My first wedding

Forbiddenbiker

Forbiddenbiker

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Adam
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Well, what can I say; backgrounds suitable for a wedding...absolutely none.

Clacton-on-sea has to be the bleakest, flattest and totally flowerless seaside town I've ever been in. :shiser: :LOL:

I found myself shooting very formal pictures throughout the afternoon, can't say I like any of them, as most of the shots are like the ones below, very fixed and traditional like, not really sure where that came form, just seemed to be what everybody was expecting from me and seem to fit my idea of what a wedding photo should look like. :shrug:

A great afternoon had a few giggles but took it quite seriously really. In hind sight, after looking at the pictures I realised how easy it would have been to improve many of the comps, ...

... Aye. (y)

I learnt loads, not sure if I'd like to do it full time though...its hard work. ;) :D

When I said no gnomes in my earlier post, I was joking.
So would you flipping believe it, when I first see the garden, gnomes everywhere!
wedshot1.jpg


The sea front...hmmm nice :(
I should have got then to throw the confetti at this point I recon. :)
wedshot2.jpg


Great experience though, Hopefully someone will ask me again.
:)
 
Are you verrrrrry tall or did you take a step ladder?

You seem to have the exposures pretty spot on, but like you say, the compos are bit off. Last one I probably would've taken lower down so there was mostly sky in the background. First one could've done with some subtle flash just to lift the shadows a bit.

I've recently been trying to improve my skills shooting people and the flash rarely leaves the camera.

You enjoyed it though, and thats the main thing.

Cedrics your man to talk to though, he used to do weddings......
 
Little to reproach yourself for there Adam, you've done a workmanlike job under difficult circumstances by the sound of it, and I'm sure they'll be happy with their shots,

Couple of points. :)

In the first pic, fill flash would have killed those face shadows and really brightened the shots up. You've avoided posing the subjects with the harsh sun at their faces which is good. In those circumstances I'd move into the shade and use fill flash, but if there's no shade, which happens, then use the light to your advantage... pose the subjects with their backs to the sun, meter for the faces and use fill flash. The sun behind the subjects gives lovely halo rim lighting to the hair and is very flattering for the ladies. :)

Getting lower with the group shot would just increase the problem of the short arses and the inevitable hiders who tend to get lost in the shot, unless you arrange the group very carefully, but it probably would have been better. I used to carry a set of aluminium step ladders to take the shots from higher up when surroundings were grim ( well Jan did:D), or use some vantage point to get higher.

In beautiful surroundings at that country club or golf club the pics almost take themselves, but it aint always so, and for a first stab at the job, I reckon you did good Danno. ;)
 
LOL See how everyone is squinting or shading their eyes in that group shot Adam. Should have told you something that. :D
 
CT said:
LOL See how everyone is squinting or shading their eyes in that group shot Adam. Should have told you something that. :D
Click to expand...


Oh don't, Outside I was remaining calm and composed, and on the inside I was freaking out about the bright sunlight, the road three feet to the left, holiday makers with colourful buckets and spades, burger vans, posts, poles, coke signs, rubbish bins, telegraph wires and no shade for miles. :LOL: :LOL: :crying:

Your sunlight hair fill flash idea would have worked a treat though. (y)


I instantly heard Trumpets when I finished reading your post. :)
 
braver man than me, i wouldnt even try it i dont think!
 
Asked to take some at a wedding in the village lst week - again bright sunshine and heavy dappled shadow. managed to get a series that pleased them if not as good as i usually manage. As no "official" photographer had to try and get them organised! We never thught he would get married - waited until his 59th birthday! needless to say the bride had reactorlight glasses so looked ready for the mafia! Flash with a Stoffel diffuser - usually set at -1or -2 stop compensation saved the day.
 
I've just been on the phone with the groom after a rather distraught email this morning. :eek:

Apparently all the images supplied on disc, (He wanted all on disc, but I got 8 printed professionally anyway) are showing then as short and fat.... Eh, I said.

After a little questioning about how they looked etc, I realised he was looking at them on a wide screen monitor, with a fixed widescreen ratio. :(

Phew....:LOL:
 
That must've been scarey...............for them AND you!!
Glad all worked out. (y)
 
braver man then me mate. its a great shot of the girl in the first picture :)
 
Well done to survive and be happy with the results - one tends to forget we are used to seeing superb work posted on the Forum here and most of the folk who ask us to take for them are "Instamatic" or the like users. I thought I could have done a lot better at the wedding last week but the couple were thrilled - thank goodness!
 
It's a difficult thing to do isn't it

Most of the images I got from the wedding I did look very similar tbh, although I used flash all the time with a stofen thing on it. That really lifted the shadows without looking harsh.

You had the sun, I had cold grey skies.

Looking at wedding images around the net is enough to make you want to throw your camera away, before I did the wedding, i'd spent hours looking at wedding galleries on the net, but all it served to do was up the pressure.

As long as the couple are happy (y) it's all good experience.
 
There are some excellent images of weddings on the net - but remember these are the ones that please us as photographers (- if I can call myself that). The ones that are wanted by the mothers are often something different - "Record shots" that show everything and everyone clearly. make a list of what the bride and her mother want before you start - then any extra - great Aunt Maud for the groom's side as it was her broach etc. . . and stick to that and then go for the ones you want. You have to be bossy and get them organised, but they will thank you afterwards. All I know - I wouldn't want it as a job!
This was one i was pleased with!
121259347_09ed1e1e1b.jpg
 
That’s a good shot Fangman, nice exposure. Heehee, I not sure if I should try that next time or not... ;)

It’s certainly been a massive insight for me, and although I am very p***d at myself for not thinking more about the exposures, I can console myself that at least I managed to document all photographs on the standard wedding list, grouped family shots, the old and the new etc.... about 50+. Hopefully that will outweigh the lacking in the shots in years to come...fingers crossed, ha. Anyway I made it very clear I was a novice and so I don’t feel too bad, I haven’t heard from the bride yet, but the groom did like the printed shots… who knows, people can be very polite.

If I was ever asked to do it again. I'd ask one whole heap more questions from the bride and groom as to what they'd like, check out the locations big time, reduce the amount of shots and defiantly take the PC so that I can view some test shots properly. (I was on the bike ya see)

Yes, a very VERY difficult thing to get spot on the day, I take my hat off to you guys that do.
 
Done well,like the first shot.....not something I'd like to try weddings that is.
 
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