Wedding Dilemma

staffitaxi

staffitaxi

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Andrea
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My sisters boyfriends sister (I know complicated) is getting married in July.

She has asked my sister to ask me if I'll do the photos as they can't afford a photographer.

I've initially said no, citing the reasons that I don't have good enough equipment (I only have a D40 with kit lens and a 55-200), I have no experience and I'm not sure I want the responsibility.

They have said they don't care and still want me to do them.

I have never met these people and am not sure I want to commit myself to such a big job for no money as I'm sure I'll have to do quite a bit of processing afterwards due to my inexperience. Which all takes a lot of time,I will also have to travel to the wedding and back. I would also want to purchase a spare battery and maybe a couple of other bits and pieces.

The other part of me is screaming I'm mean for saying no.

Do I charge a nominal fee and hope my photos live up to it? Do I just stick to my original decision and refuse to do it? As far as I'm aware if I don't do it there just won't be a photographer, it will just be all relatives point and shoot photos.

If I try and charge they may say forget it anway, which I guess would end the dilemma :lol:

Any advice welcome.

Thanks

Andrea
 
If they are absolutely positive they want you to do them...and are aware the end result might not be as good as it could be...then it could be beneficial for you? A chance to learn something new?

I'd do them for free....but then charge something for prints or anything they want :)
 
If you dont think you can do it, then dont. Simple as.

If you've never met them, how do you know how they would react if you DID shoot the wedding, and they weren't happy?

And whats this about no money? Girl, are you crazy? :D If you decide to shot it afterall, you MUST charge them something, whatever that amount is, its your call. You're going to be spending a lot of time shooting, and processing, all for nothing? They'll be laughing if thats the case.
 
I had the same situation last year & i decided to do the wedding but i did meet up with them before just to talk it all through and explain that i`m not a pro and cant guarantee the work (which they were fine with)

For me it all went well and was GERAT experience, and at then end of the night i was given £100.

I would say meet with them first and explain it all and then see how you feel about the situation
 
Forgot to mention Andrea, I was asked to do my first wedding out of nowhere, and was bricking it. My initial reaction was to say no way, because I didnt feel I had the skills for it. However, they knew I wasnt a pro, and were happy to give me a few quid, so I did it after all, and I am glad I did.

They were over the moon with their pics, and I was £150 and another wedding booking better off :D

Guess that just wees all over my first post :lol:
 
If you decide to do it then don't charge. As soon as someone is paying their expectations will increase. Just arrange for prints at cost.

You could always ask to see if any other members would be interested in coming along for the experience - you could end up with 2 or 3 togs all shooting for the experience and increase the chances of getting all the shots they need :thumbs:
 
Go for it. As said above don't charge. This would be a fantastic opportunity to learn. I would love to have a stab at a wedding.
 
If you are not comfortable doing it then say no. It's not just about the equipment but about your ability to get the right shots at the right time and of the right people. Getting everyone together for group shots/formals is like herding cats especially if they have had any alcohol.

The last thing you want is for them to throw a wobbler about why is there not a picture of Great Auntie Elthel in there. Seriously, the worst one I've heard was one bride who threatened not to pay her photographer because there were no shots of her Father crying, that's because her Father didn't cry! Sometimes they can be totally unreasonable or worse, completely barking mad!

At least make sure you meet with them and explain your position, it IS important to handle their expectations. You could always do an informal shoot with them now so they get to know you and vice versa?

Oh and don't forget, you will also need a flashgun!
 
Interesting. If you had the equipment and were OK with the responsibility, would you like to do it?

Equipment is easy. People here can advise you on what you'll need. You can borrow or hire what you don't have.

And the couple seem to be happy with the fact that you're not a professional, so your responsibility is limited. If you act professionally and do your best, that should be OK.

If I were you I'd:
- Meet the couple and check I'd be happy working with them
- Agree to do it if they'll pay your travel expenses and with prints at cost
- Read the many "my first wedding" threads on TP to learn about gear and technique
- Start practicing.

Good luck!
responsibility and there are options you don't have to buy it all.
 
If I was in your situation I'd charge for travel and prints at cost but also add some for the time spent processing the shots (I'd say a fixed amount for this time) but perhaps not charge for the time in getting the shots.

Andrea, I have recently bought a book called Digital Wedding Photography - capturing beautiful memories by Glen Johnson and it's a cracking book. Have learnt soo much from his advice and image types etc.

Well worth buying or borrowing from your library :):thumbs:

£12.99 at Amazon :eek:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss...+wedding+photography+-+glen+johnson&x=15&y=28
 
Thanks everyone so far for your responses.

I'll have a proper read through them all over the weekend. My sisters boyfriend is also stopping over this weekend I think so I'll have a chat with him as well as I have a nasty suspicion it was his idea!!

