Asked to do a wedding

Forbiddenbiker

Forbiddenbiker

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Adam
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Well I've been showing my pictures to too many people and now I've been asked to do a friends wedding, damn. :D

It’s this Sunday … already! And I'm starting to worry; it’s a quickie wedding as they have been dating for 20 years and have too young children. So they've chosen a ceremony in a hotel reception :urgh: and then off to his parents house for booze and pictures. The weather is meant to be good thankfully, and I've been told their is a large well kept garden in which to make up some shots. I've been asked to do some pre-wedding shots of the grandparents in this garden before the exchanging of souls so I should be able to panic then, or not, as well.

If I have to do the piccies indoors then I may be in trouble as I only have an old speed light SB-22 (I don't really use flashes that much) and I'm thinking I'll use this in full manual mode (A2 on the flashes rear) and simply bounce it off the ceiling with the camera set at 1/60sec...That way I can just adjust the aperture....?

I’ve got the equipment below and I'm taking an old 8 meg Coolpix for backup.... both tripods and all the batteries and cards that I can find.....maybe the notebook.

Its at Clapton-On-Sea on the Kent coast...I may decide to stay for sunrise...:naughty:

I thought perhaps the most useful question for me would be; what are the most common mess ups, what I mean is, what mistakes am I likely to make….?

HTMS Thanks.
 
A friend's wedding is probably the best sort for your first stab at it, as if you mess up they're going to be pretty understanding about it. Having seen some of your stuff you're more than capable of making a decent job of it though.

I'd strongly advise you to go and have a look at the venues for the wedding and the reception before the day and get some idea of how and where you intend to take the shots . A nicely laid out garden makes a nice background for the bulk of your shots.

Try not to get nervous on the day and get there nice and early with all your kit checked, double checked and ready to go. You don't want to be doing anything in a rush.

Left to their own devices, people will line up in front of the camera like a line of stumps, so try to relax people and pose them nicely. Good posing and backgrounds are the main things to watch. I wont bore you with too much more info as I'm sure you're more than capable of making a decent job of it. ;)
 
Most common mistake in the old days was not putting film in your camera. Easy to do if you used a Hasselblad.
Check you have the "shutter won't fire if No CF Card insterted" option ticked in your menu settings.
Shoot RAW if you have the option, to allow you to fine-tune the colour balance if you're forced to shoot indoors. You may not have the luxury of time to enable you to perform custom white-balance checks on the day.
 
If you're going to shoot using manual settings on the camera and flash, which I think is the best way to go, remember that conditions can change very quickly and possibly without you noticing. The histogram is your best friend here and make sure you check for clipping often. If you've got a good looking graph then regardless of how it looks on the little screen, you know the data you need is in the file.

All of this is going to be stuff you know well anyway but it's easy to forget the basics in the heat of the moment. :)
 
Ct, I bow to your knowledge of wedding photography. But I disagree with the opening comments about it being less of an issue if the results are poor.

I have recently shot a family wedding, which was also my first wedding shoot!

I don't think i'll ever put myself in that position again.

I didn't sleep properly for the 2 nights before the day :eek: and on the day I thought things got harder.

It had rained in the morning, so use of the gardens at the hotel took serious effort because the ladies wouldn't put their shoes on the grass! While it wouldn't have been a problem for me if they were strangers, being forceful with your mother in law and all the others is another matter.

Then there's the entire guest list calling you the next day to ask if they can see the photos :eek:

You also have to put the "hope the pics are OK or i'll never here the last of it" out of your mind.


Get there a day before and check out the venue, you'll be able to decide on positions, shots and lighting then ahead of the couples arrival.

People see a camera and freeze, telling them to relax makes it worse, so i did quite a bit @200mm from the otherside of the room, i felt better with that because i've always been un easy about people shots.

I also had to contend with a registrar who didn't like flashes going off during the ceremony.......now that makes things hard!!! :bang: but she got a few doses of what my ex430 could do anyway :LOL:

Also, arm yourself with a list of images you need, parents, group rings cake etc because once it gets going it's at a hectic pace.


Good luck with it, check your white balance and your ISO and trust your histogram (y)

I took 335 shots and now need to whittle it down and process 50 for the album......:wacky:


It's a lot of work for zero cash!
 
digitalfailure said:
Ct, I bow to your knowledge of wedding photography. But I disagree with the opening comments about it being less of an issue if the results are poor.

I have recently shot a family wedding, which was also my first wedding shoot!

I don't think i'll ever put myself in that position again.

I didn't sleep properly for the 2 nights before the day :eek: and on the day I thought things got harder.
Click to expand...
An honest post mate and no-one should undertake the job lightly, it's very easy to not realise quite what you've taken on until the day and then become a little overwhelmed.

