Beginner My first wedding

Ilaria_P

Ilaria_P

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Ilaria
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Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and this is my first post about my first wedding.

Although I have had an interest in photography since I was young I only started photography professionally this year with my first course in April.

I use a Canon 6D

I have shot only 3 weddings as a second shooter and early in October a family friend contacted me to shoot her wedding! I was so scared but I went for it! I knew I could do it and the couple was aware of where I was with my experience so I just couldn't say no!

It was amazing experience, not the easiest wedding for a beginner but I learnt loads! The ceremony was in a church, the exception in a not at all fancy hotel, no decorations....no flowers...no top table...nothing...no details to photograph at all! But I did my best with what I had and although I would do few things differently, the couple was very happy after they saw their pictures which is the main thing!

I will post some of the images below, the outdoor once are from their engagement session we did in Greenwich park, any opinion e critique is very welcome, anything to help me improve :)

Also, if anyone needs a second shooter for free please get in touch, I live near Windsor and I want to network and would love to meet other photographers.

Thank you,
Ilaria

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Ilaria_P said:
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That's a really awkward pose for the groom. He's bending down, sticking his ass out, and the wind has blown the suit jacket vent up.... it really does look like he's letting one go :) I'm wondering why place them at the right and leave the vista they are viewing at the left. Why not place them at the left of the frame, so visually, it makes sense... they are looking INTO the view.

Second to last as well... stood at the altar.... a shot of the bride just coming through the door would have made more sense, and given the scene more narrative. At some point she MUST have come through that door... so that would have been the shot for me.

Second shot: The fact that he looks so earnest with his kiss, and she is looking at you and ignoring him doesn't work for me. the shot before where they are lost in each other is stronger.

I've no idea how many you shot, but I bet it was a lot... it's normal at weddings to shoot a lot. Part of the skill is editing. I don't mean lightroom type editing, I mean choosing what stays, and what goes. The ones listed above would be gone IMO.


Nice quality images though. The client will be really happy with them.
 
In addition to what David said, I wonder about the first. You've got a tantalised glimpse of what I suspect is some fantastic stairs and balustrades, why not use them? Shoot it wider and use those elements in your composition.

I bet they're well pleased
 
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Thanks Pookeyhead I really appreciate your comments!

I have to say I quite like the negative space on the left even though they are looking right but thinking what you said the shot would have been quite a lot more intense if I left the space towards their view...definitely something I will keep in mind and try out in my next shoot!

Thanks for pointing out about the groom "letting go-like" moment...I didn't quite look at it that way before but now.... :) lol something I will definitely keep in mind in future.

The church shot...yes I agree it would have been much better we the bride walking up the aisle...I was so nervous and literally sweating as this was my first wedding and sooo many thing I have learnt and will do differently next time...what happened with this particular shot is that the vicar stood right in front of the candle completely covering my view of the bride and aisle from that point. So although I totally agree with what you said as that was what I was looking for too...I like this shot of the groom on its own waiting for his bride....the candle represented her mum who passed away so I really wanted to get a shot like this somehow!

My mistake in the church was to keep my ISO too low so I was struggling with the light and shutter speed but I was afraid to go too high and get noise.

Dumb question...what does IMO stands for?

Thanks again!
 
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Hi boyfalldown...you are so absolutely right! :-( this is a perfect example of the images in my head that I don't yet know how to achieve....

I was using my 50mm here what would you have done differently.

This is not a shot I would want to show but I am here to learn so here you go...to give you an idea of the staircase.

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Ilaria_P said:
Hi boyfalldown...you are so absolutely right! :-( this is a perfect example of the images in my head that I don't yet know how to achieve....

I was using my 50mm here what would you have done differently.

This is not a shot I would want to show but I am here to learn so here you go...to give you an idea of the staircase.
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Differently for that photo - I'd of moved a couple of paces to my right so I was maintaining the symmetry, which would also of had the bonus of stopping the stairs growing out of his head. I'd also of shot it slightly wider so they were full length, and so I got all the stairs in. But I tend to like full length photos which doesn't mean right or wrong. If I was picky I'd also of moved the sign in the background, but the symmetry would be the main thing. I do like their pose, it seems a lot of fun, though I also may of had him open his jacket. It looks tight around his back, but I think thats a 'had to be there' decision
 
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Thank you so much Hugh! Really appreciate your comments it sounds like I have to think more about my composition in the small details...that great advice thank you.

I thought about the jacket too...but it was an extremely windy day...I fact it was the day before the forecasted wind storm last month! So I though that might look even worst but it is something I could have tried definitely!

Thank you!
 
To add to the great advice above:
Watch your horizontals, whilst landscape photographers become obsessed with keeping horizons level, when you have architectural horizontal lines, they get knocked out of shape if you're not square on to them, setting the viewer into a situation where he's looking at a slant that doesn't exist. Hugh alluded to it with his 'step to the right'.

And the pucker in no.2 it's never a pretty look and it's hidden inside our simple instruction, you'll have said to go in for a kiss? when a 'lean in as if you're about to whisper a romantic secret' or something, would have got the pose without the pucker.

The other one; Time, a bit like 'embarrassing pauses', we often think we have to raise the camera and shoot and put it down. With shot 5, if you'd have held for a subtle move of his head to his left, the light would have been great on his face, turning an OK shot into a great one.
 
As a general critique to your shooting I would say watch your framing/cropping. Don't crop to close to a joint or neglect to include all fingers :)

A bit more attention to straightening shots too, the last in your op & most recent for example.

Feel free to disregard my anal-ism though ;)
 
Hi Phil V, thank you, I am taking it all in :)

Your point on shot 5...you referring to the church shot with the candle?

Phil Young thank you too and I think it's the little details that make the difference between a good shot and a great one so I very much appreciate your input :)
 
Ilaria_P said:
Hi Phil V, thank you, I am taking it all in :)

Your point on shot 5...you referring to the church shot with the candle?
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Yes, just a small movement of the grooms head would have made the shot, that old phrase 'it's all about the light'. The brightest parts of his face are not a nice light pattern (you'd never purposely light that if you had total control), but a small movement of the head would have changed it completely (to something you might have wanted to do on purpose).
 
As above, some could do with a little bit of compositional attention, but otherwise good.

#3 would be my favourite.
 
1 and 3 are very nice indeed. For a first time you should be proud :)
Ilaria_P said:
My mistake in the church was to keep my ISO too low so I was struggling with the light and shutter speed but I was afraid to go too high and get noise.
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Right, never be afraid to up the ISO if it helps you get the shot you want; noise can be fixed, missed shots can't! :)
 
You probably have had enough critique about your work.I like the first image. Good luck with your next shoot.
 
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