Wedding photography?.....

button-moon

button-moon

Messages
1,171
Name
Tracey
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi Guys,

Just a quick question really,

those of you who are wedding togs....how did u get into it?

and does anyone know of any wedding photography courses/workshops in Lancashire?

i may be needed as a second shooter at a wedding (the main tog is not a professional either) and its just a few pictures by friends more than anything.

So i would like to go into it knowing abit more of what to do and feel a little more prepared!

so how do i get into it!?!!

thanks everyone xx
 
Hello - I took some photos at my brother-in-law's wedding (long story but they had two weddings due to families' religious differences so couldn't afford pro at both). I spent ages looking at wedding photos on FLickr, chose a few I liked and made sure I got those shots. I hired a couple of suitable lenses too, which really helped in the low light (and a fisheye to copy a church balcony shot I'd seen on FLickr).

Was quite pleased with how my set turned out anyway http://www.flickr.com/photos/35319044@N04/sets/72157622650385075/with/4092768375/
 
I'd been doing portraits for a year or so and a mate asked me to do his wedding, I trusted my own ability and they were really happy with the results. Funnily enough I'd never had any interest in doing weddings before then but enjoyed it so much that I'm looking to make weddings the main part of the business in 2012. Shot four now and seven more booked for this year so far.
 
AnnaV, your images are stunning!!! fantastic stuff :)

i still know very little about photography really :nuts:
which lenses did you choose for the low light conditions? im hoping to hire a few bits and pieces too :)
and did you use flash?? its just that i know a few churches/places are funny about it and want to be prepared just in case!
thanks very much for the reply :)


thanks for the link chip, ive seen a few of the online courses for things (also was apart of a free one that was running not so long back) but in all honesty i was hoping to have a more 'hands-on' approch...as thats how i learn. if i sit and read for too long it seems to go in....and go straight back out again LMAO


Dman, fantastic news, and congratulations!!
i think thats what im lacking...i dont trust my own ability, because im new....everyone says i have an 'eye' for photography, but its getting that actual shot that i struggle with LOL which you cant really do at a wedding!
i do really want to get into it though as i love photography, i just need to jump in i think in a situation similar to yours....where the clients are family or friends who know your ability


cant say im not bricking it though!! LOL

thanks for everyone who took the time to reply....i was expecting something like....'you have no idea what your doing and your shooting a WEDDING....YOU IDIOT!!' LOL but i suppose we all have to start somewhere! just wondering if any of you had done courses first etc.
 
Hmm, how did I start?

1. Assisted a guy on a crazy 20 hour, 800 guest Sikh wedding (actually I second shot - but I was pretty clueless)
2. 2nd shot for same guy at a country house wedding - something "went wrong" with his images and he ended up pretty much using mine.
3. Was going to 2nd shoot for him at a Chelsea Reg wedding but just before bride arrived he said "oh, did I mention I'm double booked?" and left me to get on with it.

That was about 4 years or so ago. Been running my own company since then. Done a couple of weddings ;) http://peoplebyryan.com/weddings/wedding-news
 
PMSL.......omg talk about pressure leaving you to do it on your own!!

see id love to second tog for someone n watch how its done, get some tips. but the person im second togging with...is also at the same stage in photography as me.....:LOL:

lovely photography by the way!!...that snowy wedding looked VERY tricky!! LOL
 
How did I get into it?

Three years ago I went to second shoot for a friend of a friend and loved it :)

So I vowed to learn everything I could. That led me to reading everything I could get my hands on (Damien Lovegroves book is highly recommended) as is Mark Cleghorn's site.

Started regularly second shooting for a couple of photographers I met who had arranged some local meets. They then introduced me to yet more contacts. In the meantime I started booking and shooting my own weddings. Went to second shoot with Mark Pearson and Paul Brown and we got on like a house on fire.

So rather than putting the fire out we are chucking petrol on it! There are now three of us as lead photographers with a rapidly expanding team and the work is coming in nicely. :)

There are more than one ways to learn, you are right and not every way suits every person. BUT I really do recommend reading and watching as well as doing. If you only do the doing bit how do you know that what you are doing is right?

