I'm not superstitious ... but?

<p>As a follow up to the post about things going the Hades in a hand-basket ( the Brides Flowers didn't show up post) ...</p>

<p>Here's a cautionary tale from yesterday's <strong>Friday the 13th</strong> wedding ... the biggest one of the year for us.</p>

<p>To start off the day, a lighting part that was overnighted never arrived. No biggy. Make due.</p>

<p>On the way to the MOB's home my assistant informs me that she has become <em>very</em> ill. That's a biggy. It is Friday, and most back-up assistants have day jobs.</p>

<p>We arrive, and the MOB is outside telling the florist that they have delivered the wrong flowers. There goes the schedule.</p>

<p>The area the client wanted to shoot some formals is awash in harsh light, no shade anywhere ... and it's 93 degrees out with suffocating humidity.</p>

<p>Decide to shoot inside, and the main camera decides to not work. I field strip it and get it going again just as the florist finally arrives.</p>

<p>Tell the Bride we could get to a park on the way to the ceremony for some shade. Still 93º out ... humidity is getting worse. Assistant is getting sicker.</p>

<p>Head to the church, tell the assistant to call husband to pick her up at the church. She is violently ill at the church ... but still shoots some images from the balcony ... between visits to the ladies room.</p>

<p>The church is a mammoth cave ... and strobes will have to be used for the formals ... at which time the radio sender stops working. Assistant leaves with husband.<br>

Swap out transmitters, get the shots, pack up lighting and stow it at a dead run because the client wants urban stuff done downtown ... areas she wanted to shoot in is "under-construction", but we still manage.</p>

<p>Much of what had been planned at the reception (also a cave) was predicated on having an assistant managing off camera lighting ... which can't happen now. No biggy, just improvise.</p>

<p>Leave at 10PM ... expressway is closed due to some major accident and the traffic jam is LA in scope and length.</p>

<p>Just another day as a professional wedding photographer. No biggy.</p>

<p>Any one else shoot yesterday? LOL! </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Yikes! I've got an outdoor ceremony and reception today. Supposed to be 107F, and a chance for violent thunderstorms. :)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Sorry for your day... Mine was excellent... No problems - everything worked smoothly. Except for the heat, of course...<br>

A.</p>

<p>Shot a ceremony on the beach in Chicago yesterday. It felt like it was 100, with plenty of humidity and cloudless. Bride and groom in full dress and tux.  When the bride arrived I did various shots in the shade while she was waiting for her mother to show, including shots of the rings which were tied to a pillow. The walk from the drop-off area to the beach was about two hundred yards, and when everyone got to where the minister was at and the ceremony started, one of the rings had disappeared along the way. (Flowergirl was carrying the pillow.) After everyone stood in the equatorial sun for 20 minutes as the ring search was going on, with the bride melting down and the MOB looking like she was on the verge of heat stroke, everyone retreated back to the nearest trees. Eventually a guest's ring was substituted and the ceremony went off under the trees and not on the beach to keep the mom from passing out, and I fought random background elements everywhere.

<p>Great read Marc. I still have the feeling that you managed to make some more shots like the one in the fast-lens thread the other day despite the day's termoils. And on a serious note, I feel terrible for your assistant, been there, not any fun at all, especially when "you're it" and you have to shoot the whole job.</p>

<p>Crazy for you :) I had a wedding on Friday and it was gorgeous as ever! :) I remember when I was pregnant and didn't know it yet...well my sickness decided to show up on Friday the thirteenth...also which was definitely my biggest wedding of the year...I ended up shooting, but had called another pro to come shoot with me...so glad I did because I spent a lot of the time in the bathroom and even didn't make it once that night...</p>

<p>What a quinkidink Melissa ... biggest wedding ... Friday the 13th ... sick as a dog. Being a Friday shoot, your chances of getting a Pro to help were probably higher than if it was a Saturday wedding.</p>

<p>The point of the thread is that you just never know what might come up ... and it is amazing how often something does go off kilter. This specific wedding was extremely well planned, yet unforeseen stuff just happens. </p>

<p>Yes Dave ... since I didn't have the option of using the beauty dish on a light stick, with a portable generator, I opted to shoot available light with the M9 for a lot of the portrait shots after my assistant left. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Well, I would say the client got <strong>lucky</strong> that day...because she hired a photographer who can handle any situation and is prepared.</p>

Well-said, Nadine :)

Marc, don't know about others here, but I'd love to see your shots from that day if you can post a couple up when they're ready. Maybe you should write another excellent tutorial, this time entitled "Getting the shot, no matter what". All in favour, say aye! :D

<p>Aye, but put it in this thread.</p>

<p>Greetings to all...Shot my first large <em></em>wedding as favor to friend on Saturday after taking 'test' shots on Friday eve at rehearsal. Biggest challenges: the heat(for me) and direct sun(for them) at a beach wedding across the state. Wasn't much able to open up the lens to get as many shots with bokeh as desired (dont own filters and needed flash for fill so couldn't use tele), but things went pretty smoothly. Couple were married under a 'birdcage' trellis which cast some really funky shadows on groom. But thanks to a fellow photo.net associate, learned previously how to wield a portable ranger-like strobe during post-ceremony bridals to turn bright day to late eve and produce some dramatic, Hollywood-like lighting shots (well, for me anyway). Only had one of my two flash strobes go on the fritz just as B&G entered reception hall. Am grateful for the lighting and equipment challenges; made it a pretty interesting experience! Thanks again to Nadine, Marc and all here for your contributions over last few months as I have consumed much advice for the benefit of my friend's lovely daughter and their families.</p><div></div>

<p>What Nadine said.</p>

<p>I feel for you Marc. I tried an assistant some years ago who when I was arriving to pick them up for the day called to inform me they had a late night the night before and were not going to make it that day! Argh.</p>

<p>Knowing you, I would imagine the day looks perfect in the story the images tell, regardless of the circumstances.</p>

 

<p>Well, David ... THIS assistant/second shooter has been rock solid for 3 years running ... never late, always gets the shots, and even valiantly tried this time ... but she progressively got just too darned sick to go on. It happens.</p>

<p>Mark Anthony, as requested, here are a few "Environmental" type Portraits done available light. I did some more conventional stuff at the church (for Mom and Grand-Mama ), but this is what this Bride hired me for. </p><div></div>

<p>Here are a couple more. The B&W is my favorite image this year. What is hard to see in the small B&W 700 pixel jpg is the expressions on the faces of the girls in the window : -) I made an 14"X 16" B&W print of this one. </p>

<p>All of these were done with a Leica M9 and 28/2 ASPH ... tiny camera & lens with a big heart that people think is a P&S ... LOL!</p>

<p>Steve Harris, looks like you had a good time shooting your friend's wedding. Looking forward to seeing the shots!</p><div></div>