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ArizonaImage
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Wedding

What lenses are you guys using primarily for wedding photography between a 35mm or 85mm, trying to see what to pickup next

Edited on Jul 12, 2024 at 01:15 PM · View previous versions

Mar 05, 2024 at 06:09 PM

LeeSimms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Wedding

Processing styles come and go — try to achieve a standard you won't be compelled to re-edit a few years when the next fad comes along. So many people like film emulation for this reason — people like Jose Villa just keep shooting Fuji 400H and it looks so good in so many situations.

Mar 06, 2024 at 10:21 AM

Ziffl3
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Wedding

photos... the first one is fabulous.... (okay... I like the first 3)
lots of work needed on composition.
The last one .... any shot delivered with bride and most of the dress visible needs to be clean. Stuff on her dress is what I noticed first.

The 2nd to last... I mention this and you will noticing until the image is changed.
the first thing my eye goes to is the background: trees and houses.
Question: where do you want the viewers eye to ago first?

Overall processing looks old school south western .... not so cool for me... but maybe for you.
In a year or so looking at it.... you will see.

Video:
What did you learn? What is missing?
I can say you have a video... it is put together and has stable footage.

It is a starting point.
Shooting/editing: there are 2 basic approaches: 1)shoot with a look: (non-log) easier to edit, faster turn around, less flexibility in editing. 2) Shoot log format/RAW: need to understand color grading, larger files messes with many shooters, more latitude in editing.... easier to shoot on different systems and get to match.

Your call.

All I can say is good luck in todays short attention span world.
My boring warning went off after about a minute in.
Ask yourself... do you want videos that are played at least once a year.... or just once and never really seen again.

Good video requires a lot of understanding and work.
It can be done by 1 person. Better to have a 2nd shooter (based on client and money)

Here is the main thought on any video: when you get home: You have only completed 25-40% of the work done.
Now you have to create the narrative, the story and how it is portrayed.
Visually/Sound/Pacing/editing style.....
You can create a formula like many did back 5-10 years ago(thinking Ray Raymond).... or make each unique.

FYI... if we where to meet up and discuss this in person and you wanted real feedback... This is what I would say to you.

Mar 07, 2024 at 09:17 PM

wilt
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Wedding

Photo #2 and #8...if you had shifted camera position to the side just a bit more, you could have avoided the distraction of a tree appearing to grow out of the groom's head.

Mar 08, 2024 at 12:52 PM

johnld
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Wedding

Don't do video, so my comments are for stills only...
Agree on the distractions in the backgrounds and certain un cropped elements in the couples formal. Airy, light pinks are nice in the second, but I'd take out some contrast, crop to better ratios and maybe a little vignette? It makes it a little less "digital", imo. Subjective opinion of course, but consistency is key! With the bridesmaids, perhaps getting a wee bit higher/lower and using a faster aperture can give some more isolation with less DOF. Wait for a moment when the bridesmaids are looking at each other and not the primary shooter. It makes it more of your own if building a portfolio. As mentioned, the dress is a distraction with dirt, grass, etc. Also, considering getting someone to fan out the dress for better symmetry too. Brides love it when their expensive dress is displayed in all its glory. Obviously, the overall (color) aesthetic is going to be your primary shooters final choice, but I'd work on creating your signature look too. Play with fill flash and ambient with those beautiful raked shadows of late afternoon. Even as a second, I'd get tight details, shoot at wide apertures when getting creative on the same focal plane (like a tight shot of bride looking at bouquet). Being a second or assistant shooter doesn't mean you can't take a little artistic license either. Overall exposures are good and stopping down plays it safe, but brides are looking at Pinterest for ideas and poses, so get creative. Nicely done.

Mar 09, 2024 at 10:35 AM

wilt
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Wedding

@johnld gave some good tips. I will provide a general one (not critique of what you posted)...

As the 'second shooter', try to get shots that the primary shooter would otherwise not get, do not try to simply take shots he/she would get taken from another camera angle. Your shots should be complementary and help him/her provide a greater variety of circumstances otherwise not captured because the primary shooter is occupied at the time...let him/her shoot the B&G during the garter removal and toss, YOU get the shots of the attendees trying to capture the tossed garter.
A lot of the shots you posted have the 'they are looking toward the other photographer' obvious appearance. Let the hired gun take the 'formals', while you take the 'candids' that occur moments before/after the formal shot has been taken, and they are interacting with each other rather than staring at the other photographer.

