Please help!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by zxDaveM on December 31, 2008 at 10:40am

The tip I was told by a guy who did a lot of wedding photography, was:

f8 - and don't be late...

Permalink Reply by Sid on December 31, 2008 at 1:14pm

Hi Kaci, its very simple...u just hav to go and just do it!! If the couple has chosen you..it must b becoz they know u will do it right as i supposed they should hav seen your work. Anyway dear...we all start like that...i mean by a 1st one ;)
Wish u all z best!
Happy New Year to you and all your dear ones!
Cheerz ;)

Sid.

Permalink Reply by Kari B on December 31, 2008 at 1:49pm

Make sure they have the list of photos they want taken and suggest any that you think may be useful. I had a photographer for my wedding but truely loved the photos taken by my DJ and family. The kids had my kodak camera and got some great candid shots.
Just relax and have fun!! Take as many photos as you can. If there is an upstairs try to take pics from there or if you can get behind the couple during vows... those can be great too!

Permalink Reply by Nathaniel on December 31, 2008 at 1:53pm

Hi Kaci,

Not to play devil's advocate, but the same thing happened to me with a couple that i know from work, and it turned out sub-par. Not pics I would have been happy with for MY wedding, but they were going low budget so I suppose they got what they paid for ( I did it for free as a favor). Anyways, I consider myself to be a decent photographer but I had ZERO experience doing weddings and it showed in the photos.

Maybe since they will have several people taking pictures they are bound to get some good ones but there is definitely a certain art to photographing weddings that only comes from the experience of photographing many weddings.

Make sure you know all the specific moments you are supposed to capture, this is a very important day to this couple and you don't want to be the bearer of bad news when they don't have a first kiss photo (no pressure).

Everybody expects their wedding to be perfect, that includes the photographs. Do your research on what specific things you are supposed to capture throughout the event such as groom with bride's maids, groom with bride's parents, bride with groom's parents, bride and groomsmen, etc. If you can't remember everything you are supposed to get a shot of TAKE A CHEAT SHEET!

And remember to bring lots of memory cards. The more pictures the better, and between the ceremony and after party you will find your cards fill up rather quickly especially if you shoot RAW.

Oh, last but not least, take some snacks and a water bottle to put in your camera bag, you will get tired and hungry and its good to have some munchies on hand especially if it is a long wedding. Hope all this jibber jabber helps. Good Luck!

If i think of anything else i will let you know.

Permalink Reply by Nathaniel on December 31, 2008 at 1:57pm

one more thing! make sure they understand and are fully aware that although you take great pictures of whatever else it is you photograph and they have seen, weddings are an entirely different monster and you have never done one before. Its important they know you are inexperienced at photographing weddings because if this day is really important to them (not implying that you will do a poor job), but they might want to consider hiring a professional. I do hope it goes well for you tho and look forward to seeing the photos if you post them.

Permalink Reply by Corrine Ament Photography on December 31, 2008 at 1:55pm

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/wedding-photography-21-tips-for-for-amateur-wedding-photographers/

The above Url is a great place to start.......I have also been asked to do a wedding and have been exploring wedding tips online...I hope this helps and all I can say is....GO FOR IT!

Take lots of shots from different angles......have the camera on continuous shoot and use a wide angle lens if you can (all photographers use them to shoot weddings)

Permalink Reply by Corrine Ament Photography on December 31, 2008 at 1:56pm

I just looked at your photographs and can see why they would ask you to do their wedding......you have a good eye....enjoy it !

Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on December 31, 2008 at 6:17pm

Wedding photos typically have five parts: bride getting ready, bride arriving at the church, the wedding, post wedding at the church and the reception. Determine what the couples hopes are regarding photos during each phase of their day. Make a list.

Sometimes you can shoot during the ceremony, typically the last shot you can take is walking down the aisle, then you may have a chance at the first kiss. Ask the minister and wedding party to be available to come back for ceremony photos after the audience has left. If they come back, you can take vows, first kiss and exchanging the ring while the audience is outside. Talk to the minister, you may be able to get a shot or two from the entrance with a long lens (no flash), during the ceremony. He/she may have ideas about what shots work in that church and may be able to tell you how the wedding party can appear to leave the church but turn up back at the alter once the guests are out. Put a spot of tape on the floor, pick a couple of reference points at the back of the church and take a couple of crowd shots while waiting for the bride to come in. Later with just the minister and the wedding party, line up with your tape and reference points. Later you can put the two shots together in Photoshop. You might want to practice this a few times before the real event.

Since there will be three of you, assign one to the front of the church and another to the back of the church, put the third in the audience, near the front on the center aisle to take shots any time the guests do. With the bride and groom, perhaps just before the rehearsal, work out where each photographer will be and what shots they will be responsible for. Shoot the rehearsal.

There are lots of wedding albums on line, look through a few of them to gain inspiration and ideas about what to do the same, or differently.

f8 - and don't be late... Well definitely don't be late. Sometimes you want to use depth of field to isolate the subject, sometimes you want everything in focus, adjust the aperture accordingly. The great thing with digital is you can review your shots and check the histogram any time there is a lull in shooting. When shooting stationary objects like the head table or the wedding cake, take your time, take several shots at different apertures and from different perspectives. f8 is probably good for group shots, you want everyone in focus and a high enough shutter speed to stop any accidental motion.

Remember to breath.

Permalink Reply by Kaci on January 1, 2009 at 8:09pm

Thank you everyone for all the advise it really was a help, the wedding was today, and as i'm looking at the pictures I think they turned out well!!! Thank you again