gpjoell3

<p>I will be in San Diego, CA to attend a family event on April 25, 2010 and will be available as a second shooter on April 24, 2010. If their is a photographer in the San Diego CA area that needs a seasoned photographer to second shoot on that day, then I am your man. Just send me an email and we can go from there. </p>

<p>I have just started to experience this same problem with my Nikon D700 and SB900. I put a SB800 on my D700 and the same thing accured. I took my SB900 and put it on my D300 and the problem went away. I searched Google for a possible solution and I ran across this post. </p>

<p>http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=33207948</p>

<p>You can take if for what it is worth, but I believe that it has some validity to it. I did not start hammering or chisseling yet, but I am very close to it. I did take a business card and folded it in half. I wedged the card stock between the bottom of the SB900 and the top of the on camera flash to prevent the SB900 from wiggling. The problem stopped and I was able to fire off 50 shots without one pre-flash. Therefore, I am convinced that my problem is with the proper fit of the hotshoe on the D700 and the flash connector. </p>

<p> </p>

I was not fixing this photos to present it to the bride. I was only showing that the photos could be restored and some of the highlights could be saved. I spent a few minutes and added a liquify and a few actions that only tweaked to photo a little. I did not ask you to critique it. If you want to critique my work, I have a website you your more then welcome to take a look at. As for my original post, I believe I said decent and not perfect. I was not going for perfect. Therefore, I think both of you should concentrate on helping Chris out and not those who are only trying to help him out.</p>

<p>I use Cathy and David Bock's method, except I tell the to open their eyes and smile. </p>

<p>Lee,<br>

Shoot with the highest megapixel that you can. If you start with 5MP and have to crop, you will end up with less then you started. I believe the D80 is a 10MP camera and that is what I would use.</p>

<p>Chris, this shot is not lost. I tweaked it in PS and was able to produce a decent image in about 2 minutes.</p><div></div>

<p>I use ProSelect and output the files as low res thumb nails with "COPYRIGHT" written across the photo. It also lets you produce a slideshow quicktime file with the file name attached. Both options give me piece of mind.</p>

<p>I agree with David on every aspect. I do not believe that you can sacrifice sharpness for the sake of art. I have been to many art galleries and I did not see one blurry portrait. I have visited many of the top photographer's websites and I never seen a blurry portrait. I have thumbed through many magazines, and have never seen a blurry photo. Here is my take on things. If you will not add that photo to your online or print portfolio, then don't give it to the bride or groom for their album. Just remember, every album that leaves you studio is your portfolio.</p>

<p>I commend Francie for owning up to his mistakes and for the courage to post an image here for critique. He has admitted to using the wrong lens and has stated that he will do things different next time. We all can learn from this exercise. </p>

<p>I recently made a similar mistake trying to capture the bridal party jumping in the air. I did not change the shutter speed after the ceremony and the photo came out with motion blur. I thought it was pretty good artistic photo, but I could not bring myself to show the couple. I did not add that photo to their gallery so they will not have the opportunity to select it or ask me to blow it up. It will not be a part of my portfolio.</p>

<p>The couple was perfect, but the shot was not. I agree with Bob when is stated "I think the 70-200 was a bit overkill!" The focal lens was too long and the couple and they came upon you too fast. The blur happened because you could not react with that lens and you almost ran out of room. You had two courses of action. The first course of action could have been to move back quickly and then recompose. The second course of action could have been to have a second camera ready to go with a shorter lens. Too be honest with you, this one would have been a throw away for me...</p>

<p>I just love the Grooms expression.</p><div></div>

<p>Chimera,</p>

<p>It is best to follow what your market is doing. If you are in S. California, then I would check with photographers in your area to see what they are doing. I could understand if you were an award winning photographer and your photos were in high demand, however, you are just starting out and still portfolio building. If I were you, I would sell edited photos to whomever will buy them. One way to sell Hi Res Photos with a little editing is to bring them into Lightroom and balance the temporature, adjust the color, and sharpen a little. This should be enough sell your photos, it you nailed the exposure like a pro. Many photographers are scared to sell unedited photos because the rely so much on Photoshop to make them appear great. If your market can handle it, and you are comfortable with your images after a little editing, then make more money, and keep your clients happy and coming back for more.</p>

<p>If this is your first wedding, then use flash if you can. It takes an experience person to shoot in low light situations. </p>

<p>Your equipment must be geared towards producing acceptable results without additional lighting. If your camera is good enough at settings as high as 1600 ISO and you are using fast lenses f/2.8 or wider, then you might be able to get away with no flash as long as there is adequate available light. </p>

<p>The bottom lines is, if you have the technical know how and the equipment to capture this event without light, then go ahead and ask the question. If not, then attach your speedlight and go for it. Just remember, this is your first wedding and it is for a friend. If you get it right, then you may get your second wedding real soon.</p>