Mar 09, 2024 at 11:26 AM

LeeSimms
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Wedding

> As the 'second shooter', try to get shots that the primary shooter would otherwise not get, do not try to simply take shots he/she would get taken from another camera angle.

This is the prime rule for all our seconds. The only duplicate shots they're allowed to take is alternate views/angles of core rituals (first kiss, flowers being thrown, toasts). During cocktail hour, we expect them to shoot the cocktail hour like it's their own wedding (get a mix of decor, observational coverage, grip and grins of couples). We have a PDF for new 2nds ... "What to shoot"

Not everyone gets it, and they quietly fall off the call sheet.

Mar 09, 2024 at 12:51 PM

ArizonaImage
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Wedding

Ziffl3 wrote:
photos... the first one is fabulous.... (okay... I like the first 3)
lots of work needed on composition.
The last one .... any shot delivered with bride and most of the dress visible needs to be clean. Stuff on her dress is what I noticed first.

The 2nd to last... I mention this and you will noticing until the image is changed.
the first thing my eye goes to is the background: trees and houses.
Question: where do you want the viewers eye to ago first?

Overall processing looks old school south western .... not so cool for me... but maybe for you.
In a year or...Show more →

Lots of great tips. Yes the video is a bit boring

but it was an after thought by the bride so I captured what I could. I very much agree we live in a YouTube Short world so people want action or something to keep their attention. So from what I am seeing from many photographers, at least here in AZ is they're grading for a warmer color neutral look. Agreed on the rest though, for composition and video work. I'm usually shooting a bit of everything, but portraits/weddings wasn't something I shot often enough to get a hang of it.

Mar 10, 2024 at 05:56 PM

ArizonaImage
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Wedding

johnld wrote:
Don't do video, so my comments are for stills only...
Agree on the distractions in the backgrounds and certain un cropped elements in the couples formal. Airy, light pinks are nice in the second, but I'd take out some contrast, crop to better ratios and maybe a little vignette? It makes it a little less "digital", imo. Subjective opinion of course, but consistency is key! With the bridesmaids, perhaps getting a wee bit higher/lower and using a faster aperture can give some more isolation with less DOF. Wait for a moment when the bridesmaids are looking at each other and not...Show more →

So between the 1st and 2nd photo, which colors are more relevant? Or is that sort of a personal preference by the photographer? As I said before it seems like what's "in" is a less saturated, warmer look. But, I'm assuming that's the photographer's style which some like and want that, so I guess that would make sense with creating my signature look as they did. Sound about right?

Mar 10, 2024 at 06:06 PM

LeeSimms
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Wedding

1. Shoot cleaner, like there's no crop tool in your computer. When you fill your frame with the subject, the images punch way better on a small screen (smartphone) which is how 70% of people view wedding images. Cropping later wastes production time (and time is money).

2. Watch junky backgrounds with guests, barrels, and crap. Photographers use 'selective vision' with a combination of focal length and purposeful angles to minimize distractions. If there's distracting esthetic noise everywhere, use a telephoto with shallow DOF. Clean surroundings with even light? Then open up your focal length (35 or wider) to show how cool the scene was.

3. Always remember that the brightest part of any image will pull the viewers attention away. In a big scene with subjects in shade, if there's sun on mountains or part of the golf course — your mind goes to the bright elements and away from your subject. To correct, either eliminate the bright distraction with a combination of direction and focal length, or light the shady subjects with off-camera flash to match the bright parts so now the whole purposeful presentation is (more) even.

Weddings are filled with a TON of distractions, your job is eliminate all so the instant a viewer sees an image they know exactly what your purpose is.

Mar 11, 2024 at 05:06 PM

LeeSimms
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Wedding

And I'll add to the last sentence, as an owner with 12 associate photographers I'm very vocal that it's ok to cut off body limbs when you're 'surfing' a cocktail hour or reception.

A famous photographer once said, "If your images aren't good enough, you're not close enough."

When two people are hugging or laughing together you want the emotion to appropriate in the images. If you get hung up on including full body parts and a bit of the surrounding then the emotion gets lost. It just looks like an iPhone image

Mar 11, 2024 at 08:55 PM

ArizonaImage
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Wedding

Very good pointers and advice. I was shooting at 1.8 I think, I’ll have to look.

Mar 12, 2024 at 01:01 PM


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