When Mark starts a new second they don't shoot on the first few weddings, they watch! Might seem like a waste but I swear I learned more by just watching than on any other wedding. :)

The technical stuff is but one small part of shooting a wedding. If you are not in the right place, at the right time with the right kit in your hand it does not matter if you can shoot faultlessly. Learning the day, the formalities, when to shoot and when to watch, those are as much key skills as taking a decent pic.
 
Last edited:
alib thanks very much for that, its really very useful :)
i have signed up for a free weekly sort of 'lesson' that gets e-mailed to me, think theres about 7 lessons overall, just so i know what to expect etc, so hoping that will help.

I often look through wedding sites (ALOT) LOL and i know they sort of images i want to capture....the main part is having confidence....i dont have the confidence to just get up and do one. id really love to be second tog to a professional though...exactly how you started.
I know what you mean about just watching too, bet you learn loads on where to stand, when to disappear to a spot to get certain shots etc.

the kit is another problem.....i need to hire a better camera and some kit but wouldnt really know what to choose!


its just me being super cautious and scared LOL

i make cakes...and was asked to wedding cakes....i turned every single one down as i felt i wasnt good enough to take on something so 'big' its always centre of attention at one point in the day and i didnt feel i was ready.
Until one woman came along and wanted to get a wedding cake for a couple who couldnt afford one and wasnt having one......so basically it was either my cake, or no cake.
so i threw myself at it and give it a go. Ever since then ive been making wedding cakes!!

so i suppose the same applies....i need to throw myself into this wedding where im not expected to get any shots n hope to come out good LOL
 
We shoot in a very structured way :) So each part of the day we know exactly what each other are going to shoot and why.....even down to which way up we need the shots for the album :)

Planning and communication are the key to it. We know up front what album we are shooting for (landscape square or portrait) because that dictates the formats we will use.
There is a lot of reverse planning goes into it, I will know how I want the bridal prep pages to look and how to shoot the images we need so I can ask my colleages for a specific shot. As they will when I shoot second for them so I might get asked for a perfume bottle landscape and portrait. I don't ask why, I just shoot it! But they will have a clear idea in their head of what they want.

You need a plan, work out which shots are absolutely necessary and how you are going to get them. With no plan, chaos descends and you end up missing key things.
 
yeah i totally understand what you mean, as the album is going to be the finished product so on the day you need to know exactly how you need it. Its fantastic you all gel together so well.

Me and my friend are hoping to go into it together (providing we do LOTS of practice, work together well and actually get good results LOL)
weve known each other since we were little, both love photography, and want the same thing from a business so hoping it will go well. Luckily he has the confidence i lack, and id like to think i have the business,advertising and client liaison part .....aswell as my 'eye' for photography i get told i have LOL

Its something i really want to work at. But im always a scardey cat when other people are involved. I mean....its the biggest day of the couples life, months and even years of planning have gone into it, so i want to make sure everything goes right! LOL
 
I got into it through a combination of courses (went on the RPS wedding photography course), offering freebies on wedding forums + shooting friend and family weddings.

This allowed me to build up a decent portfolio which then lead onto me getting a few jobs 2nd shooting.

I have recently recieved my first 2 paid bookings (reccomendations from the freebies) - with the possibility of a further two.

Unless you know someone who is willing to take a chance on you assisting/2nd shooting without seeing any material - you definately need to try and build up a bit of a portfolio first. It helped me a lot.
 
button-moon said:
but the person im second togging with...is also at the same stage in photography as me.....:LOL:
Click to expand...

IMO that's the very worst way to go about it (it's also the most common ;) )

If neither of you have experience then you aren't second shooting (which might be as Ali says "go and shoot a perfume bottle in the right 3rd" or "follow that bloke and get a picture of him laughing"). It's backup shooting. You're both taking pictures and hoping the other one gets it.

I shot with a second for a while and found this dangerous - you pull back assuming they are getting the shot and they do the same :) You have to trust your 2nd - or at least know their limitations.

