I have gotten asked to shoot a wedding this summer...Scary! I know I can do it, but its going to take some researching and practice. Does anyone have any hints or suggestions for me?
I have gotten asked to shoot a wedding this summer...Scary! I know I can do it, but its going to take some researching and practice. Does anyone have any hints or suggestions for me?
When you're in command...please tell the other guest not to shoot their flash while you're taking pictures. I know that is really hard to do...but trust me...you be happy.
When you're in command...please tell the other guest not to shoot their flash while you're taking pictures. I know that is really hard to do...but trust me...you be happy.
That's an obscure but valuable tip. It wasn't at a wedding, but I had one shot that I first thought was ruined by another flash - but it kinda turned out neat, with harsh lighting from one side. But, yeah - better safe than sorry.
I'm not a wedding photog (I mainly shoot fashion and portraits these days)-- but having been married fairly recently, some of my favorite shots are getting prepped in the morning. The photog had the sense to arrange arriving at our rental (out of town wedding) at 7 a.m. while me and my bride-to-be were getting ready. After a few minutes, we didn't even notice him.
Anyway, one of my FAVORITE shots of the day is a wide angle of me standing in one room putting on deodorant while my bride-to-be is in another room adjusting the curlers in her hair. So my advice is to see if you can get the preps of bride and groom before the wedding-- these are shots no one else got and they really sum up all the tension and stress before the big moment.
I'm not a wedding photog (I mainly shoot fashion and portraits these days)-- but having been married fairly recently, some of my favorite shots are getting prepped in the morning. The photog had the sense to arrange arriving at our rental (out of town wedding) at 7 a.m. while me and my bride-to-be were getting ready. After a few minutes, we didn't even notice him.
Anyway, one of my FAVORITE shots of the day is a wide angle of me standing in one room putting on deodorant while my bride-to-be is in another room adjusting the curlers in her hair. So my advice is to see if you can get the preps of bride and groom before the wedding-- these are shots no one else got and they really sum up all the tension and stress before the big moment.
This is the way weddings were shot back in the 40's and 50's according to what I read at the library back in the mid 70's when I first started out shooting or actually schooling myself in techniques and designing a shooting list.
********* HAVE FUN....IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FUN THE PHOTOS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN.**********
1- remember that the photog is always in charge as long as there ar photos to be taken...be nice , be polite but do not let any hign and mights church consultant think she/he can run your business or DJ at the reception....more than likely you have been paid more than either one of them and probably both put together and if any thing goes awry it will be YOUR fault as long as you are there.
2-Do not, I repeat....DO NOT shoot from a written list.....start making a list to memorise...but do not give the Bride, her mother, sister or anyone else a written list....because if you do and there is 1 shot missing it is just going to cause grief......
3- If at all possible try and do as many shots prior to the wedding, especially if the B/G don't mind being seen by each other and family.
4- try to keep family shots down to imediate family: Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters and their spouses, grandmother and granfather...if B or G demands neices and nephews and aunts and uncles...then you have to do it.
5- I try to keep most of my weddings down to 4 hours and around 120 - 150 photos....for a first time wedding shooter shot doubnles or triples of everything just in case...just in case...just in case....memory media is dirt cheap.
6- if you can muster one....have an assistant to straighten dresses, tuxes, ties and to help pose....actually that is what can run the photog ragged is the formal shots in the church if you are holding up another wedding party tension starts to build
7- go to library and study...study shots on the internet.....
8- HAVE FUN....IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FUN THE PHOTOS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN.
9- if you want I will send you my shot list and some explanations of how to set up the shots and a run down of the time I am at a wedding what I am doing.....Just PM me.
Love the list that Art has posted. One other thing that can really pull your chestnuts out of the fire - I would recommend you shoot RAW. Doing so makes correcting white balance so much easier and it also offers you an additional stop or two of exposure lattitude from which to recover shots that would be great but for minor exposure problems. RAW makes many exposure problems "minor".
Yes, shoot raw. And make sure you have a DSLR; other cameras just aren't ready yet to shoot on demand.
Get the assistant. That's so crucial. If these are friends of yours, choose the bossiest one, and preferably female; guys ordering people around can be painful, but women ordering at a wedding is apparently normal. She can be used to marshal people for the next shot, get the moving once the shot is done, and generally make the day go smoothly. Also, if you have a reflector for outside shooting, the assistant can hold the reflector.
