heatherrene Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Funner question for ya! When you shot your very first wedding.. Was it with an experienced professional or by your self? Maybe for a friend orfree? And how did it go? I was just curios about how the pro's started. You all do wonderful work and Ireally hope to be able to capture the emotions like you all do. And figure outphotoshop well enough to add the cool effects...Well hope you are all having a wonderful Fall Season this year! Sincerely, Heather Rene' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenm Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Still working toward "pro" level but have shot quite a few weddings so far. My first ended up being as second shooter to a pro. Aside from almost hitting a deer on my way to the wedding, all went pretty well (especially since she told me all the settings to use - though I still was a nervous wreck). My first on my own had been scheduled before that first. I was to be a second newbie photographer along with another new but more experienced photographer. I was paid $100. When I met with the couple, I showed them my family albums and one from a recent vacation! the groom was somewhat into photography (more advanced than myself) and liked the expressions I captured and my compositions. Being one of two photographers (instead of a "second shooter") was near impossible. I gave up on formals as there was crowd of guests vying for the couple's attention and the main photographer was losing out so I figured I'd be one less camera and could help him get the subject's attention. My flash didn't sync with one camera, lost tons of "would've been great" photos. Still, had some decent ones from my other cam, learned a lot, got a tip, made new friends of the couple and the photographer and got some experience without having the entire weight of the job on myself. Since then have learned a great deal second shooting and trying to practice in my spare time along with reading. Have taken on about one wedding a year on my own, always low budget, small affair and have made couple well aware of my experience level and been sure they have seen all of my work. Just last week booked a wedding for next year at the higher end of "budget" and feel very comfortable in doing so -especially with a year to improve and upgrade gear. Slow (very)and steady... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefanie1 Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 My first wedding I shot was for a friend from ages ago (hadn't seen her in probably 10 years). They did pay me, but it wasn't much ($750 for all day and they got a disc and prints). The first wedding I ever booked was actually for strangers, they were from out of town. They paid a couple hundred dollars for ceremony and portraits, again with disc and prints. I don't believe in doing stuff for free, but I did do my first season at fairly low rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherrene Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Thanks Lauren, I appreciate the response! Any one else have a story to tell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherrene Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Thanks you two, I appreciate the response! Any one else have a story to tell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conraderb Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 my first wedding I booked, I had no experience. it was for a good friend of mine. they paid me $200, which I spent way ahead of the wedding on an extra OM-1 body and a few wedding photography books, and many test rolls. I promised to be the photographer about 9 months before the wedding, so I used that 9 months to learn as much as I could, and assist a photographer twice to learn a bit about how to do it. So, technically, my first two weddings were as an assistant, and my third (and 4th and 5th) were on my own. After that, I second shot for another photographer for two weddings and then did my own thing. Interestingly enough, I think that my day rate now is higher than the first photographer who I assisted in the first place. Hahaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn_kelly Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I had no desire to shoot a wedding, but friends begged me to do it and I caved in. Then more people begged and I started to cave easier until I started to like the praise, the extra cash, and all of the learning to get better. The learning part is never ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen dohring Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I was shooting family's with young children on the beach PJ and portraits and a couple without money insisted I shoot their wedding. I had a few months and read and looked at everything I could get my hands on for wedding photography. Made mistakes but very few, I think this is my calling I learn something every wedding and I am nowhere near the level I want to be. Three local studios hired me on the spot from those first pictures. Though underpaid for my work my experience level is on the fast track by doing both second shooting and primary shooting multiple times per month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyc Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I shot my first wedding as an assistant. My fiancée needed an assistant as hers moved to Texas shortly after hurricane Katrina. While for the most part she was still covering weddings herself I would use the backup camera and just take shots of whatever interested me. Basically I was there to watch, get a feel for the event, drive, and carry bags, not necessarily shoot. My first critique was that while I got a couple of good shots, most pictures were shot at eye level and felt like snapshots but a few nice detail shots also found their way in. Her complaint of the reception pictures : not waiting for the right moment. She wanted me to wait for and stalk the emotion or expression that she looks for in her photos. That and don?t ever shoot the back of a person?s head. Another complaint was flash. While my first SLR was completely manual, same with the flash, I hadn't used them in years. I figured I'd let the flash work on ETTL and run the camera on manual. I had a few shots not come out because I didn?t account for the directionality of that bright daylight generator on the top of my camera, and my composition would sometimes catch a piece