I'll let you know what I decided to do. If anyone else has any further input feel free to throw it in the pot.

I don't have a flash at this moment in time. Obvioulsy if I had to buy one just for this wedding I would end up very out of pocket, If I have to get one I'll have to get it pretty flipping quickly to learn how to use it to get the best results. Haven't opted to buy one so far as I mainly do landscape and animal photography.

Thanks again.

Andrea
 
id definetely recommend you do it for no money, the idea of seeing if you could get anyone else to come along is great as well, it'll instantly cut your stress levels in half!

if you do decide to do it, be prepared to do lots of homework. weddings need huge amounts of planning. think and discuss all the shots you want to take before hand and mentally tick them off as you're doing them. if you've got the time read a specialist book or two and spend some time talking to the bride and groom well before the wedding. make it clear your experience and skill level and if possible show them some example people/posed shots if you've got them.

obviously take as many photos as possible, but at very least make sure you've done all the planned ones. definetely take a handheld reflector, especially if you're unfamilar with flash. renting/borrowing a pro spec lens (say an f2.8 standard zoom) will be very handy especially if again you're unfamilar with flash or unsure on the lighting conditions and the added sharpness will likely benefit your images in a way that outweighs the cost of renting the thing. if you dont charge a fee you should certainly make sure you cover your costs. renting a lens, printing etc.

reading up on peoples first experiences of weddings is very handy, as is getting lots of practice in!
 
Just my thoughts on one part - you don't know these people.
To me that is probably the most important bit.

Before you agree you need to get to know them and see if you would like to shoot the wedding once you have. Otherwise you will either be out of pocket for people you don't know, or you will be taking money off them (Which comes with expectations).
It might be they are really nice people and you would be happy to shoot for free for the fun of it - but what if you just don't like them? (It happens)

Richard (The Cynic)
 
Is there any kit you need that they could get for you?

You could make some money from sales as well, but everyone would be very clear on where they stood in terms of what happens if it goes wrong or they don't like the photos.

If it went wrong, would the relationship between 2 or 3 families cause problems.
 
Hmmm, Had the same situation myself at Christmas Eve. I did the wedding no fee, but they pay for any processing on the understanding that I am not a pro.. and some of the shots would go to show this afterwards.... http://www.photoelements.110mb.com/

Spot the damn deviation sign and cars passing in the background through the brides/bridesmaids car window!!!!!... :'( Luckily I was able to remove (Thanks Photoshop) for the prints!!! :clap:

Annoyed I didn't spot it at the time, but you do get lost in getting the shots sometimes. Especially under pressure, being stressed as it is your first go.

As it happens apparently they had a good chuckle about it and said (As it was) it was difficult on that busy road, but they absolutely loved the photos on the whole. :)

O.K I chose to do it to help them out and I wanted the experience to possibly choose to do it more if I liked it. - Professionally later on.

IMHO - I'd say give it a go, but do it for free. On the clear understanding that of course you will do your best, as I did. With that in mind they cannot expect anything great nor be disappointed if they aren't that good. In taking no payment you can somewhat illeviate yourself of most of the guilt you would have for not providing them with great photos. That is just IMO.

What I would say is do what I did. Ask a LOT of questions, the people on here for the most are fantastic and will help you immensley. DO YOUR RESEARCH and visit BOTH venues, Church, Registry Office and the Reception more than once to see what the conditions are and whats allowed and what isn't. Definitely you MUST meet the couple to discuss what they are looking for and to break the ice.

Get Batteries and Cards, Spares and you really will need a flashgun of some description. If you only have one bit of kit as I did. Treat it like it was your newborn baby the whole day, don't drop it or leave it on a table to get Champange in it :| . If it does let you down try and have at least a point and shoot to get SOME shots..

Actually some of the shots (4) I used were from my sons Samsung P1000 10.1 Megapixel PAS, and they are O.K.

Thats my two penneth anyway :wave:

Good Luck
 
dellipher said:
Alot of brides like the "details" Photographed on their wedding day......shoes are very important!
Click to expand...

True, and as the wedding dress tends to cover them, I suppose that's the only way to photograph them. I remember saying to Sue all those years ago "With the length off that dress, you may as well wear trainers" I can still feel that thump now! :D
 
I would say offer to do it, but make it very clear about how you've never done it before, and cannot guarantee anything.

Maybe charge a small fee like the 100/150 quoted above to cover any extra expenses you might incur...

Thats my 0.02 anyway

EDIT to add: If you need lenses or gear, have you considered renting over buying?
 
I remember doing a wedding in November 2007 a month after owning a DSLR, they dint pay me, as I was doing it for free as I was learning and going to use their images for one of my course modules.
However I did say that any prints would be chargeable. They bought Loads!!!

