First Wedding photos and thoughts - comments and critique welcome
- Thread starter AndrewSt
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- Chris
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426 and 520 are very good. Wedding shoots can be tricky, sometimes you know what you want to do but can really interrupt the goings on of the day. I don't think you've done a bad job here and if your client is happy and they have paid up then job done.
OP
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Thanks.
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- Dan
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Eh? I don't understand.
But whatever - Andrew, if these are representative of what you got, it looks to me like you did OK. I'll have a proper look later when I have more time ...
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- Chris
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To clarify. Wedding toggers have a lot of ideas of shots they would like to get and plan them in advance, people, locations, lighting etc but it doesn't always go that way. I see this in some of these photos, I am not saying they are bad, they are good but you should be able to see the things in these photos you would normally change but on a wedding day you have to just let them go and get on with the job. I am sure the OP will understand. maybe I should have said the fowling in my first reply.
image 17. The dirty marks/spots on the window distract me from the subject but he got the required shot, normally he would have noticed this but on a wedding shoot it aint the time to break out the windolene. Job done next shot.
Image 31. the bride should be to the left of the frame not tight to the right but we don't know what's to the left, but well exposed got the bridal prep shot. Job done next shot.
Image 378. Given more time and not a wedding shoot, I am sure the togger would have composed the couple differently, left or right, not bang in the middle and also noticed when viewing later on the pc that graffiti is dominant in the image not the couple. Well exposed though and sharp, got a stand alone couple in a slightly different environment. Job done next shot.
Image 426. This shot is right on the money, I hope the couple have a big ass print made of this. Absolutely top drawer.
Image 438. The pole is distracting and we have a back of head thing going on.
Image 479. the Grooms hand brakes the line of the brides head, but most will know, togger sticks out like sore thumb during speeches and you usually stand where you're told too.
Image 488 Same sort of thing with the out of focus flowers, pretty dominant in the image but togger caught emotion on faces which will bring smiles and raise questions when ever this images is looked at.
Image 520. Don't put the big ass printer away just yet, image 520 needs printing out. Great shot.
images i have made no comment on are just good wedding shots. I really do wish I could produce the same quality. Togger has done a good job but he will know on reflection what he wanted to do and what he just had to do which is what I was trying to say in my first post.
image 17. The dirty marks/spots on the window distract me from the subject but he got the required shot, normally he would have noticed this but on a wedding shoot it aint the time to break out the windolene. Job done next shot.
Image 31. the bride should be to the left of the frame not tight to the right but we don't know what's to the left, but well exposed got the bridal prep shot. Job done next shot.
Image 378. Given more time and not a wedding shoot, I am sure the togger would have composed the couple differently, left or right, not bang in the middle and also noticed when viewing later on the pc that graffiti is dominant in the image not the couple. Well exposed though and sharp, got a stand alone couple in a slightly different environment. Job done next shot.
Image 426. This shot is right on the money, I hope the couple have a big ass print made of this. Absolutely top drawer.
Image 438. The pole is distracting and we have a back of head thing going on.
Image 479. the Grooms hand brakes the line of the brides head, but most will know, togger sticks out like sore thumb during speeches and you usually stand where you're told too.
Image 488 Same sort of thing with the out of focus flowers, pretty dominant in the image but togger caught emotion on faces which will bring smiles and raise questions when ever this images is looked at.
Image 520. Don't put the big ass printer away just yet, image 520 needs printing out. Great shot.
images i have made no comment on are just good wedding shots. I really do wish I could produce the same quality. Togger has done a good job but he will know on reflection what he wanted to do and what he just had to do which is what I was trying to say in my first post.
OP
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Thanks for the detailed feedback. Much appreciated.
OP
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Thanks. Once I eventually get my site online I will also post a link to the full set.Eh? I don't understand.
But whatever - Andrew, if these are representative of what you got, it looks to me like you did OK. I'll have a proper look later when I have more time ...
I think you have some great natural and, in some cases, posed shots of the b&g. Some good technical feedback above. The only comment from me is that I am not keen on some of the diagonal lines in some of these images nor the closed eyes of the bride in the penultimate shot. Might be just me ?
