sandra_schaffer

Sort of a funny post..

I have a collection of pro cameras including a pro DSLR, but some of my best shots were taken with a little Kodak Point and shoot.... which has only one drawback and that is it won't shoot RAW.

In fact, the biggest drawback with the newer P&S digitals is the lack of RAW capability and the lack of a view finder.

In the northeast the booking season is from end of January through the end of april. You will get most bookings from mid February (something to do with Valentine's day?) and by Mid March they are winding down.

By now, in this area, you will likely have most of what you are going to get for the 2007 spring and summer booked. June is the big month but September and October are very good as well due to fall foliage in this area.

If you are NOT booked pretty solid by now you need to visit your business plan and sales ability. Selling weddings is not like selling siding or windows.. your personality counts.

I say no to the refund as well.

She is trying the ggood old "something for nothing" routine.

I hope you have a contract with her. Assuming you delivered to contract, you owe her nothing as well.

As to the wedding coordinator, I would let her know you did your best to please the couple but they refused all offers on your part short of money. Sounds to me like they are short of money period?

Most photographers do not let the second shooter use the images they take as employees. They know future competition when they see it.

As a contractor getting a 1099 the situation is different and negotiable. If you are using the Photographer's equuipment or your own can make a difference legally as well.

Even if you cannot keep the images, the work will give you experience that is invaluable.

All the correct information is here.

BTW Steve, why are you up at 4:49AM to "discuss this..."

How to pose and flatter human subjects (the basics inluding avoiding bright sun, squinted eyes, how to back light and standing the subject 45 degrees to the camera).

The most common snapshot is of people.

If you lens is pre AI, you will have to have it machined to fit the D50. Some AI'd lenses will not clear the sensor and also have to have extra work done.

If you get the lens AI'd it will need to have this extra machine work done.

Have you checked out the tutorials on this site? They are quite good.

http://www.photo.net/learn/making-photographs/

With digital you can always try it and then go look see on the computer?

With the smaller sensor, diffraction will (theoretically) increase at higher F stops than with film for 35mm. Jim's discussion above is dead on with regard to lenses and diffraction. That is the physics.

Rather than discuss it, go out and do it and see.

Gosh give her a call and just say your calendar is starting to fill and ask if she still wants you to do her wedding!

By this time of the year it is likely your calendar IS filling!

The sister in law of your X (therefore related to your x by marriage) asked your husband's studio to shoot a wedding for her (the siter in law's) close friend? It sounds like the X and the sister in law are not related to the bride.

I don't see a problem unless, should your X show at the wedding you are going to be uncomfortable or he is going to cause a problem.

You either need to apprentice with a videographer or you need some film background to do this well. Not many do.

It may be more enjoyable to you and, if that is the case, go for it.

Trust me on this.. it is not easier, just different, if you want to produce good results.

I have discovered that, since I was not in the spolight of the event, but a service provider/vendor, NO ONE looked at my shoes. Wear black slacks and black athletic shoes with lots of support.

I have known ministers who have diabetes to wear white socks and black work shoes under their robes for weddings.....

Good support, Good comfort are essential. If your feet hurt you can not concentrate on photography. You can only concentrate on "when is this day going to be over with."

Getting an education, regardless of the subject is really important. A formal 4 year degree is worth it, regardless of the major of the subject.

That degree can open doors if you want it to, and with that degree if you decide to do something else (not photography), it can open other doors as well.

You are 18. Get a loan, apply for grants, do what you need to do and get your education and your degree. At that point you can do anything you want and have greater chance of success.

I know. I did and I did not want to.. but my job today was contingent on that degree and I am very happy I invested in those 4 years!

(BTW Edsel sounds like a bitter man. There is money in anything if you are good enough and are willing to work hard and approach it with a positive attitude. Maybe he is a business failure. Don't let the bitter failure guys like him discourage you!)

Zone focus. There are little numbers on the lens and marks that show you focusing distances. Learn to judge distances, set the aperture and and zone focus. This is really basic photo 101 stuff?

My gosh.. I did this at F8 with a flash for a number of years. The focus "zone" was 5-15 feet. Of course, at f2.8 this is much narrower so you have to learn that distnace. Set the aperture. Set the shutter speed get the right distance from your subject and fire away! No need to focus every shot.

Focus on on SLR whether the Aperture is set at F8 or F2.8 is always accomplished with the lens wide open anyway. The DOF lever will show you how it will focus when you take the photo....

An hour is a Very Long Exposure. I would try less time.. or smaller aperture. I recall doing this in Earth Science in 8th grade and I recall using B&W film and an exposure or 20 minutes or so to get star trails. We aimed at the north star and got a circular pattern.

Of course, I cannot recall the film we used (likely low ASA such as 100 or less.. but it was consumer stuff) and I cannot recall the aperture we used. I do recal the exposure as being not as long as an hour.. 10 minutes and 200 minutes are what I recall. This was in 1970.

Send me the $1,000 and I will get your the perfect "kit." :)

Seriously, you can look at KEH.com and find some good used lenses, If you want them to do all the bells and whistles, then you may prefer to buy new. B&H photo video is a good source.

I think that a couple of good zooms may do the job at this point, tho I prefer fixed focal length (a 24mm, a 35mm, a 50mm and a 105 mm and maybe a macro lens... though I think I have just outsepnt your budget).

Have fun!

Seems to be in poor taste and I would not do it unless the B&G asked me to.

After all, this is a wedding and you are there to document the celebration of their day (B&G). While you have every right to make a profit from this endeavor, it is not a circus or a local fair where you have a photo booth...

Before ever taking money for a job, you should have two things. One is a contract and the other is a Federal ID number so you can pay the taxes (yes.. Social Security Taxes if not income taxes) on the service/labor part of your income. Most of what a wedding photographer does is LABOR, so anti up 15% right OFF the TOP for social Security Taxes after the cost of the DVD or CD or whatever you are providing the customer for $400.

A contract is a protective device. It protects the client by insuring some sort of compensation (return of their money etc.) if you do not perform the services stated. It protects you from the client requiring anything beyond what the contract promises.

You have to have a contract with repercussions of what happens if you do not produce what is promised in the contract.

Oh yeah.. and beyond that, how is your insurance? You need liability and business insurance.. because if something goes terribly wrong,. they can sue you and go after what you own for settlement of damages....

These things sound minor, but believe me, if you get sued you will want a contract, insurance and proof of paying taxes and a balance sheet showing your expenses and income.

After thinking about all this, do you REALLY want to do this for $400? You would be better off building your portfolio and doing it for free than getting into charging so little and not meeting your expenses.

Remember, before wedding photography is art, or beautiful or fun, it is a BUSINESS. If you are charging $400 you can, at the end of the year, depreciate your equipment, add up your expenses and write the losses off.. but only against the business income. You will still have to pay the Social Security Taxes on your labor.

When I shoot the 1.5 crop frame and then go and shoot an 8008s, I find I really really do not like that digital crop thing. I really do not.

The 8008s is like a sigh of relief after shooting a lot with the digi-crop view finder. I feel the cripped finder is pinched.

So, if Nikon makes a full frame sensor camera, I will like that. However, it is also just as likely I won't be able to afford it.