[Recovered Thread: 109081]

[waltj]

A dear friends mother got remarried on Sunday. The ceremony was held in her home.

The Friday afternoon prior to the wedding she asked me to be the "Official Photographer" Now the only thing that makes me qualified is that I am somewhat interested in photography. My equipment a Panasonic FZ20 and I brought my SD500 just as a pocket quick cam.

What I realized is that it's tough to take photo's of people you don't know. It feels kinda odd just snapping photo's of strangers. The other thing is trying not to get in the way of the ceremony while it's in progress. Get in get the photo and get out as quickly as you can means that you may miss the shot.

The FZ20 got some great shots but it also missed a few as well. I was a little frustrated with it's focusing capabilities. There were a few time in which I had to take posed shots a couple of times. I missed a photo of a large assembled group because the focusing grid wouldn't lock in the right place.

I read a post on this board that mentioned if you want interesting photo's give a child a camera.
I let a 12 year be my assistant and gave her the SD500. She took about 9 photos but some great shots. I wish that she had kept taking photos but she has the attention span of a 12 year old girl. I personally got tired of taking photo's so I gave an 8 year old the FZ20. I put it on auto and she took several photo's. She got several shot's that look amazing. What I realized is that she was able to get closer to her subject and got some great portraits. The other thing is the subjects look natural not the fake "Cheese" smile that you get when adults know you are about to take their picture.

Another key learning was I probably should have just left the camera on auto. I tried to keep F2.8 and a 1/60 shutter. These settings did get some nice photos but the shutter lag still had me miss a few.

These were some of the things I learned yesterday.

Walt

[eric s]

Wedding photography is something that I just won't do. I have the level of professional gear that is good enough... but I don't want to.

It is really hard work and a very high pressure situation. I would rather go to the wedding and enjoy it instead of being there to take photos.

If you don't get a good shot of that first kiss, or the ring being put on the finger... it will never happen "the first time" ever again. I don't need that pressure.

Eric

[Caboose]

I've done several weddings now, and pretty much agree with eric. I always try to get out of it. I have brochars from every pro in my area and when ask to do someones wedding I start handing them out. Still I have done about 10 weddings now. My new plan to get out of them now is to charge just as much as the pros do. Hopefully that will work.

I know a lot of people that loved photography & wanted to "go Pro" & got into by doing weddings. I don't know any of them that are still in the business, for most of the reasons Eric mentioned.....

[waltj]

eric s wrote:

Wedding photography is something that I just won't do. I have the level of professional gear that is good enough... but I don't want to.

It is really hard work and a very high pressure situation. I would rather go to the wedding and enjoy it instead of being there to take photos.

If you don't get a good shot of that first kiss, or the ring being put on the finger... it will never happen "the first time" ever again. I don't need that pressure.

Eric

There was quite a bit of pressure that I felt throughout the ceremony and reception.

Of course I missed the 1st kiss and the placing of the rings on the fingers. Hey I'm a guy and I'm not a huge fan of weddings so I missed the pictures that a pro knows are "must have" shots.

However I think I got enough shots that should help with the memories of the event.

[John at the Beach]

What has helped me with shooting weddings is having or trying to have as much fun as the invited guest...Sharing the joy and happiness right along with the bride and groom
has been a real asset...I make it a point to get to know the bride, her family and the groom and his family as if I was related...It's hard sometimes because all people are different but if you can join in with celebration people seem to relax more...I have done
about 40 weddings in the past 7 yrs and have not had the "bridezilla" wedding yet...
I am sure I will run into one, one day, but so far so good...Sure, weddings are
real pressure, but if you have fun with it, and take tons of pictures, you will be suprised
at how many great pictures you end up with...Another good point, the extra money
helps buy all the gizmo's canon keeps coming out with... :?

[jbigfoot]

I am about to dive into this pond for a short time to offset the cost of upgrading to a dSLR. (Of course, no guarantee that I will ever get work!)

My advice is this: take the bull by the horns and you tell them when it's time for that first kiss or the rings on the hands! Think of it like this: a bride and groom won't have a schedule for these things, right? They show up at the reception, get seated, get settled in, then what happens happens...Uncle Moe comes up to congratulate the couple, then Aunt Betty walks up a minute later. Squeeze yourself between them.

They know they depend on you for these once-in-a-lifetime memories so if you can create a convenient moment, mention to them that now would be a good time to get the rings, how about posing for this shot, etc. Unless you're doing a 2-person shoot, you'll be following them around and will be one step behind all day. You don't have to be overbearing about it, just a nudge here and there.

And when the caterer hovers near the cake to unsheath the cutter or do the finishing touches, you know it's time to station yourself there!

[eric s]

jbigfoot,
If you can get away with that, more power to you. You had better clear it with the bridge and groom before hand. If you did that at my wedding without asking I'd want to fire you. At the very least I'd tip you a cent to make my point.

Part of why you pay a professional wedding photographer so much money is that they are invisible to the occasion. They are paid so much because you know ahead of time where to be (from experience and planning.) That moment is not a stage show for you to orchestrate, it is a romantic, poinent, powerful, joyous event which you are there to record. If you want to break that up for a posed kiss then do it afterwards, it will have just enough meaning as what you would be providing.

You are incontrol for the set shots, everyone understands that the wedding photographer has experience dealing with groups. You knows how to politely bring them together and get them to look natural.

There are some very good wedding photography forums on the internet. Please read them an learn something about how to do them right. This one isn't bad:
http://photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=2021
This one is also good:
http://www.digitalweddingforum.com/ubbthreads/

I would also suggest you read this:
http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/

Eric