Get a contract, if they're paying you. If they aren't paying you, they should not expect much; contrarily, if they're paying you, they need to know exactly what to expect.
Find where you can and can't take pictures. I know that some churches (synagogues, mosques, etc) don't let you photograph inside for the ceremony, some churches frown on it, and some don't care. So, find the church, find the officiant, and see what they want.
I use three lenses:
85mm 1.8 for the church. This lets me be unobtrusive, but still take closer shots. If you can swing a 70-200 2.8, that will give you a much better range, but it's a heavier chunk of glass, for which you may want a tripod/monopod.
60 mm 2.8 macro, for shots of the cake/rings/flowers/other small stuff. One friend of mine always has her second photographer shoot that stuff, so she doesn't have to worry about it; if you're the only one, then try to get some of these small details. If her dress has nice stitching or the like on it, go for that as well.
17-55 2.8, for general shots. This lens gives me the flexibility to do many shots, both wide and a bit (but only a bit) on the long side. Some other equivalent in this range (Sigma 18-50 2.8, Nikon 18-70 3.5-4.5, or something similar) will be good; range is crucial, speed is nice. This is my walkaround lens, during the setup, reception, dancing, etc. If you don't have the other two lenses, that's fine, but some analog to this lens is crucial.
Have a flash that's not the on-camera flash. If you can manage to swing a flash bracket for the flash, then that's even more tasty. That way, you'll have enough light (especially if you can't swing for the high-end lens, you'll need that extra light), and having the flash off-camera will make it look better. Get a diffuser for your flash, so it's not extremely harsh.
Shoot each picture twice. Someone's inevitably looking away in each frame; two gives you a better chance of getting it right. Just use the rapid-shot option.
Charge your batteries. Have a spare battery.
Have enough memory cards, and make sure they're blank. I can shoot 700 frames in an afternoon (I tend to spam my shots, unlike Art, especially with shooting each one twice), so I need at least 4 gb of space. My most recent wedding required 6 gb of space.
I hope that helps... there's lots of other stuff, I'm sure, but it's slipping my mind now.
Love the list that Art has posted. One other thing that can really pull your chestnuts out of the fire - I would recommend you shoot RAW. Doing so makes correcting white balance so much easier and it also offers you an additional stop or two of exposure lattitude from which to recover shots that would be great but for minor exposure problems. RAW makes many exposure problems "minor".
Hey... I have my first wedding as the main photographer coming up. I am so nervous. My canon 10D will def shoot raw. I am getting photoshop elements within the next week. Will elements convert RAW? I don't have a program that will do anything with Raw right now. THANKS
Yes, shoot raw. And make sure you have a DSLR; other cameras just aren't ready yet to shoot on demand.
Get the assistant. That's so crucial. If these are friends of yours, choose the bossiest one, and preferably female; guys ordering people around can be painful, but women ordering at a wedding is apparently normal. She can be used to marshal people for the next shot, get the moving once the shot is done, and generally make the day go smoothly. Also, if you have a reflector for outside shooting, the assistant can hold the reflector.
Get a contract, if they're paying you. If they aren't paying you, they should not expect much; contrarily, if they're paying you, they need to know exactly what to expect.
Find where you can and can't take pictures. I know that some churches (synagogues, mosques, etc) don't let you photograph inside for the ceremony, some churches frown on it, and some don't care. So, find the church, find the officiant, and see what they want.
I use three lenses:
85mm 1.8 for the church. This lets me be unobtrusive, but still take closer shots. If you can swing a 70-200 2.8, that will give you a much better range, but it's a heavier chunk of glass, for which you may want a tripod/monopod.
60 mm 2.8 macro, for shots of the cake/rings/flowers/other small stuff. One friend of mine always has her second photographer shoot that stuff, so she doesn't have to worry about it; if you're the only one, then try to get some of these small details. If her dress has nice stitching or the like on it, go for that as well.
