free photos for freinds weeding...Please give me your thoughts

[kevin_lindeque]

Hi

 

My first post

 

My freind has just had their wedding, they paid a professional but asked me to

also take pics (which i did for free)

 

I am sure i am being incredibly naive, but i thought (and so did my freind

that my photos came out well)

 

I am now considering doing more weddings.

 

Please be BRUTALY honest.

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=629344

 

I used a nikon d70

 

Thanks<div></div>

[Jochen_S]

The linked folder doesn't tell much to evaluate you. You've beeen there, the couple was close to cute and the sun did shine, yeah. Keep them for your portfolio.

 

What's about backup, posing / directing skills for formals, flash / available light technique, handling ugly elderly folks?

[jfr]

These look ok, but Jochen is right. Being able to take a well composed image is only one requirement for a wedding photographer. Many amateurs can do that. It's when the going get's tough where the amateurs separate from the pros. What if they had held the whole day in a dark church where you can barely use 1/8 @ f2.0?

On the other hand, you can't tell people not to try it just because of that. Someone has to do it and some people do it. So, why not you. Maybe try a few small weddings and see how you like it with people you don't know and give you a harder time? Maybe try assisting a local pro and see what it is about and what he does.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Kevin, these pictures are okay, but hardly representative of shooting a wedding, as mentioned above. But if it seemed like fun, and you have a passion for photography then by all means you should look into it. Find a wedding photogrpahyer who's looking for an assistant and do 1-2 years of apprenticeship. Shooting a wedding is an awesome responsibility, challenge, and opportunity to do some great photography.

 

Paul

[steve george]

Kevin

 

I really like the ones you have posted. I'm a relatively recent starter in all this, and started as you have, with friends weddings.

 

I wish you the best of luck if you do decide to go for it - go into it with your eyes open though, and the kit and know-how to deal with whatever the day throws at you so you can carry on as if it was the most normal thing ever.

 

The other poster wasn't exaggerating about difficult situations - I've had a venue just like that, that hasn't allowed flash or tripods and had dismal light coming through the windows, so it was straining 1/15th at f2 and 1600 iso. Add into that negotiating with a photography-hating registrar to allow a picture of the ring-exchange that the couple have specifically said is important to them to be captured and you get the idea...and then it starts raining when it's time to go outside to do the formals and everyone looks to you for direction...and of course you have to produce the goods - the couple most likely won't care that it was a challenge as that is why they've hired a professional, you, to do the job...

[bdp]

The pics in your folder are ok, some shadows, but what do you have for the ceremony/reception/formals and your posing. Posing for me, is one of the biggest obstacles in taking my photos to the next level.

[kevin_lindeque]

Thanks for all your honest answers, i take it from your responses that my pics are ok neither bad nor good?

 

I will certainly take you advice about being an apprentice

 

Will a d70 be man enough for the job in future or will i have to upgrade

[nstock]

You will need at least two cameras. I use film cameras for back up and because I think film gives a nicer presentation in some instances. Film is expensive but not as expensive as the better digital cameras. A D70 is a consumer grade camera. You might want to look at a Fuji S3 at the very least. A full frame sensor is real nice, but then you will lay out really big bucks.

 

Do you know how to shoot manually? You will need to. Putting the camera in "P" mode (and I am not saying you do this) and banging away will not give you consistant results. It also does not work well in many situations. You need to know your equipment.

 

You need to shoot RAW with any Digital SLR and then have a good 'puter and Photoshop at home so you can tweak and convert the images to TIF or Jpg at the VERY end. You will need a monitor calibration spyder.

 

What do you have for flash equipment? You need to learn how to use flash and balance it with ambient and all of the things that flash can and cannot do.

 

You will need lenses and these you may have. I do a lot of work with non zoom lenses. It is interesting how much that standard 50mm lens does to this day.

 

You also need to learn both PJ and formal styles.. something about both. Fact is, most PJ weddings still have some formal posed shots in the album. You will eventually find yourself gravitating towards one style more than the other but you need both.

 

You really ought to work for a wedding photographer as an assistant for awhile. Weddings are stressful and they can be fun. Shooting a wedding can become easier with time, but when a lot of serious stuff goes wrong it can be a truly miserable experience. This is especially so when you have not done any or many, have inadequate back up equpiment and the crowd starts to fuss because they have been (or want to get to) drinking.

 

See if you can get some time in with a pro before you become a pro.

 

Shooting weddings for fun is one thing. Doing it for money or for a living is a whole 'nother matter.

 

Proceed but do so with knowledge and rely on learning thru the experience of a pro, if you can. What you did here was acceptable I suppose, but it is not a large enough sample to judge.

 

Last but not least, remember this is a BUSINESS. As such, you best know how to handle taxes, an expense sheet and figure out your profits should you have any. It makes no sense to photograph anything for money if, in the end, you don't charge enough and the job costs you more than you make.

[nstock]

BTW I forgot to mention.. the photo attachment with the girls in blue? It does not make the cut. One girl on the end has her eyes shut and so goes right to the cutting room floor.

 

This is why you always take two images of every posed shot.

 

If this had been taken with flash inside there would have been shadows on the wall behind the girls.. they should be brought out away from the wall.

[kevin_lindeque]

thanks for all the sound advice, i took loads of the bridesmaids but unfortunately loaded the wrong one, i always take multiple shots.

 

I am however very inexperienced and would like to take the opportunity to thank you for all your assistance.

 

Could you tell me how/what you all use to print your pics.

 

I was planning on taking them into a high street developer??

 

told you i was new

 

I am going to start ringing around my local pros and ask if i can assist them, are they generally receptive to that kind of offer?

[sonia_liekhus]

For the first time, you've got a great eye for natural style of candid photography. I liked your work and I think you can make it as a wedding photographer anywhere.

My suggestion- keep shooting! Ask pros in your area if you can assist them and learn some tricks from them. Most pros are happy to share their knowledge and help a newby on their way. If they don't want to share their talents- they are very insecure with their work and you don't want tolearn anything from them! Assists a lot of different types of wedding photographers. Pretty soon you will find your nitch.

At first, offer up your services for a fair but relatively inexpensive price- letting the client know that you are fairly new and are willing to give them a deal if they use you. Once you have a few under your belt, I would check out entering any bridal fair in the areas that you want to work. Lots of exposure in a very short amount of time. Once word gets out- you'll have enough work to keep you busy for a long time.

I started out 13 years ago as a wedding photographer by accident. I had an extremely busy workload and it kept me from a lot of family events and such. I have decieded to retire last month and grateful for the opportunity to learn from others when I was starting out and am happy to get someone started in their business.

Good Luck- keep shooting- You'll do fine.

Sonia

[kevin_lindeque]

Great news

 

I have linked up with a pro for a wedding shoot this weekend.

 

Thanks so much for all your input