mistym

I recently had a photographer-bride express interest in cross-processed shots from her wedding. Knowing that she knew EXACTLY what she was getting into with that, I brought two rolls of velvia and popped them into my backup camera. I found that my creativity in general was much better knowing that it was "anything goes" with those rolls, and when I went to develop them I really really hesitated about the "cross" part of it (once you do it you can't go back!), but then I did it anyhow. Almost everything came out really orange, probably because the light was so low, but aside from that the "funk feel" of the prints is really cool.

 

I don't think I'd just do this on a normal basis though, it was a lot of fun and the pictures are unique, but most people wouldn't understand...<div></div>

It's funny how opinions can differ. I just wanted to say I love the shots of the kids. Yes they're shot from above but that's probably how the bride and groom saw them most of the time, they look creative that way and are nicely cropped and nice emotions caught.

I'm wondering about different methods people use for selecting the

final set of proofs that are shared with the client.

 

I've only done a handful of weddings so far myself and it probably

has more to do with my lack of technique in shooting (I'm still so

nervous that I am going to screw something up that I waaay over

shoot) - but I have a TON of pictures to sift through. I used to do

the proof albums for my father when he shot weddings, but he would

come back with the exact number of shots he knew he needed, and I'd

only have to pull the obvious - hair in the face, eyes shut, someone

stepped into the shot...

 

I seem to be able to narrow it down to 50-100 good shots that I know

they are going to like, and then I'm left with a big pile of

other "okay" shots that are of them or their family and friends and

aren't bad shots, there's just nothing gripping about them - so I

guess the question is after you've set aside the really good shots

and the really bad shots (assuming you have any), how do you sift

thru what remains and determine whether to share with the client or

not?

Hey Phil-

 

Couldja start a new thread with your question since it's kinda buried here? I bet you'd get a better response!

I'm starting out this summer by using old but sturdy and reliable equipment (old fashioned manual focus metal 35mm cameras, but I also purchased an autofocus camera after my first wedding because I found it incredibly difficult to deal with manual focus after they turned the lights down at the reception location). I bought new flashes. And a pair of brackets and lumiquest and stofen diffusers. And good film. But beyond that I wouldn't invest in a lot of expensive equipment before trying it out because I have no idea if I'm going to love it or not! So that's your equipment question...

 

I took a ton of classes, for my entire life, and shadowed my dad who did this for 17 years before he passed away.

 

And finally, I am offering my services to couples at below cost, with the understanding that it is my first year doing this and things may not always be perfect. I wouldn't do this, however, if I wasn't sure I could deliver them at least a good number of decent shots, because no matter how much they "understand" that, this is their one-and-only (so we hope) wedding and I don't think anyone in that situation can completely "understand" such a thing.

 

My assistant is starting out by assisting me! So I guess you have choices. Good luck!

There's no kiss but you can be 8 months pregnant?! Were they able to finish the ceremony in time for the birth??

 

You're right, they do look kinda bored. I think I would skip that shot. Are they really going to go thru the pictures and say "Hey, you don't have one of us in front of the table?".

 

Probably the best thing to do would be to show this to your future clients as a warning.

Thanks for the feedback James! I kinda like the lines of the dock and the position of the couple in the frame (not too close to the bottom) the way it is, but I can see your point - actually that's why I prefer it in B&W, in color the dock and the ittybit of brick in the lower left corner become more of an issue. The thing that is really bothering me now is her hair blending into the lower darker line of trees...

 

But that's not what this particular thread is about anyhow, just wanted to say thanks for the feedback!

I think I would try snapping my fingers at them and maybe stomping my feet and yelling "Wake up! YOU'RE GETTING *MARRIED*!!!". If that doesn't work I would find that guy in the church with the stick that goes around and whacks people if they start to fall asleep?

 

No but seriously - if they are bored in the moment, why do they want a picture of that moment to keep forever?? You don't have to document every minute of the ceremony, or even every 5 minutes if it's one of those lovely lengthy ones. As the wedding photographer, more often than not your biggest job is waiting for something to happen that is worth taking a picture of, and then being ready when it does.

