Formals are Boring

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jeremy_clay
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p.2 #1 · Formals are Boring

Sam Hassas wrote:
OMG. I'll let you guess the nationality.

~Sam

Hassassian?

Oct 08, 2008 at 07:28 PM

RedWhiteandRed
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p.2 #2 · Formals are Boring

Sam Hassas wrote:Family after family, OMG. I'll let you guess the nationality.

~Sam

I suspect American.

Oct 08, 2008 at 07:35 PM

Chris Beaumont
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p.2 #3 · Formals are Boring

billkrekephoto wrote:
What tips do you have for getting people at different heights in the image when you have only one step or no step at all.

Bill,

Pretty standard practice (at least over here IME) is to put the tallest people at the back, and trying to arrange various rows so that each head in the row in front is BETWEEN the shoulders of the 2 people behind, takes a while to set up each shot, you can't just put people in willy-nilly and get all the formals done in 5 minutes, but it does ensure that everyone's face is visible.

Oct 08, 2008 at 09:18 PM

RedWhiteandRed
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p.2 #4 · Formals are Boring

billkrekephoto wrote:
What tips do you have for getting people at different heights in the image when you have only one step or no step at all.

Horses, wagons and hay.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Oct 08, 2008 at 09:20 PM

Lord Fluff
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p.2 #5 · Formals are Boring

dmacmillan wrote:
I'm so sorry you're bored. I didn't even realize the purpose of weddings was to entertain the photographer.

I think formals are boring to photographers who don't have the training to do them well. They usually don't even know what to look for to separate the passable formal from the well done one. Posing large groups well takes patience and skill. Posing the bride correctly is fraught with technicalities - how should her feet be positioned even though you can't see them? Is the veil adjusted correctly? If there are sleeves, do they end in the right place? According to the style of dress, is the train displayed properly? The old pros knew all this, most dabblers don't have a clue. You can tell in an instant by looking at the results.

Doug

IMHO times have changed. Most couples I know (and most of their family and guests) - in the UK this is - hate posing for formals and have only one priority - get it over with. One of our weddings the MOB is apparently still raving on to people about how marvellous it was that we were so quick at taking them.

Everyone wants those pics....but then everyone wants a drink and the chance to talk to people. Within the typical structure of a British wedding the longer the formals go on, the more of the drinks reception that people are missing out on, and this makes more difference to them that whether someone's collar isn't quite straight.

I respect the skills involved in formal posing, and would like to know more in case I ever got a client that cared deeply for such things - so far all of ours love us for our reportage style work so it hasn't been an issue

Oct 08, 2008 at 09:45 PM

John Power
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p.2 #6 · Formals are Boring

The formals are the most important shots you take. By far. Learn to love them.

Oct 09, 2008 at 01:56 AM

Lord Fluff
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p.2 #7 · Formals are Boring

John Power wrote:
The formals are the most important shots you take. By far. Learn to love them.

Like I say, maybe this is true for you guys, not for us.

Oct 09, 2008 at 07:34 AM

ai3x
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p.2 #8 · Formals are Boring

Lord Fluff wrote:
John Power wrote:
The formals are the most important shots you take. By far. Learn to love them.

Like I say, maybe this is true for you guys, not for us.

I've found that the formals are most important over here only to one person. The mother of the bride. What I try to do these days is give people a limit of say 10 formals. Explain to them the amount of time it takes to take each picture, that they're missing out on the drinks and they soon realize they don't need a picture of the Brown family, Brown family with uncle Joe AND the Brown family with uncle Joe and aunt Mildread.

Alex

Oct 09, 2008 at 01:27 PM

davidmacvicar
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p.2 #9 · Formals are Boring

While formals are very much 'boring' compared to a creative session with the B&G, I find formals a very relaxing and stress free part of the day - even if it is 2 shots or 63.

Oct 09, 2008 at 01:39 PM

asimsoofi
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p.2 #10 · Formals are Boring

I understand the OP.

But it's like a taxi driver saying "I hate driving."

Part of the package we all signed up for my friend.

/asim

Oct 09, 2008 at 07:26 PM

Lord Fluff
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p.2 #11 · Formals are Boring

Nah, more like the taxi driver hating red lights. They have a purpose, they will always be there, but the less time they take up the better

Oct 09, 2008 at 07:32 PM

57suzi
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p.2 #12 · Formals are Boring

I actually suggest to brides who tell me they want no formals to reconsider. Will there be family who have traveled to attend? Grandparents they wish to honor and remember? These shots often become treasured heirlooms.
On the other hand, like Alex, I encourage them to keep the list simple. I doubt they need several different variations on the same people, and then it's eating up the time for fun or other photographs.

Oct 10, 2008 at 02:40 AM

MIKE ben
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p.2 #13 · Formals are Boring

Sam Hassas wrote:
Had the largest amount of formals this weekend. Count em 63 different group shots. 63 dude!!!! Family after family, OMG. I'll let you guess the nationality.

~Sam

Sam,

I've read somewhere here that photog actually make money from prints from the formals. Is that true for you?

Thanks,
Mike

Oct 13, 2008 at 01:37 PM

emandavi
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p.2 #14 · Formals are Boring

Formals thrill me. Nothing is more thrilling than extra money soon to come my way. If you learn to pose, light, and get excited ('cause it's contagious, and they'll get excited), then you'll be smiling all the way to the bank. Imagine this: You've already gotten paid to take photos. Now, the formals come, and you're doing an awesome job of posing and lighting the groups... and you just know, you're going to get paid even more for photos you've already been paid for.
That's thrilling, dude!

Oct 13, 2008 at 01:52 PM

Scrooloose
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p.2 #15 · Formals are Boring

I'd like to thank all of you with the positive attitudes, I've dreaded formals for too long, (probably because I'm not that good at them). You've given me a new outlook. I won't speak negatively about them to clients anymore, work on my skills, ask them to keep thier list simple, limit "uncle Bobs" involvement, make sure there is champagne or whatever, and try to keep the excitement level up.

Oct 13, 2008 at 02:29 PM

ChrisDM
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p.2 #16 · Formals are Boring

Formals are anything but boring. They're only boring if you're taking boring photos. But you can have fun with them, and if you're going to be shooting weddings you'd do well to learn to have fun with the formals. But yes, fun formals are challenging. One of my mentors described arranging group shots like the art of designing a floral arrangement. And that's how I look at every one now, there's a magical combination for nearly every group that just "works", and enjoy the challenge and reward of finding it. Remember, formals are simply as boring as you allow them to be. Here's a few I hope aren't too boring:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

And a "group" engagement photo for the couple in front:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Hope this helps!

Chris M
www.imagineimagery.com

Oct 13, 2008 at 03:48 PM

Carl Feather
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p.2 #17 · Formals are Boring

If you intend to make money with weddings, you best learn to like doing formals and do them well. The formals are where the reprints are. Yes, they can be borinig, but isn't the whole idea of work?

Oct 13, 2008 at 04:58 PM


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