Learning Wedding Photography

Aldazar

How to people get started in wedding photography? Other than people who go to school for it and start from there, that is.

I was thinking a good way to start would be to offer to assist a pro for free on a wedding shoot in exchage for training/advice/whatever. Do people do that?

I'd like to learn how to shoot weddings, but have a full time job as it is, so it'd be on the side and a more gradual process over time.

Any ideas?

sweet caroline

Yes, many people trying to start out in weddings assist or second shoot with a pro. This is a great way to get started.

Caroline

Shima

sweet caroline wrote:

Yes, many people trying to start out in weddings assist or second shoot with a pro. This is a great way to get started.

Caroline

Second shooting and / or assisting pro's is the best way to learn. This is a field where there is nothing better than hands on experience, and you don't want to do your hands on experience by yourself with a willing "victim" since you want everyone you work with to always have phenomenal results, so starting as a 2nd is a safe way to ensure that you learn the ropes without risking missing / forgetting to capture something like if you were to jump straight in and not 2nd shoot first.

Photog4Christ

FedererPhoto

With the addition that you should really try to learn as much as possible (on the web, through books, practice on friends, etc) BEFORE assisting... so that way you are actually helpful to your photographer. Yes, you learn while assisting, but you should be learning the business and people skills and the 'where to be' skills and how to quickly go from bright-sun formals to dark dank 'introductions' while making it all seem effortless and the photos showing the best parts of the day... and such... NOT photography skills - that should already be 'second nature' before you roll in and try to shoot a wedding - assistant or not.

I see assisting as more a way to 'refine' general photography skills for wedding coverage, rather than a place to learn the photography skills themselves.

Check the stickies here for some great info.

Photog4Christ

When I was 2nd'ing, I was very appreciative of the fact that the tog I was helping always took the time to explain why they were doing what they were doing. Also, when I did make a mistake, the tog pulled me aside (later...away from the couple and the guests) to talk to me about things.

heatherfeather

FedererPhoto wrote:

With the addition that you should really try to learn as much as possible (on the web, through books, practice on friends, etc) BEFORE assisting... so that way you are actually helpful to your photographer. Yes, you learn while assisting, but you should be learning the business and people skills and the 'where to be' skills and how to quickly go from bright-sun formals to dark dank 'introductions' while making it all seem effortless and the photos showing the best parts of the day... and such... NOT photography skills - that should already be 'second nature' before you roll in and try to shoot a wedding - assistant or not.

I see assisting as more a way to 'refine' general photography skills for wedding coverage, rather than a place to learn the photography skills themselves.

Check the stickies here for some great info.

Nicely put, Faderer

kyeezie

I was sent to meetup.com and found local photography groups there that I could join. From here I met people that needed second shooters and such. Good luck!

Aldazar

Thanks all! I will continue to read up as much I as I can...

In the meantime, if anyone's shooting weddings in the LA area and needs some help, let me know!

Shima

Aldazar wrote:

Thanks all! I will continue to read up as much I as I can...

In the meantime, if anyone's shooting weddings in the LA area and needs some help, let me know!

Get to know the local photographers. Go to local SMUG's if you have one (I think you do). Once you know some people, ask to shoot with them!

Aldazar

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a local SMUG?

Shima wrote:

Get to know the local photographers. Go to local SMUG's if you have one (I think you do). Once you know some people, ask to shoot with them!

mmmatt

Aldazar wrote:

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a local SMUG?

SMUGs are meetings sponsored by smugmug in various cities around the country.

I highly recommend taking some formal classes at a local tech school. Even if it is just a photo 101 course. I had been shooting for 20+ years before taking one and I learned a lot. I continued on with the program for about a year and then ended up dropping and pursuing assisting and 2nd shooter gigs. I was getting a little sick of processing b&w film and shooting 4x5 view cameras! If nothing else, learning the physics of light and the proper terminology for things is greatly beneficial when working with real pros. If you don't understand the basics of exposure and whatnot you REALLY need some formal training. A basic photoshop course is also greatly beneficial. Many places have night classes available too.

From my experience the only way to learn the necessary skills for wedding photography however is to shoot/assist weddings. They just don't teach that stuff at most schools. On-camera flash techniques (especialy when shooting digital RAW where you can stretch your light out a little bit more), run-n-gun shooting, and how to quickly go from one lighting scenario to another are some of the biggies. How to deal with the clients, and how to manipulate the flow of the day are things only a working wedding pro can teach. Trends and styles change rapidly. Compositional rules can be learned in a classroom setting, but the real skills come from shooting and looking at other's work and then discussing with a group or on a forum like dgrin. I have also attended seminars and workshops and they are really beneficial but are usually aimed more at the the pro looking to kick it up a notch.