17-55 2.8, for general shots. This lens gives me the flexibility to do many shots, both wide and a bit (but only a bit) on the long side. Some other equivalent in this range (Sigma 18-50 2.8, Nikon 18-70 3.5-4.5, or something similar) will be good; range is crucial, speed is nice. This is my walkaround lens, during the setup, reception, dancing, etc. If you don't have the other two lenses, that's fine, but some analog to this lens is crucial.
Have a flash that's not the on-camera flash. If you can manage to swing a flash bracket for the flash, then that's even more tasty. That way, you'll have enough light (especially if you can't swing for the high-end lens, you'll need that extra light), and having the flash off-camera will make it look better. Get a diffuser for your flash, so it's not extremely harsh.
Shoot each picture twice. Someone's inevitably looking away in each frame; two gives you a better chance of getting it right. Just use the rapid-shot option.
Charge your batteries. Have a spare battery.
Have enough memory cards, and make sure they're blank. I can shoot 700 frames in an afternoon (I tend to spam my shots, unlike Art, especially with shooting each one twice), so I need at least 4 gb of space. My most recent wedding required 6 gb of space.
I hope that helps... there's lots of other stuff, I'm sure, but it's slipping my mind now.
WOW!
That was great. I am getting ready to shoot my first paying wedding. I am so nervous. I have 3 total coming up.
I had asked someone else if the bracket was a good idea. I worked with a photographer who had one. I already have it picked out. Order it???
Any suggestions as to shooting outside? I recently took some photos outside of my step son, and neice. You can see them on my page. If you notice some of the light was harsh. I was using my speed flash too. The ones of my step son it was during the day. The sun was harsh. My neice we starting shooting late in the evening (like you should!!!) and there are still shadows. I know a few of them my flash wasn't directly towards her. It need to be right on them, right? I'm going to get a difusser. I have a 2GB card and 256K card.
Hey... I have my first wedding as the main photographer coming up. I am so nervous. My canon 10D will def shoot raw. I am getting photoshop elements within the next week. Will elements convert RAW? I don't have a program that will do anything with Raw right now. THANKS
I don't know about Elements. I would think, though, that the software that came with your camera would be able to handle the RAW. Given that you have that software, you shold be able to download the lastest version from the Canon web-site. That will solve a lot of the problems right there.
I don't know about Elements. I would think, though, that the software that came with your camera would be able to handle the RAW. Given that you have that software, you shold be able to download the lastest version from the Canon web-site. That will solve a lot of the problems right there.
I purchased my camera used. I will look at the web site and go from there.
I agree with getting an assistant! Even if it's not a "photography" person, get someone! Straightening dresses, veils, flowers, ties, hair, etc is great, but they can also do a lot of running for you (like take this over there, set up that light here, etc). Just make sure it's not like your 10 year old cousin or something. That doesn't look professional at all. I recommend looking for a college nearby and seeing if there are any photography students looking for experience. They are great!
However, I disagree about the list. I give a list to the bride & groom and have them check the poses that are most important to them. This way I know what they care about & what they don't. Saves me from taking too much time trying to get a shot they don't even want! The one thing I do about this, though, is I let the bride & groom know that I do not guarantee to get every shot checked. I even include this information in the contract. I've not had any issues with it at all! Just make it clear that with the nature of weddings- things happen.
One thing I've done also is talk to area wedding photographers. See what they don't do and work that in as a regular for you. One thing that the photographers around here do is take about a month to get the proofs to them. I have a service that I offer. If the bride & groom let me know at least 30 minutes before they leave, I will make them a low-resolution cd of the photographs from the day that they can take with them when they leave on their honeymoon. This is with the understanding that the photos are not touched up at all and they will receive their "actual" proofs (usually on CD) within 2 weeks of the wedding. This way they have a memory they can share on their honeymoon. Brides & grooms LOVE this. They also like to see the "real" proofs, but I tend to get a lot more bookings this way. (Also one key thing is that it is very low-res so they will all fit on one CD).
If you have any questions, just pm me and you can check out my Sample Portfolio at www.ewphotos.smugmug.com.
Hey... I have my first wedding as the main photographer coming up. I am so nervous. My canon 10D will def shoot raw. I am getting photoshop elements within the next week. Will elements convert RAW? I don't have a program that will do anything with Raw right now. THANKS
I have elements 4 and 5 and 4 had RAW for my Nikon D70 and for my Canon G6 so I'm pretty sure it will work for your Canon and if not there will be a download for it ....