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I hope this to be the first of many jobs for you, Wedding photography can be extremely stressful, and in some cases off-putting. Keep up the excellent work and try to charge as much as you can for your service. For some reason what you charge never seems enough especially when you're sitting at the pc at 2am doing the PP but that discussion is for another day.
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OK, FWIW ...
#17 - Imaginative, nicely done and a pleasant change from the usual pack shot of the shoes. But - beware the bride who very much wants a picture of The Shoes. That bride will want just that - a pack shot of the shoes, in which the maker's name is clearly visible if she spent a lot of money on them, but in which the maker's name isn't visible at all if she didn't. Your customer will hopefully be highly chuffed with this shot, but it's very easy for a newbie wedding snapper to get carried away with his or her ideas for a "different" shoes shot and thereby lose the plot.
#31 - Well seen and caught. It wouldn't have worked if the hairdresser's arm and hand with those tongs wasn't where it is, and with more experience you'd have kept that jug of orange juice out the shot. Proof if any were needed that you can break the "rules" and still get a picture that works.
#99 - Again, well seen and well caught. Ideally you'd have shot this from more to your right in order to avoid the unflattering treatment of the bride's neck/chin and get more of her face in, but stuff like this only comes from experience.
#125 - Is nice enough for what it is. The problem with shots like this though is that only you and the bride know what that's a picture of. Any potential customer will wonder why that bride is standing in front of graffiti/a mural looking bored/pensive or whatever.
#219 - That's as good as you've any right to expect shooting from where you were, given that they recessed the wrong way round. Assuming that she then turned to her left and they walked towards you, did you get anything worthwhile before they were past you?
#270 - Sure, I could nit-pick about the framing, but they'll love it. With plain and simple shots like this, there's a lot to be said for rattling off three in quick succession, framing them left, centre then right to give yourself options
#289 - I'm not keen on the crop or the conversion, but more importantly, even if the bride's cool with the partly-open mouth, not many potential customers would be.
#290 - Lots better
#378 - I'm guessing that the primary set this up? Whatever, her expression kills this one. In fact both of them are off, simply because your timing's out. Again, as you get more experience, you'll get better at avoiding "in-between" expressions.
#426 - What's not to like about this one? If you were stuck where you were, I don't see how you could have done any better.
#438 - OK, you could have framed it lower to get the bouquets in, but it works perfectly well as it is, simply because of that background.
#479 - If you have to shoot along the top table like that, you always want the bride to be on your side of the speaker. Then you don't have the problems you did with this one.
#488 - The woman featured may well be OK with that shot when she sees it, but ffs never put any shot on your website for potential customers to see if somebody in it has an unflattering expression. I'd actually bin this one.
#520 - Again, I could nit-pick but what for? It's fine as it is, considering.
#558 - My problems with this one are the disparate expressions (hers also being somewhat unflattering) and the disembodied hands. It always looks better in a posed snap if hands are seen to be connected to something. Like a wrist ...
#578 - And this last one's a reject AFAIC. It has nothing going for it.
So ... not at all a bad showing for a first paid second gig. Just get as much experience as you can now, but don't expect it all to come together for a while yet
HTH a bit.
#17 - Imaginative, nicely done and a pleasant change from the usual pack shot of the shoes. But - beware the bride who very much wants a picture of The Shoes. That bride will want just that - a pack shot of the shoes, in which the maker's name is clearly visible if she spent a lot of money on them, but in which the maker's name isn't visible at all if she didn't. Your customer will hopefully be highly chuffed with this shot, but it's very easy for a newbie wedding snapper to get carried away with his or her ideas for a "different" shoes shot and thereby lose the plot.
#31 - Well seen and caught. It wouldn't have worked if the hairdresser's arm and hand with those tongs wasn't where it is, and with more experience you'd have kept that jug of orange juice out the shot. Proof if any were needed that you can break the "rules" and still get a picture that works.
#99 - Again, well seen and well caught. Ideally you'd have shot this from more to your right in order to avoid the unflattering treatment of the bride's neck/chin and get more of her face in, but stuff like this only comes from experience.
#125 - Is nice enough for what it is. The problem with shots like this though is that only you and the bride know what that's a picture of. Any potential customer will wonder why that bride is standing in front of graffiti/a mural looking bored/pensive or whatever.
#219 - That's as good as you've any right to expect shooting from where you were, given that they recessed the wrong way round. Assuming that she then turned to her left and they walked towards you, did you get anything worthwhile before they were past you?