I'm sure everyone here has a different story of how they got where they are. Different strokes for different folks! One way or another become proficient at the use of your camera, and then seek out somebody who can help you learn weddings!

My $.02
Matt

Aldazar

Thanks much for your advice, very helpful!

I took basic photography (shooting B&W film) in high school and very much enjoyed it. I suppose that gets me part of the way there understanding exposure, but I definitely don't claim to have mastered it. Photoshop is another thing altogether - I know barely anything about it!

I'm going to keep working on my skills, maybe take a few classes, and hopefully eventually find someone to assist/shadow!

Thanks again!

mmmatt wrote:

SMUGs are meetings sponsored by smugmug in various cities around the country.

I highly recommend taking some formal classes at a local tech school. Even if it is just a photo 101 course. I had been shooting for 20+ years before taking one and I learned a lot. I continued on with the program for about a year and then ended up dropping and pursuing assisting and 2nd shooter gigs. I was getting a little sick of processing b&w film and shooting 4x5 view cameras! If nothing else, learning the physics of light and the proper terminology for things is greatly beneficial when working with real pros. If you don't understand the basics of exposure and whatnot you REALLY need some formal training. A basic photoshop course is also greatly beneficial. Many places have night classes available too.

From my experience the only way to learn the necessary skills for wedding photography however is to shoot/assist weddings. They just don't teach that stuff at most schools. On-camera flash techniques (especialy when shooting digital RAW where you can stretch your light out a little bit more), run-n-gun shooting, and how to quickly go from one lighting scenario to another are some of the biggies. How to deal with the clients, and how to manipulate the flow of the day are things only a working wedding pro can teach. Trends and styles change rapidly. Compositional rules can be learned in a classroom setting, but the real skills come from shooting and looking at other's work and then discussing with a group or on a forum like dgrin. I have also attended seminars and workshops and they are really beneficial but are usually aimed more at the the pro looking to kick it up a notch.

I'm sure everyone here has a different story of how they got where they are. Different strokes for different folks! One way or another become proficient at the use of your camera, and then seek out somebody who can help you learn weddings!

My $.02
Matt

Matthew Saville

Aldazar wrote:

How to people get started in wedding photography? Other than people who go to school for it and start from there, that is.

I was thinking a good way to start would be to offer to assist a pro for free on a wedding shoot in exchage for training/advice/whatever. Do people do that?

I'd like to learn how to shoot weddings, but have a full time job as it is, so it'd be on the side and a more gradual process over time.

Any ideas?

Hey Aldazar,

I have to loudly and excitedly praise the trend of "assist another pro!" that has been advised here so far. You REALLY want to be confident in your own abilities and experience level, before you take on the task of being the *primary* photographer at a wedding!

There is a huge can of worms that has to do with how readily you should say "yes" to those friends of yours who might (or might not!) be too broke to afford a pro wedding photographer, and are asking you to shoot for free or for dirt cheap, with little or zero experience. I won't open that can of worms here, but suffice it to say it CAN be a recipe for disaster, and I'm honestly just concerned for the brides out there, NOT my own livelihood.

To gain shooting experience, the best thing to do is to make photographer friends you can meet up with and practice with. The industry used to be very tight-lipped and cold-shouldered when it came to professional photography, especially weddings, but that is changing SO dramatically now!

I'm one of the leaders in a local get-together group here in Orange County, if you're interested and have a facebook account...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54796012203

Take care!
=Matt=

CSR Studio

When you do find someone that needs an assistant, you need to assist for awhile before being a 2nd shooter, be honest about your ability. If all you can do on the first wedding is hump cases you will still learn a lot if you keep your ears and eyes open.

It is tough on the photographer when they are hiring someone to be a 2nd shooter and when they get to the wedding they have no clue what to do or how to talk to the bride, groom and their families. That is why I say you need to assist for awhile first. Good luck!

Aldazar

I'm happy to assist and do grunt work while learning! I don't have any delusions of grandeur or a sense of entitlement telling me that I have a right to move straight into the big leagues...=P

So if anyone's looking for an assistant in the SoCal area, do let me know! =P

CSR Studio wrote:

When you do find someone that needs an assistant, you need to assist for awhile before being a 2nd shooter, be honest about your ability. If all you can do on the first wedding is hump cases you will still learn a lot if you keep your ears and eyes open.

It is tough on the photographer when they are hiring someone to be a 2nd shooter and when they get to the wedding they have no clue what to do or how to talk to the bride, groom and their families. That is why I say you need to assist for awhile first. Good luck!

Harrington

I have to say, being an assistant photographer is the way to go. That's what I'm doing. I'm able to shoot to my heart's content at every wedding and I'm not as stressed.

I assisted for this wedding and got some great shots:
http://onedgephoto.com/gallery/8646081_xxRfX