kariann

I have booked a wedding for October of this year, and it is a night wedding.

The couple does not want to see each other beforehand to do their pictures. I

have been taking wedding pictures for eight years, but I have never had to do

any of the bride and groom pictures indoors before. When I take pictures

indoors, I tend to get stuck into doing "formals." So, how do I get fun,

candid, more "photojournalistic" shots of the couple in a dark church inside?

All my head sees are the 1980s wedding albums that are all stiffly posed! I

guess I could take them outside, but I really don't like to use my flash too

much. I like ambient lighting. Anyhow, I guess I would have to come to this

crossroads at some point-guess I've just been lucky with weather, etc. Does

anyone have any ideas, any pictures they can share? Thanks for the help.

Between my assistant and I, 700-1000 pictures per wedding. I give 100 proofs, when it's all said and done.

I use MPIX.com. Love them. Have never had a problem with them. I think they are great quality and great prices. You can check out some of my new wedding pix at:

 

http://kari-motherofthree.blogspot.com/2008/01/pepper-wedding-nov-2007.html

Okay, at $250 a day, I need to bump up my prices, huh? :)

Yes, I definitely want to make them available for order. I'm just wondering how is the best way to do that? I don't have a projector screen, nor an office. I do this out of my home for now part time. Do you think the CD is the best way or to print out proofs. The thing about printing extra proofs is that I have to pay for them and have no need to believe that they will buy them. Kari

What do you pay for your photo assistants? I had a friend help me the day of

the wedding. She was with me for about 7 hours working plus our travel time. I

only charge $895 for the wedding pictures. Do you pay a percentage or per hour?

I've always just had a friend help me and paid them something. She took

pictures-mostly candids of what I was shooting-and I am using some of her

pictures in the proof album.

 

Also, would you put her name on the copyright or mine? Thanks. Kari

Okay, I just finished a wedding where my assistant and I took over 800 pictures

total. My contract with the couple promises them 100 proofs in a proof album. I

have narrowed down the 100, but am not sure what to do with the rest of the

pictures. There are so many great ones I would like them to see. I know many of

you give CD files with all the pictures on them...that's not what I do. I make

such a good profit off of the reprints...

 

Anyways, what are your suggestions of what to do with the additional digital

files? My idea was to put them on a CD with a watermark copyright symbol on

each for them to view for additional purchase. But, should I give them that CD

(since they have all my copyrights on them anyways)? Or, should I only "loan"

it to them for viewing/ possible purchases, or should I charge them for that CD

if they want the copyrighted images? I won't give them the images without a

copyright symbol unless they purchase them. I'm just not sure what to do. I

have always just given my clients all the pictures in the past on film. I don't

want to print out the other pictures, because of the cost involved, if they

aren't interested in purchasing them. I keep thinking there has to be an easier

way, because it's taking forever to watermark each picture.

 

I'm thinking I may just start charging more and giving more pictures in the

future. 100 is very limiting to me. It's just what my mentor always used to

give his clients. It seems like I'm pretty limited to just the "formal" shots,

and there are so many good candids.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Kari

They are not allowed to on their own. I just had a client ask me what if he wanted reprints in five years? I told him he would probably just want new pictures...but it made me wonder about selling the digital files after a certain amount of time.

Conrad,

 

That's a good idea, too. I know you do this full time-I've been to your website before. What would the "correct profile" be, and how do I make sure the printers use the correct resolution? Thanks.

Thanks, Ian for your input. I charged them $895 for the overall wedding. I am including an album of 100 proofs at that price. I am not giving them any digital files from the wedding or engagement session, as I hope to make my profit on reprints. I am by no means a professional (it is not a full time job for me), but this is by far not my first wedding. (you can see my personal page on photo.net for some examples) My 4x6 is $5.00, so you're saying that's all I should charge them for rights to the one photo?

Edward, How do I balance for flash?

I have been getting more into the business side of portraits and have a

question for you. Right now I do NOT offer proofs on CD. I offer good old

fashioned proofs, as I feel that sets me apart a bit from your average person

with a DSLR. Anyhow, I was thinking of offering a CD of the digital files for

purchase after a year-since the likelihood of my clients purchasing prints

after a year goes down, in my opinion. Do any of you do this and what do you

charge for this? Thanks for your input.

I just finished some engagement pictures for a couple who's wedding I'm

photographing in July. I met with them tonight to give them their proofs, and

they asked me about putting one of their pictures on their programs. I had

never thought of this, and so I didn't have a price for them. What would you

charge to give them limited copyrights to one picture for the front of their

programs? I think they are inviting 200-300 people. Thanks for your help.

Okay, I'll go to that link for histograms. Thanks for that. JC, the EXIF said the shutter speed was at 200, so no lag there. Okay, and on the whole "flash to subject distance", do you mean the setting the flash bases on the aperture and making sure I'm at a proper distance, based on what my flash tells me my range is?

