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Archive 2014 · Shooting for family

  
 
FrancisK7
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Shooting for family


Jason_Brook wrote:
Not going to lie; I've been trying to figure out a way to milk a 200/2 out of this from the wife. Regardless, I'll need to pick up a 2nd body and probably a tele zoom.


I reckon it's going to take a lot of convincing (or really great head?) to convince the wife on a 200/2.

If you do manage it, please share, so we can get inspired.

Not to mention your BIL might not even appreciate the bokeh even if you do use it or rent it, because "they're just pictures" ugh



Oct 15, 2014 at 07:03 AM
glort
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Shooting for family


My Suggestion:

These situations seem to crop up after the event with all sorts of things like copyright issues, people thinking reprints or images are being over priced by the family memeber that shot the pics and so it goes.

Whatever you do, Spell and more importantly WRITE it out BEFORE the fact so everyone knows the deal and here are no come backs and hurt feelings afterwards. Work out who owns what, whos paying for what, what extra work ( retouching, printing etc) is going to cost and make it known to all. That way when everyone knows what the deal is they either are happy with no surprises and hard feelings or everyone has the opportunity to pull out if not happy.

May save a lot of hard feelings and Forum posts of woe and " You should have been smarter"!



Oct 15, 2014 at 07:40 AM
IrishDino
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Shooting for family


IMO, if you're going to do it, don't waste your time with a contract. These wedding shoots for family/friends are nothing more than a monkey-with-a-camera situation.

Grip-and-grins, basic family posing, and lots of candids. Do some BASIC color correction in post, export at full res and move on. If they expect anything beyond that, tell them to hire a professional wedding photog at a professional price.



Oct 15, 2014 at 08:00 AM
Jason_Brook
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Shooting for family


ZachOly wrote:
IMO, if you're going to do it, don't waste your time with a contract. These wedding shoots for family/friends are nothing more than a monkey-with-a-camera situation.

Grip-and-grins, basic family posing, and lots of candids. Do some BASIC color correction in post, export at full res and move on. If they expect anything beyond that, tell them to hire a professional wedding photog at a professional price.


No doubt. I'm going to lay it on the line and say this is what you're getting from me, I'm not a wedding photographer.



Oct 15, 2014 at 08:05 AM
canerino
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Shooting for family


Jason_Brook wrote:
In regards to the budget, they're in the camp of "photographers over charge, they're just pictures".



so then let them just get pictures?

it sounds like this is more of an issue for you than them?



Oct 15, 2014 at 08:49 AM
ricardovaste
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Shooting for family


How about buying them a wedding photographer rather than a shiny new lens?


Oct 15, 2014 at 09:28 AM
joosay
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Shooting for family


Sounds like they don't really value the photos...personally I would skip.


Oct 15, 2014 at 09:29 AM
NYstyles
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Shooting for family


I agree with let them hire their own $500 photographer if they are in the camp of 'its just pictures'.

Take your camera if you want and snap a few.



Oct 15, 2014 at 09:38 AM
-jkphoto-
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Shooting for family


ricardovaste wrote:
How about buying them a wedding photographer rather than a shiny new lens?


^^^ This! I'm not a wedding photographer, barely a photographer. However, reading through this thread it occurred to me that the way things are going the OP is going to spend a lot more then the B&G on the pictures for their wedding.

"Let's spend money on gear for a wedding where I'm not getting compensated to shoot it and I can then produce even better shoots for the B&G who won't ever appreciate it."

If they were paying you a couple grand to shoot their wedding, because they know you are a great photographer, appreciate your work and are somewhat compensating you for giving up your day for them. Then you took those those funds and specifically spent it on a quality portrait lens to ensure they got the best pictures possible for them then Way to Go everyone Wins! But, unfortunately, that's not what is happening here.



Oct 15, 2014 at 03:04 PM
fstopperdown
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Shooting for family


I had this exact scenario two weekends ago for some dear friends.

I wish I had given them $500 for a wedding photographer.

Good luck to ya.

Very admirable and a wonderful gift.