We shoot in a very structured way So each part of the day we know exactly what each other are going to shoot and why.....even down to which way up we need the shots for the album
Click to expand...

Cool! I've heard of people doing this and always wanted to. Sometimes I've had a go but then something catches fire or a fight starts or there's a really cool sunset :D (srsly - why do the crazy things always happen to me?)

I'm going to work on this more this year as I'm jealous of the people who can pull it off. I'll be back with questions.

button-moon said:
lovely photography by the way!!...that snowy wedding looked VERY tricky!! LOL
Click to expand...

Thanks :) Yeah it was tough. Not the toughest I've shot but not far off....
 
I've not done one of his wedding workshops, but I've bought some of his DVD's and attended one of his lighting workshops last year and if they are anything to go by I think the Lovegrove Wedding Workshops should be very good quality.

There's obviously much cheaper options out there but Lovegrove keep the class numbers low which is why they charge more than some of the others where you will find class numbers to be double the size.

http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/shooting_weddings.aspx

I think Mark Cleghorn is a decent photographer but I dont think I would put him in the same class as Damien Lovegrove in terms of presentation, quality and just downright easy to listen to and get inspiration from.

Regards my own route into it, like many others I shot a skint friends wedding for free (along with a friend) and fell in love with it and then spent 15k and the best part of a year before I shot my next one... at which point I had another 20 bookings.... good job I enjoyed the second one as much as the first :)
 
Moonhawk said:
I got into it through a combination of courses (went on the RPS wedding photography course), offering freebies on wedding forums + shooting friend and family weddings.

This allowed me to build up a decent portfolio which then lead onto me getting a few jobs 2nd shooting.

I have recently recieved my first 2 paid bookings (reccomendations from the freebies) - with the possibility of a further two.

Unless you know someone who is willing to take a chance on you assisting/2nd shooting without seeing any material - you definately need to try and build up a bit of a portfolio first. It helped me a lot.
Click to expand...

yeah we are hoping to do lots n lots of practice first, maybe a few 'dummy' weddings to get shots, we are hoping to go to Manchester soon and check out some of the cathedrals/churches for some practice in the low light conditions where we may not be allowed to use flash etc.
im really interested in doing a course :)

JonathanRyan said:
IMO that's the very worst way to go about it (it's also the most common ;) )

If neither of you have experience then you aren't second shooting (which might be as Ali says "go and shoot a perfume bottle in the right 3rd" or "follow that bloke and get a picture of him laughing"). It's backup shooting. You're both taking pictures and hoping the other one gets it.

I shot with a second for a while and found this dangerous - you pull back assuming they are getting the shot and they do the same :) You have to trust your 2nd - or at least know their limitations.
Click to expand...

lol i dont think i explained myself properly....the wedding we are doing is a friend of ours..so we are both heading in as a favour really. 2 amateur photographers might be better than one amateur photographer is what we were thinking LOL plus it gives us the chance to work together n see what would be best for us in the future.
its my friend who was aaked to do the wedding, and in turn he knew i was into photography so asked me to be there as back-up, be second shooter....so he would be the main...shooting all the important stuff, and i would be from a distance getting the wedding details, family, friends, candids and a few alternate angles of the bride n groom if that makes sense?

either way between us we are hoping to come away with at least one good photo PMSL
he says my photography is better than i give myself credit for...its still because im scared of doing photography for someone else other than myself!

have any of you ever been scared? and what did u do?!

Wedding-Photos said:
I've not done one of his wedding workshops, but I've bought some of his DVD's and attended one of his lighting workshops last year and if they are anything to go by I think the Lovegrove Wedding Workshops should be very good quality.

There's obviously much cheaper options out there but Lovegrove keep the class numbers low which is why they charge more than some of the others where you will find class numbers to be double the size.

http://www.lovegroveconsulting.com/shooting_weddings.aspx

I think Mark Cleghorn is a decent photographer but I dont think I would put him in the same class as Damien Lovegrove in terms of presentation, quality and just downright easy to listen to and get inspiration from.

