lindamccague

<p>My very first book was a mix match of several different weddings. I think it confused some people. My bigger nicer albums now show one wedding.</p>

<p>Thank you all!</p>

<p>I am primarily a wedding photographer and use bounced flash and OCF bare or with umbrellas (shoot through and regular) for portraits and at receptions. I have recently purchased two Alien Bees 800 units and am planning on photographing more babies / maternity shoots. I can imagine I will be working in fairly tight spaces as I do not have a studio space. I will be bringing my equipment to my clients homes.<br>

I have been trying to decide on what I need. I was plannning on doing these shoots with my AB's, so I would most likely purchase from their accessories. I was thinking a softbox (what size? and maybe with a grid?) or a beauty dish? I was also thinking about purchasing a boom arm, but not sure if that will be useful in smaller spaces.<br>

With the maternity portraits I'd like to create some moody picture where the mom fades into the shadows (this is why I'm thinking I might need a grid) and of course some nicely lit ones too.<br>

Any direction would be great. Thanks.</p>

<p>From my wedding this weekend. She was spinning (not running away). LOL<br>

Canon 5D Mk II 24-70 2.8L, ISO 320, f 6.3, 1/200, 52mm</p><div></div>

<p>I 2nd shot a wedding last Fall that was on TV. The show Rich Bride Poor Bride. It was an Indian wedding and there are usually video cameras around at those anyway. We shot it as normal and everything went great.<br>

I don't know why they would ask you about anything that had to do with payment from your client. That sounds odd.</p>

<p>I had one a couple weeks before my first wedding of the season. I had showed up to the ceremony with only one camera and 50mm lens (crazy). I walked in and it was DARK! I had also forgotten my flashes at home. My heart was sinking in my dream and I was SO happy to wake up and realize it was just a dream It seemed so real!!</p>

<p>Ooops. 700px</p><div></div>

<p>Ok, I'll go first this week. I shot my first wedding of the season on Saturday. Here's one of my favourite pics.<br />5D Mk II & 24-70 2.8L ISO 500 27mm f 5.6 1/200</p>

<p>My camera wasn't even dead and I also followed this remommendation!</p>

<p>I agree with what Nadine has said.<br>

Some of my images were submitted to a magazine a few weeks ago and I had to sign that to the best of my knowlede images from that wedding had not been published elsewhere including magazines, online / blogs (excluding my own).<br>

I would be upset if a "guest" at a wedding where I was the hired photographer were to compromise me being able to have my images published in a magazine.<br>

I'm not sure why so many other photographers here don't feel the same way.</p>

<p>If the rings are available where the bride is getting ready I will take some then. I also almost always also take some later during the reception too. If the couple did not want to take the rings off I would not pressure them to do so. I would make sure I had a few snaps of their hands with with rings on.</p>

<p>I was contacted today by a Resort where I photographed a wedding this past summer with what sounds like a good opportunity.<br>

This is the email I received:<br>

Hello,<br />I work at the --- Resort, and I am sure that you know, that we do weddings here. We have over 30 weddings booked for next year. As a new thing we are offering “all inclusive packages” to our couples, and one of the features is the photographer. I have a couple whose wedding is September 25, 2010, and they are very interested in you as the photographer. Could you please give me a price break down of what you charge (hourly? Packages? Etc.) please bare with me as I am new with all of this.<br>

<br />They already have me listed on their website under their list of suppliers (along with 5 other photographers). I provided them with one of their favourite photos now on their home page.<br />I emailed him back, but did not include my price sheet. I asked if he would like to set up a meeting to discuss the details instead.<br>

<br />I have not worked with a vendor in such a capacity before. I'm planning to do more networking next year once both my kiddos are in school all day. I am interested in working with this resort for their all inclusive package, but not sure of how it works (it sounds like they aren't sure either).<br>

<br />Would the vendor most likely take one (some) of my packages and ask me to discount for them (but they offer to the couple for the my price... and then make a few hundred bucks? Should I make a new package just for them? I think I should ask them if they are planning on working with other photographers as well. I would think they'd have to. I may not be available for all the wedding dates.<br>

<br />If anyone has any advice I'm all ears! Thanks, Linda</p>

<p>I just made a 5x7 trifold for a client and printed with blackriverimaging. I was hoping for one that would be 21 inchs wide when open, but it is 15(tall)x7(wide) when open. My client loved it and was very impressed with the quality.</p>

<p>I got red flags from a photographer couple that hired me two weeks before their wedding. I went ahead with it and on the day they were wonderful to work with. They knew how to pose themselves and we worked really fast and got great pics. The only down side was that they wouldn't sign the model release and wanted the RAWS after the fact. :(</p>

<p>Things are getting more and more fun here all the time. Thank you all for your time and dedication.</p>

<p>I suggest learning lighting (using your flash properly). You may not be photographing the ceremony, but if there are pictures outside in sun you'll need fill flash. Then at the reception if it is dark you'll also need flash. Learning how to use your flash so that it looks like you didn't use flash (direct flash is bad) will really help up the quality of the pics. I suggest looking at Planet Neil. (for some reason it won't let me post the actual web address, so Google it). Neil breaks it down into easy to understand bits.</p>

<p>Good thread! I'm going to be doing this for my son's school this year too.</p>

<p>Canon 5D Mk II ISO 100 f11 1/200 70mm on camera fill flash.</p><div></div>

<p>My 2nd brings placemats with us. They fold up and are easy to carry in a bag. We use them for brides to sit on. We joke about setting up a picnic.</p>

<p>I was going to send mine out too, but when I took it to the camera store for them to send the guy said he would clean it for me. He cleaned it, but it still had a few spots when I got home. I had bought the cleaning kit from him and did it again myself and it is now spot free! I was so afraid to do it myself until I watched him. It's easy!</p>

<p>For focal length we were both using the 24-70 2.8 L. She has shots from 24mm-70mm and inbetween (as did I) that are all dark.</p>

<p>Hi Tasos,<br />Thanks for the feedback. I was not using off camera flash at this wedding. I was only bouncing my flash (The jumping lady shot above was not from this wedding.<br />This is exactly why I am confused. It seems we used almost the same setup and settings, but my shots are so much better lit! She also does not have a 500mm f2.8! LOL<br />The setup on both our flashes that night looked like the image below.<br />As Nadine mentioned she may have had hers on wrong (backwards?) and was blocking all the light somehow?? I was blocking any light from going directly forward and bouncing behind and up over my shoulder.<br />I'm not sure why this issue wasn't mentioned to me that night. I will be checking connections on her flash, testing it and trying to get to the bottom of this!<br />I'm now wondering if she was bouncing it straight up (instead of up and behind her) sometimes and if light was being blocked from going forwards by the foamie... if that would have caused this. I've seen her flash straight up outside (when there is no bounce surface) in a situation where fill should be used.<br>

But then as Nadine also mentioned the half lit shot is even underexposed on the side that did have flash... maybe all of this together and possibly having the flash dialed down is the issue?</p>

<p>Thanks for the thoughts everyone.</p>

<p>Nadine, are you saying that you think the black fomie was blocking the light in ALL the pics or just in this one that shows the funky light fall off?</p>

<p>Hi Nadine,<br />Will check with her about the foamie. I saw two pics where light fall off looked really strange. I showed these to her too and she said that she was trying something and saw that it didn't work and that obviously those are toss aways. I think the flash with foamie impoperly positioned would have caused this light fall off, and again still very dark.<br>

Thank you. Will have to install DPP. I haven't used it. I use Lightroom & Photoshop.</p>

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