of the table in the foreground which the camera would expose properly, underexposing the background, even when dragging the shutter. Since then I've shot another 36 weddings as an assistant and last November, I attended my uncle's wedding and shot it myself (there was no "photographer" as they had several photographer/artist friends also attending) so there wasn?t any pressure to perform other than my own expectations. My fiancée, Jessica, on the other hand, started when she was 16 as an assistant for her uncle who owned a wedding photography business. The next year she was second shooting with him. She has worked as an second shooter and primary/ solo shooter for a few more years before starting her own business a little under 4 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherrene Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 Wow, Thanks for all the great stories everyone! I love to read them it makes me fell like I'm actually getting to know you people, instead of just how you fell about equipment or flash!! Thanks a lot for all of your time! Sincerely, Heather Rene' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_clark___minnetonka_mi Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I photographed my first wedding in 1969. It was a Professor I got to know, who actually was my mentor, who asked me if I would photograph his sisters wedding. My equipment was simple. A Minolta SRT101 and two 36 exposure rolls of Ektachrome X that had a high ISO of 64! I created maybe all 72 frames from their wedding. And they loved the images. Spent my career in another field because of various things. But I really enjoy photography especially now that I don't need the money and people are willing to pay for what I do. I like making people look beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimstrutz Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Shot my first wedding for one of many nieces. She bought me a new Vivitar 285HV so I did it for free. Years later and she still raves about it, but I know it was rather lame. I moved on to more nieces and nephews. Did I mention I had a lot of them? I started charging a bit to buy better gear, and that got me started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamont Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 Well..... don't start me.... They were friends of friends, and I did it for two sides of mutton. (Got 6). 1980 I think it was. I had been in the business for some time but had never done a wedding. Grooms trousers were about three sizes to big, and the best man seemed to just fit into his.... you guessed it, they had each others on. Was really lucky with the day, could use 100asa film in both RB67 with 645 back on for formals and 35mm stuff. Nice light overcaste and formals in an open forest. Really great couple and party, all enjoyed it. My photos lasted longer than the marriage, and both of them get on with me better now than they get on with each other. I can still remember the details of why I did this or that. Was amazed at the photos, I just could not believe that I had taken them. Did both brisemaids wedding later on, and the best man with the tight trou. Over a period of three years, did 8 weddings in that area, all known to the original couple. Recently did grooms niece, who was a baby at the first wedding. Makes me feel old. Donald. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimberly_smith___anchorage Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 My first wedding was for my brother-in-law. My husband volunteered us to do it, and I was not very happy with that.<BR><BR> The day was bright and sunny without a cloud in the sky. Every bride's dream, but every photographer's nightmare, considering the entire ceremony and reception took place on an open grassy area at noon. We shot the entire thing with all manual Minolta gear and manual flash. I think I counted to five before I hit the shutter so I could calculate the distance, etc.<BR><BR> The pictures turned out amazingly well, but I was exhaused after 12 hours of shooting.<BR><BR> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagesax Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I did it the slow way. Took classes, then apprenticed at a studio for 2 years; without pay. Learned a ton so in a way it was a free education. After the weddings, I'd come in and see the results. The studio had 10 photographers on staff so I was lucky to review lots of weddings. That was 22 years ago, I finally got up the nerve to photograph my first wedding in 1987. Craig, my partner, started in 1988. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbara_lucas_wilson Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I shot my first wedding for a friend from work. I actually volunteered to do it as their wedding gift, and to see if this was something that I wanted to pursue. Had a great time, learned lots, they loved their pics. Husband was 2nd shooter. Have done 3 more this year, sometimes solo, sometimes with hubby. Either as gifts or pretty cheaply. Learning all the time. And this was all this year! I had a year before the first one to read, practice and learn. I really enjot it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unohuu Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Shot my first wedding 2 years ago...I was alone and no wedding experience. I tried repeatedly to meet w/ BandG -no luck. Church was dark, stuck in back with videographer who wanted to borrow gear from me. Two tripods, flash and a long lens. One digital SLR and one film. It was a lighting disaster. The formals were rushed because the minisiter needed to get B/G downstairs to the reception. The reception was better. I did it for a co-worker who simply wanted her niece's wedding day covered. They liked the prints, especially the candids from the pre-wedding and the reception. I did get a stunning capture of the bride sitting on the podium with her dress spread around her. I remember it was the toughest and most emotionally demanding time-compressed experience I had ever had and I work FT as a Child Protection Social Worker. No mother about to lose her child is as rabid as the Mother of the Bride or the bridal family during formals. And there was an Uncle Joe. I bought PWs after this experience because they wore out my flash with the P/S during my formals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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