Regards my own route into it, like many others I shot a skint friends wedding for free (along with a friend) and fell in love with it and then spent 15k and the best part of a year before I shot my next one... at which point I had another 20 bookings.... good job I enjoyed the second one as much as the first :)
Click to expand...

thanks for that link...i didnt think the price was too bad when i saw 3 day course....but realised it was a different price for that! LOL

the way u got into photography is very much how this first wedding is going to be...shooting a mates wedding with a friend. though cant see me following in your steps and spending 15k!! thats crazy LOL
and good for you with all your bookings!! congrats :clap:
 
Went to a friend's wedding as a guest and took my shiny new DSLR (this was mid-2005), The pro they used dropped the ball horribly so they ended up using mine for their album.

Then a friend of theirs asked if I'd do their wedding, which I did and it went from there.

I much, much prefer shooting alone though. Much.
 
button-moon said:
lol i dont think i explained myself properly....the wedding we are doing is a friend of ours..so we are both heading in as a favour really. 2 amateur photographers might be better than one amateur photographer is what we were thinking LOL
Click to expand...

Nope I understood you ;)

I absolutely understand this approach and most people do it that way. It may be just me but I reckon I'd be better off on my own in that situation.

My third shoot (where the other guy ran off) I still remember the sound of the ceremony door closing and knowing that everything was down to me. But at least that meant that I had no option but to succeed. With a safety net it would have taken me a lot longer.

button-moon said:
have any of you ever been scared? and what did u do?!
Click to expand...

Of course! Anybody who says they are never scared/excited (they are exactly the same thing) as a wedding photographer is either lying or in the wrong job ;)

The guy I started with was bored of what he did, his pictures were boring and he made mistakes. That's why he needed my pics from the second wedding. He'd basically got so bored of his job that he was no longer interested in it.

What do I do about it? Pick up a camera. That quote from Joe McNally's bang on. "Then I pick up a camera and know I'm going to be OK". I mean, assuming it works.
 
LOL Jonathan..thanks :)

o mt god i would have ***** myself at that moment i found out id have to do it alone!!

i remember walking into my job on the first day and the boss just leaving me to it!! i was like WHHHAAA??? what the hell am i supposed to do!? LOL
bearing in mind this was a reptile shop and i had to sell reptiles and box up snakes n tarantulas to people!! LMAO

the reason we are both heading in together is hoping we can cover as much of the day as possible really and see if we work together well....as at some point he said if we are good enough and it goes well we should pursue it as a part-time business, so heading in alone wouldnt really help? or am i wrong LOL (i know it would help the photography side of things) but we need to see if we can work well together...and how it pans out.

i could do with help getting the right setting in posititon for each of the shots...or shall i stick it in auto and shoot away? PMSL
 
button-moon said:
i could do with help getting the right setting in posititon for each of the shots...or shall i stick it in auto and shoot away? PMSL
Click to expand...

Yes :) I know a couple of very good pros who shoot on P and let the camera get on with it (although they know all about exposure compensation and shift the exposures to suit) but you would be much better off getting some good expressions and little moments than fiddling with settings. If you are not sure and got them right before the shot comes along then just shoot on P (puts tin helmet on)

And Guy is spot on too. He much prefers working alone, but then Guy's style of photography is better suited to that approach. There is no right and wrong with that one, just what is right for you ;)
 
I'm coming to this from a slightly different angle since I am also just starting out. I got my first wedding booking, for next month, on the strength of my family portraits (I started that business about 3 months ago), even though I have no wedding experience or portfolio. The bride is a facebook friend of my sister and saw my work through there. She was having trouble finding a photographer with a modern, relaxed style so asked me.