 

It sounds like for these orthodox ceremonies you'll be taking most of your pictures at the beginning and at the end. Maybe you can get the guy with the stick to wake YOU up when it's almost time for the kiss! (they do still have the kiss, right?)

It's funny you ask this because I've been working on growing the guts to post my favorite image from my first wedding, and one of my issues with it is that it could be ANY bride and groom, you can't tell from the picture. And yet I think the client is going to LOVE it.

 

I think if all of the pictures were like this, then it would be VERY disappointing to the couple. But on the converse, I think an image or two like this makes the bride feel like her day was timeless - yes it could be any bride and groom and it's romantic and quintessential-weddingy, but SHE knows that that's her, and that's her husband, and look how pretty they are.

 

I particularly like the image I am going to share because it captures the environment of their day, and I think they way they "posed" (I simply asked them to turn and look at the mountain) shows tenderness and closeness.

 

This particular bride had brought a folder of images she liked with her to our pre-wedding meeting, and many of them were of the bride and groom's backs, but I think even if she hadn't done that on a roll of 36 with this scenery I would have gone ahead and "risked" a couple shots like this!<div></div>

It's a dead horse now but I thought I'd post in case anyone in the future has the same problem and googles this.

 

I got the rest of my rolls back and figured out the "real" problem, now that I can put the night in order.

 

The real problem was: the batteries died. They are serious when they say you can shoot 250 pictures with the battery pack. They don't mean 500, they mean roughly 250. I think I was probably around 500 shots when I realized the ready-light wasn't coming on... and of course the flash was still popping a little bit because the poor thing tried to do the best it could on what little juice it had... hence bright light on a shoulder or forehead here or there and otherwise underexposed shots.

 

Gotta order another power pak...

Thank you guys. The pictures STINK on top of being poorly exposed so I don't want to post one!

 

And having gone thru the whole set now I think everyone is right (man I really hate that they don't show all the responses when you are responding so you have to memorize who said what... anyhow...) - because I bracketed and the shots where the aperature was the same as what I told the flash it was came out alright, it's just the ones where I tried to be too clever for myself that are really really bad. And also in a few cases I was using a wider angle than the flash could handle.

 

And of course this all only applies to the shots I shot indoors in the near-darkness with the flash, the ones I shot outdoors in daylight with fill-flash beforehand are fine.

 

So lesson learned:

 

A little more testing needed without the drastic measures of trickiness I tried.

 

And I have a hunch the flash will do much better in general with the elcheapo maxxum 5 I ordered (it's a minolta dedicated sunpak, all my flashes are sunpaks so I don't think it's the third party flash thing, either way it takes a bit of a brain and a little experience to get the two to work together since the camera isn't ever going to talk to it, it's just that none of the rest of my flashes are this darned tootin' fancy and don't require as much SKILL to use, I think...)

 

Thanks again!

I just got back a bunch of test rolls I shot at a wedding using my

shiny new flash and my really old camera (flash is a sunpak 5000AF,

camera is a Minolta X-570). I had done a pre-test test run with my

husband and dog and found that the plain old auto-mode when I was

being honest with it was TOO much. The pictures weren't grainy, but

they were blown out.

 

So I added a stofen omni-bounce and told the flash I was one more

fstop open than I was - what I got - blown out areas where the flash

hit, and grainy grainy grainy everywhere else (400 speed film).

 

Can someone help me understand this? Was I just stupid to try to

trick the flash like that?

 

In the meantime I've ordered a lower-end Maxxum for those shots where

I must use flash in the future... in the past I had had no problems

with an older sunpak that had two modes - high, and low - always shot

on low with a lumiquest diffuser and got beautiful shots - but I was

attracted by the ability to strap on a battery pack for this flash,

which I can't do with old trusty....

Thank you all for the suggestions and the discussion. Ack! It doesn't let you view other responses as you compose your own. Anyhow, I think it was Philip with the beautiful picture of the little girl - nice!

