Has anyone shot here/ advice
ADMIT Photography
Registered Users Posts: 431 Major grins
I'm shooting my first wedding next weekend and my nerves are starting to catch up to me. I'm sure I'll do fine but it's just the fact it's my first one. Anyway I was wondering if anyone has an last min tips for me. I have my final meeting with the couple on Sunday afternoon to go over some last min details.
Finally I was wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to shoot at the Crystal Gardens in Edwardsville, IL? We will be in the courtyard for the wedding and an onsite building for the reception. So i was wondering if you have been there if you have any tips.
Finally I was wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to shoot at the Crystal Gardens in Edwardsville, IL? We will be in the courtyard for the wedding and an onsite building for the reception. So i was wondering if you have been there if you have any tips.
Website: http://www.admitphotography.com
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Nikon D200, D80, SB600, nikon 50mm 1.8, nikon 18-135 3.5-4.6, nikon 70-200
Facebook - Twitter
Nikon D200, D80, SB600, nikon 50mm 1.8, nikon 18-135 3.5-4.6, nikon 70-200
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Not from IL, but some last minute advice:
Assuming you already know what your doing with the camera and strobes...
1. Redundancy. Back up Camera(s), Backup Flashes, more batteries that you will think you will ever need, more memory than you think you will need.
2. The night before, spread out all of your camera gear that your planning on bringing, to inventory it. Stare at it, and think... "what else could I possibly need?". Then repack everything the morning of. That way you will remember where everything is.
3. If they asked you to be there at 1:00, get there at 12:00. What if your car breaks down? This also allows you to scout the location (if you haven't already) for lighting and other logistical ideas like where you will do formals (which I HATE!). If you can (again, if you haven't already) ask the bride to walk you through the ceremony, or anything else that might be out of the ordinary. Don't expect to do this as she's about to get her hair done. Last resort ask the groom. Grooms are usually puppets when it comes to knowing what's going on though.
4. Always have a backup plan if it rains. You had all these grand ideas of posing everyone in front of that nice lake, but now it's POURING RAIN! What's your backup location?
5. Be ready to give direction to people. They will be standing there with blank faces, looking at you wondering what you are doing, if your not directing them. Even if your peeing your pants nervous because your green, do NOT show it! They will pick up on it, and they won't relax because of it
6. Anticipate everything. If the bride is about to walk down the isle, and you only have two shots left on a disc. Dump that disc in, and start a freshie.
7. Relax! This should be # 1.
I know I'm forgetting stuff... but that's a good start, I guess.
Good luck!
Good advise, my first wedding alone is next Saturday. Thanks:D
http://www.adesignphotography.com
Bob
In the name of helping BRIDES get the BEST PHOTOS on their wedding day, (as opposed to ranting about amateurs stealing business from pros, which I honestly don't care about) ...I have to ask: Do you people EVER shoot a wedding, as a 2nd shooter or as a casual shooter, before you do your first wedding as the primary shooter?
I don't meant to hijack this thread but it is really an important matter. The difference between assisting a real pro 10x before going out on your own, and shooting your 1st wedding as your FIRST first wedding, well there's light years of difference.
I'm not saying this to be aloof or anything, because I know this fact because I started on the WRONG path. I shot my very first wedding as the 2nd wedding I had ever brought a camera to, period. And it was a very bad experience. In fact it was bad experience for the first couple / few years. Oppositely, I now have associates who have photographed as a 2nd shooter for other studios 10-20 times, and then when THEY go out on their own, they feel very little pressure and the photos turn out AWESOME.
Anyways, for those of you who have already "signed up" for your 1st wedding and are shooting it with zero experience going in, the only advice I CAN give is to know your camera gear like the back of your hand, and to RELAX, try to feel as little pressure as possible.
If you're wondering what lenses to bring, or what mode to shoot in, you really should no be doing this. Anybody shooting a wedding should inherently know how to handle any kind of light, and they should have a general idea of their own shooting style and what lenses they prefer shooting with to execute that style.
I guess I've become the nay-sayer and party-pooper of the Smugmug wedding forum, but I just want to help people bet better and deliver the best possible photos to their brides, honestly. Like I said before- I couldn't care less if you "stole my business". That simply means that *I'M* not doing a good enough job. And I have no entitlement to this career. Nobody does. So, good luck to all, and hopefully the best photographers will be the ones getting the work.
(And hopefullly, the answer to my 1st question above is that YES, you HAVE assisted other photographers before, or have shot from the sidelines at MANY a wedding. In which case, stop worrying! You'll be just fine...)
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Respectfully,
Bob