I'm a big believer in training so attended a four day business of photography course with Aspire photography training (formerly Annabel Williams) in the Lake District which was really invaluable. I also plan to attend a wedding course in the near future, possibly a Lovegrove one to see a different perspective. I have invested an amount of money I don't even like to think about in gear (believe me, that 15k figure is not unrealistic) so that my only limitations are myself! I have contacted some local photographers about being their assistant but have had no luck as yet, I'll keep trying! My first wedding is at a fab venue so I'm hoping that it will show off my skills and lead to word of mouth recommendations and some people who have shown an interest confirming their bookings. Fingers crossed. I currently alternate between terror and super-excitement! I'm confident I can do the job but you just never know what will happen on the day. I've got wet weather backup locations for photos sorted out anyway, I'll be obsessively planning for the next month :)

Anyway, that's how I've gone about it! I would have loved to have had assisting experience before my first wedding but it just didn't work out. It's good to see that not everyone here has gone along what I would consider the 'correct route' ie like AliB! There's hope for me yet :)

Good luck with your first wedding, if it goes well I hope you'll post some results up here :)
 
There is not really any "correct" route, only what is right for you. Sure it's a lot less risk for the couple if you learn "on the job" as it were but don't forget people like Duncan Kerridge who took redundancy, bought some kit and dived straight in. Still one of my favourite wedding photographers. Damien Lovegrove...left the BBC as a lighting director thinking he knew all about lighting so how hard could this photography lark be? £30K in debt and year on he was thinking a little differently. Damien is very generous in telling people of his experiences rather than letting people think he was an overnight success.

Mind you those were both before the marketplace became utterly saturated!

So no real right and wrong, but the ability to marry photography and business skills would be a big advantage :)
 
Last edited:
Radiohead said:
First few I absolutely bricked it. Now I don't.
Click to expand...

I felt the same my first few too (actually more like my first 10) felt like the world was spinning twice as fast as it should have been :)

It's slowed down a bit now though (coming up to 100) ...... I think the more you shoot the more your able to anticipate things happening and the slower the day feels.

You still get days where its just rush rush rush of course, whether because of weather, the timetable slipping or unforeseen factors but in those cases I definitely feel a bit more like a duck than a headless chicken. :D
 
I had just started my photography business shooting events and there was a post on here asking for some help at a wedding (I think it was a £50) so I volunteered (figured out why not give weddings a go), turned out to be his first wedding too. But I had confidence in my ability had I had the backup kit in case my kit failed. We planned down to the smallest details. It went well, got a few great shots, learned loads and made some massive mistakes (not that the B&G were ever aware) ;). Picked up a booking at that wedding which he couldn't do because the B was impressed at how we worked so I did that one with a different second.

We did another two together last year and then I did one free (well for fuel) for one of the people on here who was thinking about shooting their own wedding, took a second tog along (a very good chap IIRC ;)).

Then this year he passed 2 to me which he couldn't do but took a small cut for the work (again brought in a 2nd tog) and we did another 2 together and I did another free one for a mate of mine.

Business is slowly building and I'll be the first to admit I could do more to build it faster. I've now got what I think to be a decent starter portfolio and along with getting more work I'm hoping that my application to MarkP is successful so I get do what AliB has just done.

I personally find working with a 2nd really effective not only do you get more coverage, you get 2 angles. As others have said; you need constant communication if there are 2 of you and you make it clear who is doing what, when and where and during the event talking to each other to make sure which shots have been got and which still need to be done. The key is planning and working out what could go wrong and working out what can be done to reduce that impact if it does happen (that's where a backup camera comes from).

As for getting scared, yes, I usually have a small crisis of confidence until I've got a shot in the camera but the B&G would never know (bit of an ice man on that front), once the day has started I don't have time to worry anymore. If things go wrong (which the will at some point) the motto to remember is to "Breathe" and "Keep Calm and Carry On".

What I remember though is not the hours of planning, not the nerves, not the things that went wrong (although I do learn from them), or the days of processing afterwards, what I remember is the feeling of getting the shots I'm after and knowing that I've made my clients day special that little bit more special. That is only beaten when you take the shots round afterwards and they love what you've done.
 
Yeah, still get butterflies. Get to the bride's house or the venue, take a deep breath. Once I get the camera in my hand I'm fine. It's like going into work mode, I become focussed on what I need and get down to work :)

Got some ideas on some things I want to expand into next year too so that will be fun :)
 
Alib, that is a HUGE weight off my shoulders knowing a few people can let the camera do some of the work!!! i was expecting i had to go in using M and fiddle with the settings every 2 seconds!

