Ok all - you can really club me

BilsenBilsen Registered Users Posts: 2,143 Major grins
edited September 17, 2011 in Weddings
How's this for something different from me??:wink

Never shot a wedding. Never will again.

I shot this wedding on an emergency basis for a model/friend whose photographer ditched the week before the wedding. She asked how she could repay me and I told her "NEVER tell anyone I did this".:rofl

Anyway, here's Amanda, Angel and her "Emergency Photographer"

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2.
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3.
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4.Maid of Honor
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5.
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6.
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7.
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AND THE OFFICIAL WEDDING PORTRAIT THEY CHOSE

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Bilsen (the artist formerly known as John Galt NY)
Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen

Comments

  • dbvetodbveto Registered Users Posts: 660 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Very Nice, you should allow her to tell people you did the Wedding.
    Dennis
    http://www.realphotoman.com/
    Work in progress
    http://www.realphotoman.net/ Zenfolio 10% off Referral Code: 1KH-5HX-5HU
  • BilsenBilsen Registered Users Posts: 2,143 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Thanks DB.

    Appreciate it but that was a 10 hour day under the pressure of 'once in a lifetime". Then sort through 1000 frames or so and process a couple of hundred. At least I didn't have to print them an album. I just gave them the corrected edits and said 'have at it".

    In addition, Amanda was a friend and I didn't have to deal with post wedding arguments or anything from the bride's mother.

    I take my hat off to the pro photographers. Given the workload and aggravation, I don't think $2,500 to $3,000 is great compensation and now I constantly read about "500.00" weddings. That is simply insane.:hang

    On the other hand, we paid my son's wedding photographer around $3,000 and, honestly, I tossed better stuff than he gave us.
    Bilsen (the artist formerly known as John Galt NY)
    Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
    24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
    Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
    Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen
  • QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    honest assessment..not really doing it for me. you have color balance issues, focus isuses, hard light issues, posing issues, etc. The last shot almost works but why have them stand on rocks? It throw their bodies out of whack and makes them look uncomfortable. I will agree with your that it is hard and stressfull work
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
  • BilsenBilsen Registered Users Posts: 2,143 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Can't argue with anything you said Qarik.

    Still, the "client" and her family were happy so I check off that one in the left hand side.

    Still wouldn't do it again.
    Bilsen (the artist formerly known as John Galt NY)
    Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
    24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
    Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
    Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen
  • JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Yet there still are what seems 5 million photographers out there that want to do it because they see big $$$ but don't see the off-sides.. Long hours, difficult shooting situations, difficult clients, etc.

    Local "photographer" on CL advertising, "I will shoot anything for $200, including weddings. CD & Release included!" I don't think he'll be doing that very long. He'll age 20 years after the first 5 weddings and realize how bright his plan was.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
  • 2quick2clique2quick2clique Registered Users Posts: 27 Big grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    JimKarczewski wrote: »
    Yet there still are what seems 5 million photographers out there that want to do it because they see big $$$ but don't see the off-sides.. Long hours, difficult shooting situations, difficult clients, etc.

    Local "photographer" on CL advertising, "I will shoot anything for $200, including weddings. CD & Release included!" I don't think he'll be doing that very long. He'll age 20 years after the first 5 weddings and realize how bright his plan was.


    thumb.gifthumb

    One wedding cured me of EVER wanting to do that for a living.

    I'll ride along with a wedding photog and pick up stuff or help him, shoot some candids, etc... But heck, $1500/wedding would not entice me. the "once in a lifetime" stuff is enough to make me lose my lunch.....

    And I gotta disagree with the prior assessments on your work.. I view a situation like that as a last-ditch effort to help somebody remember their special day. If the subject is in the image, and the lighting is close enough to be resurrected in Lightroom, then you succeeded.. yeah yeah, everybody wants EVERY pic to be perfect. I play by the old rule of 2 passable photos out of every 24, and 1 exceptional out of every 250.. So if I'm going to 'off the cuff' come up with 10 really good photos of an event, i'm gonna go thru 2500+ frames... And when you figure that weddings are an organizational trainwreck for a photographer (and even more so if the wedding coordinator isn't on her toes), well.....my hat is off to anybody who wants to have the job...

    you got some original ideas there,got some genuine emotion out of the subject, and captured a few key moments. If you were claiming to do them fora living, i'd speculate.. but for a pinch hit?? ya got a solid base hit..... thumb.gif
  • BilsenBilsen Registered Users Posts: 2,143 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Thanks guys.

    In the end she ended up with over 100 edited images. You can see a partial gallery at

    Www.phase.com/bilsen and go to Amanda's wedding.
    Bilsen (the artist formerly known as John Galt NY)
    Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
    24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
    Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
    Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen
  • BilsenBilsen Registered Users Posts: 2,143 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    Thanks guys.