 

It sounds to me like I should try to do a combo of the two here - and the bottom lines (can you have more than one bottom line?) a) it's not in my community so whatever the result it doesn't directly impact my reputation and b) it's free to them and they've got high requirements so the expectations ought to be low, and if they aren't, oh well! I'm attending the ceremony because my little sister's getting her pin, not to be the photographer anyhow.

 

On the topic of flash - I don't like the looks of most flash photos either - but I think that's because it takes such a high level of competence to really do it nicely. I personally feel like I am a lot less in control of how the final image looks if I am using flash (afterall, I can't "preview" it and my eye is effectively closed when it goes off).

 

Thanks again!

Hello-

 

I realize there is a post three posts down regarding candlelit

ceremonies, but I am looking for some advice regarding a very

specific situation.

 

My sister has asked me to do a single photograph at her nurse-school

pinning ceremony this friday. The ceremony is inside an elks club

with very low ceilings and dark walls, the lighting will be a few

tungsten wall-sconces.

 

As part of the ceremony the nurses light a candle when they are

pinned, then go and sit in the front row of the audience. There are

22 of them sitting in the front row in two groups of 11 separated by

a 4 foot aisle.

 

She was hoping I could get a single color picture of them sitting

there during the end of the ceremony without being "too obstructive"

and without flash. That's a lot of people and a pretty wide angle!

 

She suggested shooting from one side, and I know the shot she has in

mind - one person close to the camera and then the others peeling

away to the back of the frame face after face candle after candle...

but I don't think that's a very good documentary shot of the class,

someone is inevitably obliterated by blur or darkness or both.

 

I shoot 35mm, I have 16mm, 28mm, and 35mm (and longer focal length)

lenses... so my options are?? shoot from the middle with wide angle

and a long exposure, getting grain (1600 right?) and motion blur...

or?? Shoot a shot from all four ends of the aisles and not get

everyone in a single shot? (and become more "obtusive")??

 

The only thing I could think to tell her was to have the nurses stay

after and arrange them in a few rows on the risers to the platform

and relight their candles, but that's really not my style and not

really what they're looking for.

 

Just looking for any creative ideas or technical suggestions I may

not have thought of!

I posted this a few days ago but it didn't seem to "stick". From adorama I got the hotshoe-pc converter ($8.95) and the PC to PC cord ($5.95), both generic - works like a charm!

Oh don't be sorry Tom! You have given me extremely helpful information and I am very grateful! I should have thought to check the minolta site. I gave up checking the manufacturers sites because I had gotten very frustrated with Canon. I'll check it out!

 

Thank you!!!

And ugh - in case this post is useful to someone else as well - the OC is not the right cable, if what is pictured in the ebay item that you so nicely pointed me to is accurate - there is no connector that looks anything like the round end on my 280 flash. I might just have to get newer equipment... but we'll see what comes in the mail on Friday...

Thank you guys so much! I finally got through to Adorama (last week was a jewish holiday allll week and put both them and bhphotovideo out of commission), and the guy seemed to know what he was talking about and hooked me up with what he says I'll need $14. I'll have it on friday and then we'll see.

 

I'm going to have to look up what TTL means unless someone feels generous about wanting to enlighten me... no pun...

 

Thanks again!

Hi - I have a minolta x-570 and a Minolta 280px flash that I would

like to put on a bracket, but I can't figure out what sync cord I

would need to use. BHphotovideo and adorama don't show pictures, and

I really need to see the connectors!

 

PC end will plug into the camera, but what needs to go into the flash

is something with three holes in a single row.

 

Alternatively I could hook up my Sunpak Auto2000DZ, but I can't find

a cord for that either. It would need to have a hotshoe mount

because there is NO place on the sunpak to accept a cable.

 

Any advice on either of these flashes would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you!

What brought about this change? Was it member complaints? I'm just curious. I think that the ratings are very useful to gather input on mass appeal, which is important. And *I think* this new system will really discourage rating at all and/or will cause the photographer to need to sift thru multiple meaningless comments to find the comments that actually give constructive input.