooting time...especially since we will be on such a tight schedule.



Jan 05, 2013 at 02:46 PM
boingyman
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Good luck. I may be shooting my first wedding this year too.


Jan 06, 2013 at 12:17 AM
sgtbueno
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Smukshots,

just go and do your wedding, the only thing you need to remember is to have fun while you at it, nothing else. Dont let anybody tell you otherwise.
Those that are afraid of life will tell you not to do it, just go and shoot with your uncle, with the money from this wedding pay for the insurance, no worries.



Jan 06, 2013 at 05:27 PM
Ian Ivey
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


just go and do your wedding, the only thing you need to remember is to have fun while you at it, nothing else. Dont let anybody tell you otherwise.

That's a truly horrible bit of advice. It's reasonable to "have fun" while working on a hobby, but it's outrageous to give that advice to a photographer responsible for someone's wedding photos, paid or not. Fortunately, I get the sense the OP is taking the challenge seriously and doing what she can to prepare.




Edited on Jan 06, 2013 at 10:27 PM · View previous versions



Jan 06, 2013 at 08:20 PM
paregorike
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · First wedding coming up! [HELP!]


Ian Ivey wrote:
That's a truly horrible bit of advice. It's reasonable to "have fun" while working on a hobby, but it's outrageous to give that advice to a photographer responsible for someone's wedding photos, paid or not. Fortunately, I get the sense the OP is taking the challenge seriously and doing what he can to prepare.



She not "he".



Jan 06, 2013 at 09:25 PM
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