    In the end she ended up with over 100 edited images. You can see a partial gallery at

    Www.pbase.com/bilsen and go to Amanda's wedding.

    I had to do it for free cause you couldn't pay me to do it.rolleyes1.gif
    Bilsen (the artist formerly known as John Galt NY)
    Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
    24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
    Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
    Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited September 15, 2011
    John,

    Yes there are some issues with the images........BUT you stepped up and gave them something they wouldn't have had otherwise. Good on you!

    You have images that show the day. They will be happy.

    I think weddings are the hardest thing to shoot. The situation can change rapidly, nothing goes as planned, some brides will lose it, the lighting changes, inside, outside, flash, no flash, batteries go out, opps the memory card is full, the darn flash isn't working, wait I have to change lenses, people move quickly, a lost candid is lost forever. Etc, etc.

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited September 16, 2011
    My favs are number 2 and 8.....it would not take you more than about 6 more of these and you'd be in love with shooting them....maybe........it is something that one truly needs to LOVE doing not for the money but because it is such a precious moment in the history of someones life ... ... ... I love them, can't get enough of them and used to shoot 3 per saturday ...but now I want to concentrate on making them works of art if possible ...so now it is 1 may be 2 at the most on a saturday... or any other day of the week......
    Good job well done.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited September 16, 2011
    Art Scott wrote: »
    My favs are number 2 and 8.....it would not take you more than about 6 more of these and you'd be in love with shooting them....maybe........it is something that one truly needs to LOVE doing not for the money but because it is such a precious moment in the history of someones life ... ... ... I love them, can't get enough of them and used to shoot 3 per saturday ...but now I want to concentrate on making them works of art if possible ...so now it is 1 may be 2 at the most on a saturday... or any other day of the week......
    Good job well done.

    Art,

    How in the h@!! can you shoot 2 or 3 weddings in one day??

    The weddings I have shot are the day.............................

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • 2quick2clique2quick2clique Registered Users Posts: 27 Big grins
    edited September 16, 2011
    Sam wrote: »
    Art,

    How in the h@!! can you shoot 2 or 3 weddings in one day??

    The weddings I have shot are the day.............................

    Sam


    I played chief bag boy for a guy who regularly scheduled 3 on a saturday. he made bank. and he paid well. the photog team team was a 4 man team..

    me?? nah no way.. never.
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited September 17, 2011
    Sam wrote: »
    Art,

    How in the h@!! can you shoot 2 or 3 weddings in one day??

    The weddings I have shot are the day.............................

    Sam

    Sam... I started shooting my first around 7:30 or 8 am...and i finished last reception at around Midnite or 1 am.......in this area a wedding normally only lasts 3-5 hours MAX and I did not stay for the whole reception until the last wedding.....I had a memorized shot list of 200 shots then the reception was simply watching for special shots aside from cake cut, toast 1st dance and so on......I also carried 3 suits with me and a couple of cans antiperspirant and deodorant along with cologne .... as I said I would never go for 3 again ... Wedding are big business here especially for the catholic churches and Wichita being a not real large city, there are not a lot of places for receptions.....so one wedding comes in gets to party for 1-3 hours and then has to clean up and allow the next to come in ...... most churches allow no more than 25 minutes for formal shots in Sanctuary, so you have to be on your toes and game ...especially if you're shooting like I was.....with no assistants or 2nd shooters......It was all me.
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • eL eSs VeeeL eSs Vee Registered Users Posts: 1,243 Major grins
    edited September 17, 2011
    The only reason I've shot one wedding is because I didn't want to shoot two.
    Lee
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  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited September 17, 2011
    Art Scott wrote: »
    Sam... I started shooting my first around 7:30 or 8 am...and i finished last reception at around Midnite or 1 am.......in this area a wedding normally only lasts 3-5 hours MAX and I did not stay for the whole reception until the last wedding.....I had a memorized shot list of 200 shots then the reception was simply watching for special shots aside from cake cut, toast 1st dance and so on......I also carried 3 suits with me and a couple of cans antiperspirant and deodorant along with cologne .... as I said I would never go for 3 again ... Wedding are big business here especially for the catholic churches and Wichita being a not real large city, there are not a lot of places for receptions.....so one wedding comes in gets to party for 1-3 hours and then has to clean up and allow the next to come in ...... most churches allow no more than 25 minutes for formal shots in Sanctuary, so you have to be on your toes and game ...especially if you're shooting like I was.....with no assistants or 2nd shooters......It was all me.

    That's insane..........................:D

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • Ed911Ed911 Registered Users Posts: 1,306 Major grins
    edited September 17, 2011
    Must have been during Art's film days. What say you, Art?
    Remember, no one may want you to take pictures, but they all want to see them.
    Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.

    Ed
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