ianmiller999

I have been asked to take aload of wedding photos with my digital camera and print them off on my decent printer. I was wondering if anybody had any tips for the day because I know that professional photographers make it look a lot easier then it is in reality.

STi-Frenchie

This is a huge topic !

Get yourself over tophoto.net and take a long look at the threads in the forums there. It's not an easy undertaking so read plenty. I've done a few weddings using film and would say that group shots are the hardest - I usually rip off 5 or six shots/sec for one pic as you are likely to get someone, somewhere with their eyes closed.

The easiest shot to take and the one the b&g like the best is the backlit shot with the bride's head resting on the groom's shoulder. Again, shoot plenty of frames.

Best bit of advice I would offer - always, always have a backup (camera, batteries, etc.) - you are only going to get one crack at this gig so make sure your a$$ is covered as best you can !

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

ianmiller999

I didn't even voluteer to do it may parents offerd my services for me (just because I can take good family photos), firstly they said that i could do a video but I told them to forget that idea- definately too much pressure for that one. I think I am going to have to invest in a larger memory card first as well.

dr_ming

Are they asking you to be the 'official' photographer? If they are, say NO. Unless you are supremely confident AND exceptionally good, the pictures will be average at best, cr@p at worst. No offence to you, but there is a lot more to this than being able to work the camera.

I have been asked to do this on a number of occasions, and have always declined, although I am always happy to be the unofficial photographer. That way, there is no pressure, and usually the pics are quite good (although they get worse as the evening progesses, can't think why...).

I know a number of couples who have had friends of the family shoot their wedding pics, and they just can't pull it off. Either they fail to get all the required shots (great aunt Miggins is a lot keener on getting pi55ed on free champagne than being in your photos), they fail to miss background details (tree growing out of bride's head, bight green Pentel pen for signing register etc. etc.), they screw up the technicalities (film fails to wind on, wrong film for weather conditions, inadequate exposure compenstion for bride's white dress etc.), or their gear isn't up to the job (cheap zoom lens, inadequate flash gun etc.).

In short, few people will thank you for doing a good job. No one will thank you if you don't.

paulr

Lighting and composition.

If its sunny try and get the sun behind them or from the side.
Simple backgrounds work best.

Luke

Bollocks..get drunk and **** a bridesmaid.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I have to agree - it's a one-off and well worth making sure that the happy couple hire someone. If nothing else, at least then it's a simple business relationship that won't hurt so much if something goes wrong.

I wouldn't touch a wedding, at least not with the pressure of being the official photog. The guy who did my wedding photos a few years ago was brilliant - he didn't just have the technical skill to take sharp, correctly exposed images, but he also knew what images to capture. His ideas and interpersonal skills were excellent, and that's what we were really paying for. Compared to the rest of the day's costs, he was pretty good value.

By all means take your camera along and do your best, but do you really want to spend ages bossing the two familiies about when you should be drinking? Me neither.

A.

dr_ming

Luke. Indeed. Nuff said.

IWatkins

Never say yes to this, especially to friends or family. If you screw it up and if you are like me, you will, then they will never talk to you again.

However, if they have an official photographer and you are simply a second photographer (I've done this) then you are laughing.

The official photographer has to do all the standard shots but you get to do the pre wedding shots, the post wedding shots, the evening do etc. You will have more fun doing this as you get to do all the candid, non-formal shots.

Oh, and then **** a bridesmaid

Cheers

Ian

dba

you will have therapy for the rest of your life and your friends will disown you

say no and take Lukes advice

Toonman1

Ian

How are you at organising large groups of people, who want to be into the food/drink/bridesmaids ( ) ASAP? Most hate having their pics taken, and simply don't want to hang around in a windy Churchyard, whilst the Photographer strutts his or her stuff.

You've got to do all of this, whilst being diplomatic, and still managing to produce the goods. Shrinking violets need not apply either, as you're on stage, performing and making speaches to all the guests - 50, 100, 200+ people?

How will you cope if the weather's foul? The Wedding party won't care and come viewing time, they won't make allowances for the fact that it was a Force 9 Gale/Snowing/Foggy/P!ssing it down with rain. They just expect the great pictures that you produced. You did take some didn't you...?

All cynicism apart, everything the other Guys have said is true (and the rest). Wedding Photography is the least favourite part of most Professional Photographers lives. Why people keep putting their friends and relatives in this insidious position, is beyond me. Oh yes, they want to save money...

Don't do it Ian; it's not fair on you.

Cheers

Mike

AK47

That's a lot of someone to ask of you (they'd better be a good mate [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img])

Here are my tips:

1) Ensure you don't have a crap camera otherwise the marrying couple will blame you if they schitty pics for their lovely occassion!
2) It's sad, but you have to be a clown to get every all smilling and happy before each shot
3) Take mostly shots with guest standing in groups and also some casual ones of guest mingling with other guest
4) Make sure you've taken enough good pics before you get pissed and only **** the bridesmaid if she is good looking otherwise **** the bride

NotoriousREV

We had to wait a while for our official wedding photos, but while we waited for them we had loads of pics our friends had taken and they were excellent. Until we got the official ones and beleive me the difference between a good amateur shot and a pro one is huge!