<p>This is what I do. I offer the same photos that go into my print packages at a cost. My thinking here is most folks can use a scanner and if they have the hard copy, then it is too easy to make a digital copy. Why not make an extra few dollars and offer it as a digital back up. </p>

<p>Next, I offer unedited files at a much higher cost. This cost is equal to my average online print order sales. I realize that once I give up the files, I will no long receive addition income from the couple. Therefore, I only give the CD/DVD at the final meeting, where the couple get their album, portraits, and anything else they purchased. I am not worried about my clients getting unedited work from me. I label the disk as a proof disk. I am confident that my photos will be better then Uncle Bob. If not, then I am in the wrong business.</p>

<p>So, with all that said, I would fall in line with the rest of the photographers in your area and make a profit off of your digital negatives. And, yes you want the clients that ask for the disk. I am not sure if you are aware of the current economic situation in the World, however, many of us can not afford to pick and choose who are clients are. If there is a demand, then you have an obligation to fill it. Your livelihood, depends on it.</p>

<p>My approach to this situation would have been very different and to tell you the truth, you would not have had this situation if you handled it right, from the beginning. First off, you are the CEO of your company and it is up to you to protect its interest. The Bride and Groom only gets married once, or twice, however, you have to do this weekly. If you continue to let other run your company, you will not be in business long. </p>

<p>I take complete control of the situation when it comes to the ceremony and formals. Once I get my marching orders from the officiant and the B/G, I am in charge. It is my responsibility to capture every detail and I do not take this task lightly. I don't ask much questions, I only dictate what I want, and I it gets done. During the formals, If a guest wants to take photos, I politely explain that the bride and groom are paying me by the hour and if they want to pose for you after I am finished, that is fine with me. However, as long as I am taking photos, I ask that you refrain. This approach always works. During the ceremony, I do not let anyone get in between me and my subjects. I have stepped in between many guest without any complaints.</p>

<p>Lets rewind back to the beginning. Once you realized that another pro was going to be shooting the same wedding that you were hired to do, you should have set the boundaries then. I would have explained to the Bride that any guest is welcome to capture the event as a guest, however, once they start to interfere with my capabilities to do my job then I will be forced to confront them. Because you did not want to upset the Bride, you virtually gave them the O.K.</p>

<p>Now, fast forward to the Wedding. I can not believe you let this guy stand between you and the Bride and Groom. I can not believe you would rather crop him out rather then tell him he was in your way. I do not have a problem blocking the way of a guest taking photos or video in order to get the shots I was paid to get. I would not allow another photographer to gain a better advantage point then I have. This is your company and you have to do what ever you have to fulfill your obligation and protect its interest.</p>

<p>Hear me out and try to understand this analogy. Just suppose this guest post all his photos on his website the next day with many of them already edited. What if he had a better advantage point then you and capture this event superbly? what if he emails the Bride and Groom with the password and tell then to share it with there family and friends? How do you think your initial proofing session will go once the B/G sees your cropped photos? How many sells do you think you will get from this wedding? As you can see, this guy has just undermined your bottom line and put you in a predicament that could have been avoided.</p>

<p>In addition, I would have not been so nice to this guy. He did not respect you or did he respect the fact that you were hired to capture this event and not him. He took advantage of your kindness and I bet he plans to use these photos to his benefit. If he does this 2 or 3 more times and does a great job, he may become your competition. I bet he would not let you come to one of his jobs and let you try to sell the same photos to his clients. Well, that is what he may do to you. I would send the bride and groom a letter and explain the situation. I would not crop this guy out of any photos without compensation. You were wronged and now you will have to work extra hard to correct something that should have been nipped in the bud earlier. I hope you have learned your lesson and I hope you realize that being passive is not always the best course of action.</p>

<p>Actually, I would crop him out, once I make my point.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I echo Steve, but I will add a lot more to help you answer this burning question. First of all, I do lots of outside weddings and I always have my SB800 mounted to my Nikon D700. I use my flash outdoors as a fill flash. I would love to see your outdoor wedding with the sun at 12:00. I am almost positive that your subject have either raccoon eyes or shadows. </p>

<p>Now, here is the answer to your question. First mount the SB800 on your camera and lock it down. Now reset your SB800 using the MODE and ON/OFF button for 2 seconds. This will set you up in TTL Flash Mode and auto Zoom. Next, point your flash straight up and extend the white bounce card that came with the flash unit. If the ceiling is low enough, you can bounce off the ceiling and get fill flash from the card. If the ceiling is too high, then adjust the flash head to provide adequate lighting. If you have to shoot straight on, then use the light modifier that came with your SB800. You might have to adjust the EV on the flash unit to compensate for the modifier. That is about as basic as I can do for you in this short time period. Oh by the way, add the 5th battery compartment to the flash, it will give you a quicker recycle time for the garter and bouquet toss. Have fun...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>It is my understanding that you will not receive an email if they do not except your application. I am not totally sure, but that is the last information I read. </p>