They were really happy with the pictures. I look on some of them now and think they're not THAT bad, but the rest I look back and cringe!

Its all in all how comfortable you are in doing it, but I wouldnt say yes or no, until you've met the couple and found out their expectations.
 
I've done nearly 50 weddings now. Some couples have requested photography purely on the grounds that other people expect it rather than actually wanting a bespoke wedding album full of photos of their day. Some are happy to have a handful of photographs with one enlargement just for the mantle piece.

A friend asked me to take his wedding once but as I knew him so well I thought it best not to even though I'm pretty expereinced. I advised him to use a mate who also does weddings and I said I'd put the album together for him at cost. He still hasn't decided on the photos to put in the album................five years later I've still got the empty album they chose!


I think the couple sound like they aren't too fussed you could take loads of photographs with digital, the equipment you've got is better than some peoples equipment i've seen at weddings. I think you may as well try. Take a look and various websites... see what you think and ask your sister and her boyfriend if you could do some test shots.
 
Ask them if they mind some "extra" togs and stick up an invite to get two or three people from here who want the experience to help you. Being a second Tog, where you don't need to organise people is v easy compared with organising the whole lot.

Doing this also gives you backup kit, and loads of chances to get what you/they want.

Also do a bit of research on the location and consider the time of year. I had the dubious honour of doing the Sister in Laws. She didn't want a pro, and is happy enough with what I took, although I am gutted I did such a bad job, well below my usual below average standard. However, on DVD they look more than passable so not too bad. Main problem was Light. Winter wedding, so even though bright sunshine on the way in, dark when came out which screwed me over. No external flash, and I struggled, specially at the reception which had no suitable place for photos.

The more people the better I say, and you'll need a tripod, flash, loads of storage, and I would take a laptop. Not only can you backup during the day, but yo ucan view your lics in the middle of the day. This gives you the chance to make sure that the shots wanted by the couple are good, or the chance to do a reshoot before the end of the day.

Have fun!??!
 
I also had a similar experience a few years ago - I'd previously taken some nice portraits of a friend and she asked if I'd photograph her wedding as they couldn't afford to hire a photographer. It started out as "nothing official, but if you could get some nice shots that would be great", and, of course, turned into me being official photographer...

First thing I would say is, I absolutely loved the experience - if you have any interest at all in wedding photography this sounds like a great, low-pressure chance to try it.

I got them to pay for equipment hire, which at the time included a dSLR as I wasn't prepared to shoot to film and not know how the shots were turning out, as well as a f2.8 standard zoom.

It all seemed to turn out pretty well. Judging by the advice that's given on forums about novices photographing weddings, I should have experienced multiple equipment failures, lost all the photos, suffered plague, flooding and fire, etc etc, but in my blissful ignorance with one lens and one camera I got a decent set of pictures that the couple were delighted with.

They weren't all perfect - there were a lot of disappointing group shots (awkward shadows on a bright day) that would have been great if in the heat of the moment I'd thought to use flash. And everything would have been much easier if we'd nominated an assistant to organise people into shots.

But the whole thing was done on the basis that I wasn't a pro, they weren't expecting pro results, just some nice pictures from someone with a bit more idea than the average punter at the wedding. And I ended up with a little cash gift that I hadn't expected.

I didn't print anything for them, just selected and processed some images, and gave them the lot on a CD to do their own thing with.

So, my top tips - hire some equipment, probably a fast 18-50 would be the most useful addition to your kit, (not sure it there is one that will autofocus on the D40), set their expectation levels, nominate an assistant to organise group shots, and try and practice some situations similar to those you'll experience on the day. And, of course, enjoy it.

Hope that helps!
Neil
 
If you need the extra equipment to do the job, then I'd suggest that they buy it for you and you'll shoot the wedding for free. That way you get what you need, they get what they want ... all winners :thumbs:
 
Didn't want you all to think I'd asked for advice and then just dismissed it all.

They have asked if they can come over for lunch one day and have a chat with me about it, which I think is a good idea.

I've also decided I probably won't charge as such for doing it but will ask for my expenses for travelling etc. I would like to visit the places the wedding is taking place at beforehand just to get a feel for them as well.

I've still not decided that I'll definitely do it, will wait till I've met up with them.

Thanks everyone for your feedback though, its been really helpful to get a lot of it into perspective.
 
I've shot several weddings for friends and neighbours with good results. I only have the lenses listed below.

One thing I must urge you to get is an External flash, it's a godsend for fill and indoor bounce. Always shoot RAW aswell as it can save an amateurs bacon.
 
i would go for it as long as they know how you feel and they would cover the costs of travel etc etc.... hey you may even suprise yourself and open something new up for yourself...

as long as they know how you feel what you got to lose?????

i would go for it :thumbs:
 
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