Suresh

In line with the sound advice already offered above -
A friend of mine had a 'semi professional' mate act as his wedding photographer. The guy made a complete mess of it and only around 10 pics of the hundreds taken were of sufficient quality. To say there were disappointed would be the understatement of the decade.

DO NOT TAKE THE JOB IF YOU ARE TO BE THE MAIN PHOTOGRAPHER


Suresh

Apparition

With my wedding coming up on Saturday could I just suggest that you get a very comprehensive list of required photos from the couple? Names too help. Then you can call all necessary people together for each shot..... our friend who is doing our pics asked for this and he was delighted we had included names. He's done this a few times for people and had no probs. Good luck .

scoob_babe

that's exactly what we did for our photographer and yes, the difference between someone who is pretty good with a camera and a professional is HUGE. We didn't have to wait too long for the first proofs either. I wouldn't take the risk of being held to blame for crap photos regardless.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I think some people are being a bit harsh here. It's not that the photos will necessarily be poor - the issue is that it'll be a lot of hard work, a lot of responsibility, and you only get one go at getting it right.

I'd happily cover a wedding and would probably come back with some fairly decent shots - provided the couple don't mind taking all afternoon and provided that the two families organise themselves and pose for all the shots they want. The difficulties are in the people skills and consistency required, every shot has to come out.

What digital camera do you have?

mattstant

Not ALL the pros are good I have done official photos for the sister in law only a small gathering mind you and not a church do and i even went to the trouble to borrow my sisters eos 50 as well as using my eos 100 in cas of break down.

two weddings i have been to where the "pros" were suspect one had a lovely haaselblad and promptly stood all the relatives in a line in the middle of the Sunniest day that year and didnt even use fil in flash to reduce the inevitable hat shadows and there were some excellent lightly shaded trees nearby.

The second i went to the woman photograper was a v nice lady and i shadowed her most of the day and took a few candid shots to give to the couple in a photo frame.
Her technical knowledge was non existant and the couple ordered two full sets of my shots in preference to hers !!!!!!.

I have to say though that a good pro is 70% tehcnically and artistically good and 30% people skills.

you can be the best photographer in the world but if you take too long and annoy the guests (who are gagging for there free pimms by now) and the happy couple you will get false smiles and even grimaces in the photos.

My advice would be take a few of the formall shots then get a nice long lense and wait for a few candid shots especially during speeches (when the photographer has long departed)or in the evening when everyone is ahem more err Relaxed (3 sheets to the wind).

ian_sadler

I have photographed & videoed friends weddings. It's a mare. Not from the technical point of view, I was a photographer - comercial/industrial - and now sell broadcast video kit, BUT tring to organise the groups is total agro. You have to do the brides family, the grooms family, friends, etc. etc.

As has been stated before if you are to be the main photographer DON'T DO IT as it could all go pair shaped but if you are playing second fiddle then these can be some of the more interesting candid shots that may be remembered most fondly

ianmiller999

I am using a casio QVR4(Only a happy snappy-but4 mega pixels) I it is only a small wedding 20people second time round with just close family, so hopwfully they will pose. Not sure if I am main photographer will have to find out.

Chrisgr31

Well my recomendation was going to be "Don't do it" as well however with only 20 people it might be easier, as that means less group shots, less hanging around etc.

If you are going to do it remember to take lots of each photo, also you will need to take photos at a high if not the highest resolution, particularly if there is any danger of them wanting any of them blown up.

Personally I wouldn't print them on a printer but would get them professionally processed as you would a film. Costs from around 15p a photo (possibly less) and with ink and photo paper so expensive probably saves money, as well as bucket loads of time.

MartinM

Wow - nearly missed this thread!

Well, I had a go at 'candid' wedding photography earlier this year...here's a few at proof quality
http://www.milleners.eclipse.co.uk/clare

...and then someone invited me to be 'most official' photographer in a fairly low key, but formal wedding last month. Well it made me sweat a bit, I can tell you...here's a few at proof quality
http://www.milleners.eclipse.co.uk/mlvj
Edit:these are rapidly processed .jpg's from the camera and actually look quite poor compared with the carefully processed RAW format versions - yep, the camera does large jpg's and raw both at once!

Lessons learnt:
- you can't do candid and official at the same time
- candid is easy - no pressure
- candid is fun - there's a lot of enjoyment from the couple and the families from the images the 'pro' would never get
- take loads of candids...and then some more
- official is scary
- I wouldn't consider official without using digital - immediate feedback and can take as many as you want at no expense
- take loads of officials...and then some more
- for official you've gotta use good kit
- official gets you in the brides dressing room

HTH
Martin

[Edited by MartinM - 10/21/2003 11:25:30 PM]

dba

I thank Martin has got it right.Instead of being the *main* snapper,ask your friends to get a pro for the biggies,and you be the candid taker? Its what i did at another wedding and there is no pressure,and many people forget to have a pictorial record of the whole day (apart from a bizarre rare uncle wondering around with a camcorder).You will get some great candids like Martin has.
I know they will probably leave some disposables out on he tables,but they get soaked in wine and get ruined!