I too have a first wedding coming up. I have a 5D with 100mm F2.8 Macro and a 24-105mm F4 L.
Thanks for the tips so far !
For your wide shots, I might suggest a faster lens. Attempting to shoot ceremony shots with flash can tend to bother folks and ruin the moment. A faster lens will/should allow you to shoot available light. The f/4 probably wont fill that bill.
That was great. I am getting ready to shoot my first paying wedding. I am so nervous. I have 3 total coming up.
I had asked someone else if the bracket was a good idea. I worked with a photographer who had one. I already have it picked out. Order it???
Any suggestions as to shooting outside? I recently took some photos outside of my step son, and neice. You can see them on my page. If you notice some of the light was harsh. I was using my speed flash too. The ones of my step son it was during the day. The sun was harsh. My neice we starting shooting late in the evening (like you should!!!) and there are still shadows. I know a few of them my flash wasn't directly towards her. It need to be right on them, right? I'm going to get a difusser. I have a 2GB card and 256K card.
ANY and all help would be greatly appreciated.
HEY GUYS! My first wedding photos are all up on my web site. Not too shabby for my first go I guess.
Comments
When you're in command...please tell the other guest not to shoot their flash while you're taking pictures. I know that is really hard to do...but trust me...you be happy.
Anyway, one of my FAVORITE shots of the day is a wide angle of me standing in one room putting on deodorant while my bride-to-be is in another room adjusting the curlers in her hair. So my advice is to see if you can get the preps of bride and groom before the wedding-- these are shots no one else got and they really sum up all the tension and stress before the big moment.
Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
website blog instagram facebook g+
This is the way weddings were shot back in the 40's and 50's according to what I read at the library back in the mid 70's when I first started out shooting or actually schooling myself in techniques and designing a shooting list.
********* HAVE FUN....IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FUN THE PHOTOS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN.**********
1- remember that the photog is always in charge as long as there ar photos to be taken...be nice , be polite but do not let any hign and mights church consultant think she/he can run your business or DJ at the reception....more than likely you have been paid more than either one of them and probably both put together and if any thing goes awry it will be YOUR fault as long as you are there.
2-Do not, I repeat....DO NOT shoot from a written list.....start making a list to memorise...but do not give the Bride, her mother, sister or anyone else a written list....because if you do and there is 1 shot missing it is just going to cause grief......
3- If at all possible try and do as many shots prior to the wedding, especially if the B/G don't mind being seen by each other and family.
4- try to keep family shots down to imediate family: Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters and their spouses, grandmother and granfather...if B or G demands neices and nephews and aunts and uncles...then you have to do it.
5- I try to keep most of my weddings down to 4 hours and around 120 - 150 photos....for a first time wedding shooter shot doubnles or triples of everything just in case...just in case...just in case....memory media is dirt cheap.
6- if you can muster one....have an assistant to straighten dresses, tuxes, ties and to help pose....actually that is what can run the photog ragged is the formal shots in the church if you are holding up another wedding party tension starts to build
7- go to library and study...study shots on the internet.....
8- HAVE FUN....IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FUN THE PHOTOS WILL NOT BE AS GOOD AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN.
9- if you want I will send you my shot list and some explanations of how to set up the shots and a run down of the time I am at a wedding what I am doing.....Just PM me.
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
Get the assistant. That's so crucial. If these are friends of yours, choose the bossiest one, and preferably female; guys ordering people around can be painful, but women ordering at a wedding is apparently normal. She can be used to marshal people for the next shot, get the moving once the shot is done, and generally make the day go smoothly. Also, if you have a reflector for outside shooting, the assistant can hold the reflector.
Get a contract, if they're paying you. If they aren't paying you, they should not expect much; contrarily, if they're paying you, they need to know exactly what to expect.
Find where you can and can't take pictures. I know that some churches (synagogues, mosques, etc) don't let you photograph inside for the ceremony, some churches frown on it, and some don't care. So, find the church, find the officiant, and see what they want.
I use three lenses:
85mm 1.8 for the church. This lets me be unobtrusive, but still take closer shots. If you can swing a 70-200 2.8, that will give you a much better range, but it's a heavier chunk of glass, for which you may want a tripod/monopod.