Of course you'll never forgive yourself if you mess up, and that's how it should be, but the fact is if FB's mate was that worried about the wedding photos the arrangements would have been made long ago, so it's definitely better for a first time as (a) it's his mate, and (b) I'd guess he's doing it as a present to the couple.

Turning up at a wedding where people are paying you big bucks and you don't know anyone at all is a totally different proposition, so I'll stand by my original statement. :)
 
i've come to decide that when someone says "it doesn't matter if" they usually mean..."mess it up and your dog meat"

As FB said in his post, it's a quickie, most pro snappers won't have a slot at short notice. those that do will probably charge a premium for the short notice :thumbsdown:

Don't let me put you off FB, i'm sure you'll nail it (y)
 
I'm sure you have nailed it too Stumpy. You'll find 50 shots out of 350 no doubt. ;)

You did touch on the biggest problem though - no matter how competent you are, you may well have no experience of posing people and handling large groups of people. For the duration of those photos all eyes are on you waiting for direction, and it can be difficult without experience to fall back on.

Having a list of the photos you intend to take is indeed a big help and saves a lot of dithering about on the day.
 
I sent 12 images away to trueprint (20 free offer found on here (y) ) to see how the colours compared to those on my screen.
I had added a simple black border around them to help them stand out on the page, but some strange cropping resulted in bits of the borders being trimmed. That was odd really because the images were hoooooooge and i was only asking for 6x4's to check out the print.

Results were pleasing tbh, even the mother in law approved :eek: might stay in the good books for a bit there ;)

So now armed with my knowledge, i'm going to reprocess and order the full size images.......the way i'm going it should be ready for the couples first anniversary :D
 
Stumpy, check out COLAB

I can't over-emphasise the difference you get with sending your stuff to a lab where the pros are happy to send their stuff. It was true with film and it's just as true with Digital. It's not cheap, your 50 shots printed up might cost you 50 or 60 quid, but they'll be printed up by someone who knows what they're doing, and you normally pass that cost on to the customer anyway. :)

I'm not rubbishing Trueprint, I know nowt about them, and they may well do you a good job, but you get what you pay for with printing.

COLAB is just an example there are plenty of good labs about.
 
My experience of taking wedding photos is mainly limited to being the guest who's asked to bring their fancy camera along with them! Although I recently did take the photographs at my sisters wedding ( it was her 4th wedding if I b*****d them up I can always get them right at her 5th :)) What I've found, in my limited experience is that you need to take control of the guests, marshall them into position for the formal photos otherwise they just start to wander about. Good luck !!!

Mike
 
Ct those guys seem well priced at £2.45 for A4 :) i think i shall try them, thanks
 
I used them for years... they're excellent, and if you have a load of shots you want printing up to say 9"x 6" which is a good size for wedding shots, then check out their Professional Package Deal if they still do it... very reasonable. :)
 
thanks for the link,

I'm the end customer here, so no cost passing on. what matters is that the album looks as good as it can.
 
Give some thought to what you want them printing on Stumpy. Matte and textured papers are easier to handle. Glossy knocks your eye out though, but it shows every fingerprint. If you go the glossy route handle them carefully until they're safely in the album, Cotton gloves helps. :)

9X6 and 12x8 (inches) both give you prints with no cropping from the 3:2 format and the 12X8s are hardly any dearer. They look great at that size but tend to be a bit big for most albums, so 9x6s is probably the better bet, and they're still big enough for framing which they'll no doubt want to do with some.
 
Thanks chaps, some great points of view here. You’ve really helped lower my anxiousness….cheers.

As they say preparation is everything.

CT and everyone.
Unfortunately I cant get a preview of the scene as it’s a fare trek up their, but I will plan to arrive very early to have a good look around….I think I will take my notebook (pc) that way I can have a look at the pre-wedding shots to get some idea of the comp/framing of the actual shots, If necessary I can alter my plan at that stage….gulp.

A list of the various events…I didn’t even think about that..haha. I’ve been married twice myself so I should be able to remember….most of it anyway. Nice one DF.

Peeps, what do I take pictures of at the actual Ceremony bit?
I’m thinking a photo of the couple at the alter or whatever it is, a couple of the ring on the finger etc…..is their a set of standard shots I should be after…? I don’t have to tell you that I don’t haven’t any of my wedding albums to check on.

PS. It’s a new friend, and I am charging…well if all works out ok I’m charging. :LOL:
 
oh and dont forget one of those stofen flash diffusers. i've only just started using them, and i was blown away by it. it wasn't just the softer flash my colours were better too :)
 
FB you'll be fine mate. :)

Preparation is indeed everyting, and if I sound like some sort of smart arse let me tell you I still cringe when I think about some of my early weddings. :puke: There's no set rules for the shots to take but have a word with the couple and see if they have any particular shots they want.