#270 - Sure, I could nit-pick about the framing, but they'll love it. With plain and simple shots like this, there's a lot to be said for rattling off three in quick succession, framing them left, centre then right to give yourself options
#289 - I'm not keen on the crop or the conversion, but more importantly, even if the bride's cool with the partly-open mouth, not many potential customers would be.
#290 - Lots better
#378 - I'm guessing that the primary set this up? Whatever, her expression kills this one. In fact both of them are off, simply because your timing's out. Again, as you get more experience, you'll get better at avoiding "in-between" expressions.
#426 - What's not to like about this one? If you were stuck where you were, I don't see how you could have done any better.
#438 - OK, you could have framed it lower to get the bouquets in, but it works perfectly well as it is, simply because of that background.
#479 - If you have to shoot along the top table like that, you always want the bride to be on your side of the speaker. Then you don't have the problems you did with this one.
#488 - The woman featured may well be OK with that shot when she sees it, but ffs never put any shot on your website for potential customers to see if somebody in it has an unflattering expression. I'd actually bin this one.
#520 - Again, I could nit-pick but what for? It's fine as it is, considering.
#558 - My problems with this one are the disparate expressions (hers also being somewhat unflattering) and the disembodied hands. It always looks better in a posed snap if hands are seen to be connected to something. Like a wrist ...
#578 - And this last one's a reject AFAIC. It has nothing going for it.
So ... not at all a bad showing for a first paid second gig. Just get as much experience as you can now, but don't expect it all to come together for a while yet
HTH a bit.
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- Pete
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Never easy as a second as subjects are nearly always looking at the main. On the plus side, far less stressful though .
Here's my initial thoughts and I'm basing these on the main tog setting up the posed shots...
17 Decent enough capture. My eyes however, go from shoes to flowers, flowers to shoes. I prefer to shoot them separately.
31 Exposure looks bang on but it's a bit lifeless and she looks bored. Maybe get the tongs in the hair or wait for a hint of a smile/laugh.
99 Looks like a bit of a grab shot - sorry.
125 Again, decent exposure but she doesn't look too happy. If it's the "thoughtful, reflective" look you're after then fine.
219 Great capture, love that one. Just a shame the bride is looking the other way but that's being picky.
270 Nice shot.
289 & 290 Nice enough captures.
378 Cool background but has to be square on for me.
426 Nice set-up but again, would have to be square on for me. I assume you were to one side for this and the last pic though.
438 Again, looks like a bit of a grab shot to me.
479 Standard speech shot. Would maybe have been improved had she been looking at him or toward camera ?
488 Not sure about this one, the bouquet dominates too much.
520 & 558 I would bin these. It always looks like you've just caught them blinking unless done carefully so I avoid these type of shots. Nothing wrong with the exposures though.
I hope I don't come across as being negative. These are just my overall impressions and are certainly a great effort for a first go at seconding. Good luck with your next one and keep
posting
.Here's my initial thoughts and I'm basing these on the main tog setting up the posed shots...
17 Decent enough capture. My eyes however, go from shoes to flowers, flowers to shoes. I prefer to shoot them separately.
31 Exposure looks bang on but it's a bit lifeless and she looks bored. Maybe get the tongs in the hair or wait for a hint of a smile/laugh.
99 Looks like a bit of a grab shot - sorry.
125 Again, decent exposure but she doesn't look too happy. If it's the "thoughtful, reflective" look you're after then fine.
219 Great capture, love that one. Just a shame the bride is looking the other way but that's being picky.
270 Nice shot.
289 & 290 Nice enough captures.
378 Cool background but has to be square on for me.
426 Nice set-up but again, would have to be square on for me. I assume you were to one side for this and the last pic though.
438 Again, looks like a bit of a grab shot to me.
479 Standard speech shot. Would maybe have been improved had she been looking at him or toward camera ?
488 Not sure about this one, the bouquet dominates too much.
520 & 558 I would bin these. It always looks like you've just caught them blinking unless done carefully so I avoid these type of shots. Nothing wrong with the exposures though.
I hope I don't come across as being negative. These are just my overall impressions and are certainly a great effort for a first go at seconding. Good luck with your next one and keep
posting
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