60 mm 2.8 macro, for shots of the cake/rings/flowers/other small stuff. One friend of mine always has her second photographer shoot that stuff, so she doesn't have to worry about it; if you're the only one, then try to get some of these small details. If her dress has nice stitching or the like on it, go for that as well.
17-55 2.8, for general shots. This lens gives me the flexibility to do many shots, both wide and a bit (but only a bit) on the long side. Some other equivalent in this range (Sigma 18-50 2.8, Nikon 18-70 3.5-4.5, or something similar) will be good; range is crucial, speed is nice. This is my walkaround lens, during the setup, reception, dancing, etc. If you don't have the other two lenses, that's fine, but some analog to this lens is crucial.
Have a flash that's not the on-camera flash. If you can manage to swing a flash bracket for the flash, then that's even more tasty. That way, you'll have enough light (especially if you can't swing for the high-end lens, you'll need that extra light), and having the flash off-camera will make it look better. Get a diffuser for your flash, so it's not extremely harsh.
Shoot each picture twice. Someone's inevitably looking away in each frame; two gives you a better chance of getting it right. Just use the rapid-shot option.
Charge your batteries. Have a spare battery.
Have enough memory cards, and make sure they're blank. I can shoot 700 frames in an afternoon (I tend to spam my shots, unlike Art, especially with shooting each one twice), so I need at least 4 gb of space. My most recent wedding required 6 gb of space.
I hope that helps... there's lots of other stuff, I'm sure, but it's slipping my mind now.
PBase Gallery
Hey... I have my first wedding as the main photographer coming up. I am so nervous. My canon 10D will def shoot raw. I am getting photoshop elements within the next week. Will elements convert RAW? I don't have a program that will do anything with Raw right now. THANKS
www.kristensphoto.com
WOW!
That was great. I am getting ready to shoot my first paying wedding. I am so nervous. I have 3 total coming up.
I had asked someone else if the bracket was a good idea. I worked with a photographer who had one. I already have it picked out. Order it???
Any suggestions as to shooting outside? I recently took some photos outside of my step son, and neice. You can see them on my page. If you notice some of the light was harsh. I was using my speed flash too. The ones of my step son it was during the day. The sun was harsh. My neice we starting shooting late in the evening (like you should!!!) and there are still shadows. I know a few of them my flash wasn't directly towards her. It need to be right on them, right? I'm going to get a difusser. I have a 2GB card and 256K card.
ANY and all help would be greatly appreciated.
www.kristensphoto.com
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
I purchased my camera used. I will look at the web site and go from there.
www.kristensphoto.com
Thanks for the tips so far !
I'm pumped. My first wedding is April 20th with 2 to follow.
Where are you located?
www.kristensphoto.com
Edinburgh is Capital of Scotland
However, I disagree about the list. I give a list to the bride & groom and have them check the poses that are most important to them. This way I know what they care about & what they don't. Saves me from taking too much time trying to get a shot they don't even want! The one thing I do about this, though, is I let the bride & groom know that I do not guarantee to get every shot checked. I even include this information in the contract. I've not had any issues with it at all! Just make it clear that with the nature of weddings- things happen.
One thing I've done also is talk to area wedding photographers. See what they don't do and work that in as a regular for you. One thing that the photographers around here do is take about a month to get the proofs to them. I have a service that I offer. If the bride & groom let me know at least 30 minutes before they leave, I will make them a low-resolution cd of the photographs from the day that they can take with them when they leave on their honeymoon. This is with the understanding that the photos are not touched up at all and they will receive their "actual" proofs (usually on CD) within 2 weeks of the wedding. This way they have a memory they can share on their honeymoon. Brides & grooms LOVE this. They also like to see the "real" proofs, but I tend to get a lot more bookings this way. (Also one key thing is that it is very low-res so they will all fit on one CD).
If you have any questions, just pm me and you can check out my Sample Portfolio at www.ewphotos.smugmug.com.
Elizabeth
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
HEY GUYS! My first wedding photos are all up on my web site. Not too shabby for my first go I guess.
www.takethepicturenow.com
go to client and weddings.
Let me know what you think!
www.kristensphoto.com