The normal procedure is shots of the groom and best man. You can normally get these while you're waiting for the bride and her dad to arrive.. Then shots of the bride arriving - important if it's a Roller or a horse drawn carriage etc.

A shot of the bride outside the church with dad and the vicar (Unless it's civil) then it's the organ music and everyone is inside. You should have a word with the vicar or the registrar, whoever officiates, beforehand to find out what his or her attitude to flash during the ceremony is. Some wont mind, some will just ask you not to use flash during the solemn parts, and some will ask you not to. In the case of the latter it helps to remind them that it's the couple's big day...not theirs, and you have a job to do too. :) Tactfully of course, and in fairness, most of them are co-operative, but introducing yourself, asking, and not taking anything for granted gets you a long way usually. Once they're wed, it's everyone into the vestry if it's a church usually where you'll do the signing the register shots. Sometimes though, it's done at a table in front of the congregation

You'll usually take a few shots after the service ask the vicar/registrar if they'd like to be in one of the shots.

You now have the bulk of the shots to take which is why it's important to make a list or have an idea of the shots you want to take. If the church has the better setting - gardens etc. then take them there, if not then take them at the reception if it's more suitable. Background and setting is all important and can make all the difference to your shots. You need to work efficiently, and remain cheerful. Bear in mind most people have no interest in the photographs they just want to get to the bar. Enlist the aid of the best man to keep everyone marshalled and handy. Once they start sliding away it's difficult to get them back.

I rarely took more than 36 shots altogether, but that was with film. Some couples may prefer the documentary type approach rather than formal poses, but I'd advise against it for your first wedding - go for formal groups where you have more control over what's going on. There 's been a tendency too for couples to dipense with the large group shot, which can be a pain for you, but I always persuaded them to have one taken. In 20-30 years time it's always the group shot everyone wants to look at and finds fascinating. ;)

Once that's out of the way my last shot was of the bride and groom cutting the cake or pretending too, and I always took that before they sat down for the actual meal. Once they start drinking later on people can end up with eyes like Rottweillers from Hell! :LOL:

Hope that helps mate. Try to enjoy it, but planning is really everything. :)
 
If you look at my website I did some pics (over 700) for a friend of mine a few weeks ago. I was actually filming for the DVD of the day but i also took my camera for the day before, on the day and the night reception. I am no expert at all, but it may give you some idea of what happens.

www.gkdigital.co.uk
Go to weddings, then Moore, the password is '*****'. PM me. HTH.
 
Rewind.

Arkady.
Thanks for those tips.
I guess, the question is, should I be adjusting the white of their homes interior, and/or, if she’s wearing white, my shots better show white no matter the conditions...right?
I do shoot in raw nowadays so does that make no difference then, or like most things, its best to get all the right coloured pixels in the first take, not alter it afterwards kind of thing.
I’ll practice my wb pre-set mode thing tonight…just in case.(y)

dazzajl.
I have started checking my histogram every shot in an attempt to increase my information but without gaining highlights or clipping....it’s probably gonna be 4 o’clock sunshine…so may not be too horrid and bright….fingers crossed.

--------

CT.
It certainly does my friend, excellent stuff, many thanks for your efforts. (y)

Enlisting the help of the best man is my first priority I recon. I'll ask him to gather family members make sure all important family shots are covered etc.
As mike says; take control, Marshall them around and get the best man to keep them in order. No problem... :naughty:

Glen.
Thanks for that, I've looked through the lot...their was a lot. lol, Nice happy shots, the brides got a stunning face very beautiful, some great shots their I thought. I liked the overview one particularly...good looking Image for a wedding reminder I thought, nice idea.

I've got a clear agenda now, I'll take my short-list and decide what shots to slot into what background when I get their ....I'm thinking like Jewels book/church shot...only the bride and groom not the book. :D ...anyhow sounds like I can just go with the flow most of the time as long as I get the main shots….

… get the exposure right, find the correct white balance, use my flash diffuser, check my histogram, nudge it to the right, no highlights, arrange the right people, make everyone relaxed without using the word relax, no cropping, no posts, clothes lines or gnomes….then focus…phew, that’s one shot done…

…hmmm I may have undercharged :D ;)
 
Once you're at the venue where you're going to take the main shots, grab the bride first and get plenty of shots of her and THE dress. Then grab the groom and get plenty of bride and groom shots, ringing the changes with the angles and the poses. Those are really the main shots so make you sure you get some good ones.

All the rest of the shots are really just to pad the album out. ;)
 
some good sensible advice being dispensed here!
 
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