 

I have seen the calculators for the shutter speed/aperture settings for focal length, but that just baffles me and I have no idea how someone can remember that! Also, I use a DSLR, so 200 ISO is the slowest I can go. Okay, now, how do I determine the aperture based on the flash to subject distance? Is there another way to explain this? I am sorry if I sound dumb, but some of this is newer to me. I used to just take pictures, now I'm trying to understand more what I do and need to do better. Thanks for your patience, everyone. I already have some good ideas of what to go practice.

 

Also, about the ambient lighting (by that, I'm assuming you mean the natural light I have available), the reason I was shooting closer to the tree trunk was that on the outer perimeters of the tree, I had sun/shade spots. You know what I mean? The shade was patchy, whereas farther under the tree, the shading was solid. Am I just going to have to go at a different time of day? That's why I was shooting in these spots. Or, if exposed properly, is it possible to get a good portrait in the "heavier" shade?

 

And, what is everyone's opinions on a handheld light meter? I mean, how am I to get to the point where I can walk into any setting and pretty much calculate the aperture and shutter speed in my head just by looking around? I guess I have relied too much on my camera meter, and wonder how to venture away from that comfort! Thanks.

Thanks, Alan and Doug. Alan, you're right-the ones that look dark were next to a tree trunk, for sure! That's what I was thinking-that maybe all shade is not alike, just like you said. Because, the pictures I did in another area turned out beautifully!

 

Honestly, Alan, I'm not sure what the histogram should look like-I've heard it should look like a bell? But, what does that tell me, and how do I get that where I want it? There WAS a bright area in the background in a few. Gosh, you guys are good! :) What do you mean by "add to the ambient exposure when using fill?"

 

You're right, Doug. I need to learn to control the light better. I really appreciate you telling me the truth! It's just that I feel like I fool so much with my aperture, fill flash exposure, shutter speed, and it takes so much more time. Does that just get quicker the longer you do it, because I've been taking pictures for many years now. Somedays I feel like it was so much easier when I didn't "know" what I was doing!

 

Thanks, I guess I just need to go back to the same spot with some people who are willing to let me play around to see what I did wrong. I had done some work there a few weeks ago and had the same troubles, but thought I knew how to fix it. Guess not. I'll go back when I can and do some of these things suggested and let you know what happens.

Okay, I've been out taking some portraits lately-yesterday was family

portraits. And, I'm getting very frustrated. I feel like I have a fairly good

understanding of available light portraits, but maybe not. We went to a park,

got in the shade under some trees, and I used my fill flash on some of

them,when I thought necessary. But, when I'm looking at many of the pictures in

the actual pixels, they are not crisp, like the lighting was too low. I had my

camera set on aperture priority, as I find that easier for doing portraits. My

ISO was at, like 200 or 250. A few of the ones with the fill flash look as if

it were nearing day's end, and it was 10am. I just don't know what I am doing

wrong. Am I putting them in too much shade? I don't know if you can help

without seeing the actual pictures, but thanks if you can. Kari

I was encouraged to get a copyright stamp and stamp the back of my proofs, not

to just "sign" them on PS on a border, because "the client can just cut off the

border." Can anyone tell me where to find such a stamp and what it might say?

Thanks for your help! Kari

Do you like the pearl paper? I wasn't sure about using it for portraits. Any opinions? Thanks, kari

I just wanted some input as how to deliver you deliver proofs to your clients.

What size do you deliver your proofs in? 4x5, 5x5, 4x6? Also, do you print them

with a border? What about a signature? Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, everyone, good advice, good eyes! :) Too many of you are too brilliant for me! :) I guess her work just stuck out to my eye. Ah, there is so much to learn and not enough time! :) You all are great.

But, my question is not how to get all my pictures good, rather, how to acheieve this effect, if it is an effect...or is it really just a great photographer? What class can I take, then, to get my pictures to look like this? :)

Thanks, Eric. I appreciate the comment. You're right-I don't get to see her "duds", but I wish I could!:) It just seems that all her colors are perfectly saturated, and yet muted at the same time. I'm sure it is her lighting technique...darn it, I wish it were a plug-in I could buy!:) Darn lighting! :) Anyhow, I have alot of duds...but I've stopped giving anything but what I love to my clients. Funny thing is, alot of times, they like the ones that I would never choose. Oh well...I really need to take some classes...Maybe when my three kids are grown in 18 years, and I have some time and energy! :)

http://www.deidrelynnphotography.com/

 

How does she acheive this quality to all of her prints? All of them look as if

they belong in a magazine, IMO. Besides her stunning talent, what is your

advice on how to acheieve this "saturated, yet muted, artsy" feel her work has?

Thanks for the help. Kari

Okay, what about this. It may not be perfected, but am I on the right course, or does it look creepy? :) Kari<div></div>

Thank you, Eric and Jerry, but I don't have the right tools in Elements, it looks like. Then again, I am just starting with PS elements. I will have to go look it up online and see if I can see what I CAN do with my limited program! I appreciate the help.