Lauren i feel the same, i feel like i need to 'train' for it too. Just found out its June this year!! eeeeeek!
Good luck with your first wedding, im sure it will go fine!! and your very brave for heading in alone....i don think i could do that for a first wedding!!
and of course, i'll post some pics on here....good or bad so i can get slated...and then end up crying :LOL:
no seriously though would be great to get some feedback...though alot of the members seem to have got quite harsh n picky over the past few months!

Ali....yeah im currently heading into business myself (but for cake making!) and have attended a business course...which was really really helpful, plus there are people on hand ready to help me out with that. So im hoping to put what ive learned already into the photography business (if it ever comes to light!) and i work with customers all the time and nearly all my reviews say 'what a really nice woman to deal with!' so i must be doing something right :) im really easy to get on with so hoping that will help!

Nick, thats also what im worried about! i bet the day just goes so quick and you just have to shoot shoot shoot so you dont miss anything! afterall u cant just say 'wait a minute....do that again i didnt quite catch it!' LOL


simon i have also seen someone here on this site offering to be a second tog at a wedding and the price was also £50....would be great practice but obviously both me and my friend would need to be second tog at the same time LOL

it seems to have worked out really well for you! and sounds like youve done quite a few already!
Yeah was thinking about the 'back-up' items. hoping to hire a decent camera, and take my 500D as back-up. though the thought of using a totally different, more expensive, more complex camera fills me with dread LOL
 
You need to know your cameras inside out. You don't seem to have a great knowledge of lenses, ISO shutter speed and apeture settings by your own admission!
You can't spend time trying to work out why your camera isn't autofocusing in the middle of a wedding only to find you've accidentally moved the camera setting from auto to manual (it happens too easily on the Nikons). You'll have missed the shot and there's no second chance. Spend a few months taking thousands of photos of anything that interests you (preferably people) sit in a town centre and take candids of passers by. Use the zooms, try low light photos with and without flash and learn your camera and flash manuals inside out. When you're confident with your camera get friendly with a pro wedding togger and ask if you can shadow/2nd shoot for a few weddings before you go solo.
good luck
 
lol thats true Roger.
i have a kit lens, a 75-300 and a 50mm. i know when n where to use them, and i know that iso brightens the image without use of flash but causes noise, f number determines how much is in focus and how blurred the background will be......the trouble i have, is how they work TOGETHER....as soon as i move the F number, the picture will become darker or lighter (as with shutter speed) i know what they do individually....but getting them to work together is a different ball game! LOL

i know how my autofocussing works etc, so i might be ok on that front.
yeah i deffinately need to spend a few months taking pictures of people. im attending a free model shoot in February, but i also need to do more candid work as u can pose the bride n groom all day.

thanks very much for the tips Roger,
im taking each and every single one of everyones replies on board x
 
button-moon said:
i still know very little about photography really :nuts:

i think thats what im lacking...i dont trust my own ability, because im new....everyone says i have an 'eye' for photography, but its getting that actual shot that i struggle with LOL which you cant really do at a wedding!
i do really want to get into it though as i love photography, i just need to jump in i think in a situation similar to yours....where the clients are family or friends who know your ability

cant say im not bricking it though!! LOL

thanks for everyone who took the time to reply....i was expecting something like....'you have no idea what your doing and your shooting a WEDDING....YOU IDIOT!!' LOL but i suppose we all have to start somewhere! just wondering if any of you had done courses first etc.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean.

I was asked to get some shots at a family member's wedding. The family loved them but I wasn't 100% happy with them. I've since upgraded my kit and have been asked to get some shots at a friend's wedding and can't wait. I'm still bricking it though.
 
also qualify every piece of advice you read against who gave it, if someone tells you to change your game who are they, why are they telling you and if you respect their work then think fairly hard before either ignoring them (but nicely) or going with it. I see some awful advice on here and other places but I also see some brilliant advice freely given.
 