<p>Candace, I am from San Diego, but live in North Carolina now. I would love to fly out there, assist you on your wedding, visit family and friends, eat me some awesome Mexican food, and get back home with a smile on my face. However, I don't think that that would be wise of me to do that. Thanks for the offer.</p>

<p>George</p>

<p>I show them the photo. If I take a shot and it is not exposed correctly, I just delete it and take another shot. I can tell from the LCD if the shot is good or not. I usually will check every shot. If it is really good, I may even invite my client to take a look. I often will show off a few shots to ease their curiousity. If you feel you need PS before you show a photo, then maybe you are in the wrong business. Just remember, we are in the cell photo camera era. what is good to your is superb to your clients. Just relax and have fun... Oh by the way, I would not suggest you add this point to your contract...</p>

<p>You need CS3 or higher or Lightroom 2.0. If you are using CS3, then you need to make sure you have the latest RAW Converter installed. I think the latest is 4.6 but I may be off a version.</p>

<p>You should have keep the flash on and metered the background. The exposure difference from your subject under the pavillion and the background could be 2 to 3 stops different. If you exposed for your subject and the background is bright, you will surely blow out the background...</p>

<p>Try Lowes! It is a 4'x8' tile board and it cost about $18.00 a piece. You will need two. Overlap the front board over the back board to make it seamless to the camera. </p>

<p>Collages.net is great. I just spent a year with them and made tons of money. They bring folks to your site as oppose to you sending out reminders. They will let you fulfill yourself also. Another great site is DIGILABS. I just switch to DIGILABS to save money. The site is not as robust as collages.net and I will have to promote my own galleries, however, you have to make a choice between great interface and paying more or less robust and saving a few dollars. Either way, you win.</p>

<p>If this is your first wedding, you have alot to worry about and if you let the MOH shake you, you will fail. You will give her a second chance to fire you. If you think for one minute she is going to be nice or forgive you, you have another thing coming. As soon as she is aware that you are the photographer, she will try to poison you to the bride. What I would do is be very professional and hopefully you are will prepared for this wedding. Make sure you do your checks and double checks to insure that you have everything you need. Make sure you have back up equipment. If I was you in this situation, I would hire a second shooter. This way, if the MOH gets to you and you stress out, at least you will have another photographer who is not emotionally attached, to capture some of the event. Personally, I would not try to make up with your former boss. I would just stay focused and that this opportunity to shine. Once the photos come back to the bride and she is very happy, you will have your redemption. </p>

<p>Kay, it is hard to go wrong with such a beautiful subject, however, if I was you, I would figure out what went wrong with your white balance and correct it. If you shot in RAW, then post processing should been able to correct the color difference. </p>

<p>It is one thing to get a few shots wrong and fix them in Lightroom or Camara Raw, however, it is another thing to have an entire wedding not correctly balanced. </p>

<p>Just remember that every time you move to a different location during your wedding in May, you will have to be conscience about the type of light that and how it will effect your photos. If you are shooting outdoors but using a flash as fill, you have two light sources here and two different temperatures. If you are shooting the ceremony in a church, you may have the light coming from the window, overhead tungsten light, maybe a fluorescent spot light or two, and maybe a stain glass to boot. You will have to do a custom white balance or shoot in RAW and fix them in post processing. If you get it right in the camera, it will save you many hours sitting in front of your computer trying to correct hundreds of photos.</p>

<p>If you know how to do a custom white balance, then go to the venue early enough to setup several different white balances from different areas at the venue. Make sure you bring a 5x7 card to reference the different settings and custom white balance locations.</p>

<p>Good luck with the wedding!</p>

<p>Tyler,<br>

<br><br>

I would seek out an experience wedding photographer in your area and see if you can assist them for free. This will give you the experience you need and answer all your questions. You might be able to build a great portfolio at the same time. If you are asking these questions, you are not ready to shoot as the primary photographer. <br>

<br><br>

Now, I am not here to insult your photography skills. I am sure you are a very capable photographer who has photographed my news stories and photojournalist events, however, learning a new type and style of photography may take you a little while. I know many news photographers who would never shoot a wedding. I have hired a few from my local paper that have done a great job as a second photographer and a few that I would never hire again to do anything. <br>

<br><br>

It is my experience, many news photographers use the shoot gun effect of photographer and they take way too many photos of the same thing. That is not the case with weddings. It is better to anticipate what is going to happen so that you can get the shot right the first time. <br>

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Once again, I am sure you are a capable photographer, however, you must gain experience as a wedding photographer before you accept the role as the primary person responsible for documenting one of the most important events in a couple's lives.</p>