Oct 15, 2014 at 08:56 PM
Giules
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Shooting for family


FrancisK7 wrote:
I don't discount my packages or prices for family. I either work for free, on my own terms, or I work for the full price. I may throw in a couple prints as an extra, but that's the extent of the negotiating on that front. I found it solved a lot of issues and discomfort during these discussions.


From personally experiencing how frustrating it can be working with / for family, and from hearing many horror stories, this is the most sound piece of advice I've seen on a subject that always comes up.



Oct 16, 2014 at 01:23 AM
MazeRunner
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Shooting for family


It's not your fault, so don't go all savior on them unless you really want to. And definitely don't do it for $500. It's really not worth the trouble.

I mean, I shoot 3-6 weddings a month during the season, and actually passed up on a second shooting gig to attend a not-close friend... she knew that she was hiring a lower-end studio-package photographer (in NYC, there are Asian studio packages that offer 1 MUA, 2 emcees, 2 DJs, 1 photographer + 1 videographer for 10 hours, dress + tux rental for bride/groom + all the b-maids and g-men, 1 e-Sessions w/ clothing for about $5-6k). And she mentioned she wouldn't mind me bringing my stuff and taking photos (of course not). I knew her budget. I knew she fully understood that she was skimping out. But I felt really bad as I've seen some of the photos from those package photographers. So I come for the ceremony, and lo and behold, photographer is shooting entire wedding with a 5DM2 and a 24-70/2.8. With one flash on top, and another flash on a stand. This was inside a church where he needed a 70-200 or something longer (altar).

I just cringed and took some shots with my 70-200, always staying out of the way and out of sight. Then at reception (I love receptions), I took a handful more. Uploaded quick edits by next day, and got a 2 of the 5 bridesmaids interested in having me for their weddings, 2-3 leads for 2015, and 2 e-session inquiries by the end of the week.

Granted, it's not always going to happen. But with social media nowadays, it can mean additional business if you play it right. But just be sure you do it in such a way that they would 0 reasons to think you would possibly shoot theirs for free. That and, consider the budget of the people attending. If the bride/groom have guests who are in late 20s/early 30s (marriage age in my area) and they're the type with solid income, you can pick up some business.

To be honest, if I didn't know the bride as well (and didn't think her and her husband were amazing folks), I wouldn't have bothered with what I did. Have to be practical and remember you're doing it for peanuts if anything, unless you can see how it'll get you $$$. Have to make bread!



Oct 16, 2014 at 01:57 AM
Nickyb21
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Shooting for family


My future bride wanted to spend 1-1500 max on a photographer because they were just pictures.... We "settled" on $3400 and got one hell of a deal from a local photographer/FM'er.

I would say no, my mother roped me in to shoot when she got re-married. It was a good learning experience but if they were my pictures on my wedding day, I would regret the decision. On top of that, I basically left my fiance alone for a lot of the night trying to take photos so making my fiance happy and my mom happy was very difficult to balance.



Oct 16, 2014 at 07:46 AM
BKphotography
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Shooting for family


Jason, if you don't shoot weddings what makes you think you're not a crap wedding photographer too?

Taking photographs in a relaxed environment is a walk in the the park but when the pressures on, well that's a different story.

If you want to shoot it and the couple are happy for you to shoot it I say go for it.

Everybody has to start somewhere...



Oct 20, 2014 at 04:05 AM
Jason_Brook
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Shooting for family


BKphotography wrote:
Jason, if you don't shoot weddings what makes you think you're not a crap wedding photographer too?

Taking photographs in a relaxed environment is a walk in the the park but when the pressures on, well that's a different story.

If you want to shoot it and the couple are happy for you to shoot it I say go for it.

Everybody has to start somewhere...


Valid point. While I'm not a wedding photographer and couldn't hold a candle to most in this subforum, I know for a fact I'm more qualified than the alternatives. It's not to sound arrogant, the alternatives are just that horrid.

I'll hammer out all the concerns, details, etc. this friday with them.



Oct 20, 2014 at 06:48 AM
BKphotography
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Shooting for family


Good luck whichever way you go!


Oct 20, 2014 at 04:13 PM
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