I was asked to get some shots at a family member's wedding. The family loved them but I wasn't 100% happy with them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've done weddings before, the clients were happy with them and the cost. I wasn't. I know I can do better, just with a bit more practice, practice and practice.

So that is what I intend to do and sometime come back and charge 300% more, producing pictures that not only the client is happy with, but I'm happy with them too.
 
yeah thats probably what ours is going to be like if im being honest, i know the bride and groom will probably be happy (as afterall they arent photographers n dont see all the little wrong details in the photos like we do!)
and me n Key are perfectionists, so probably wont be happy with the first set! LOL

thanks David....yeah whilst i was looking around for courses i came across a few, and then i tracked their personal website down where they posted their OWN images. and i thought u want £400 to learn me how to do wedding photography, when your pictures arent great themselves!! LOL
i plan to add that mentality to people who give me feedback on my pictures in the hope i wont get too disheartened if people totally slate my pictures if they cant take them, themselves LOL
 
I e-mailed a few photogs in the area, offering to come as a 2nd shooter for free. Most of them didn't reply, but finally one did, and he turned out to be the nicest, most helpful photog ever. I definitely got lucky there! He took me on to every wedding he'd booked and a few engagement shoots and in that year I learnt as much as I could from him...until I felt comfortable enough to go solo. He's still a great friend of mine now and I look to him as a mentor of sorts. :)
 
thats lovely Jesselynn!

well i did my first wedding, still ahvent got round to processing all of the images yet due to being super busy with other things, but i should have a few posted soon :)
x
 
I've just spent this weekend at a wedding and obviously had to cart my gear along and take some shots. Mainly buzzing around taking candids whilst the official photographer did his job.

Turned out they'd only hired him for the ceremony and official portraits outside afterward so I made sure I took as many shots as I could during the reception and evening bash.

I really really enjoyed it! Felt a bit self-concious at first as I wasn't the official photographer, merely a guest, and wondered if people would object to having me buzzing around with a huge DSLR all the time but it was fine. Shoved a selection of the shots up on Flickr today and have had a fantastic response from the family and guests - they all seem to think they're superb.

I'm now wondering if this is something I'd like to do more often. I'd obviously want to second-tog with someone experienced to start with and, tbh, that may be all I'd ever want to do as I'm not sure I'd want to make a living out of it, just enjoy it for the fun of the photography.

So where's the best place to find someone who might want me to tag along on a freebie? I've seen a few mentions of specific wedding photography forums but wouldn't know where to look so any advice would be useful :)
 
Same as most people I started out doing a favour for a friend....

I realised I could get the results so moved on to offering free wedding photography on gum tree. 5 or 6 weddings for nothing (Only really needed one or two, but you live and learn) and built up a nice little portfolio. On the back of that I've now had plenty of paid work, in various photographic discaplines....

Ive shot with the bare minimum of kit and grown my kit bag as I've gone on.
 
I was asked to photograph my friend's wedding in April, while it's great that someone has such faith in you but hugely terrifying too, and now I have been asked to do another.... in 2 months :help: I am booked on a workshop in October but that doesn't help me for the September wedding so mostly I will be reading... reading threads on here, reading magazines, books, e-books, blogs and also visiting the venues to get a good heads up on what to expect. The second wedding is in a modern hotel but the first is in a church :help::help:
 
Iris said:
I was asked to photograph my friend's wedding in April, while it's great that someone has such faith in you but hugely terrifying too
Click to expand...
I agree! I've been asked to do my friend's wedding in October. :help: They want everything very simple, and they know its not going to be pro level (I've made that clear!). Its not even just about the cost (though of course they are glad to save the money!) but also about wanting the photography by a friend rather than a stranger.

Iris said:
I am booked on a workshop in October but that doesn't help me for the September wedding so mostly I will be reading... reading threads on here, reading magazines, books, e-books, blogs and also visiting the venues to get a good heads up on what to expect.
Click to expand...
I'm reading a lot as well, and also plan to visit the venues, take test shots etc. I think preparation and planning is key.

If I enjoy it then I'll think about doing another one. Everyone has to start somewhere...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top