steve_abrams2

<p>Hello everyone. Have an idea on a new wedding/event, shoot from type camera bag. Not quite sure on how to go about taking the concept to the next level. Need advice, feedback, info, etc., on how to get it produced. I know about other photographers who have done this such as Jim Garner with his Boda Bag. Was wondering if anyone out there knows the best way to proceed on attemping such a project. Who to contact, making a prototype, manufacturing, etc. All comments welcomed and appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks for the detailed info. I've never thought about it that way.</p>

<p>Thanks Nadine.</p>

<p>Nadine, may I ask why a 2 stop vs. 1 stop. Would like to know your thought process and reasoning for your suggestion. You post alot on here and I really value your input. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone that responded.</p>

<p>The reason for the Jumbo is because I plan on mounting it on the end of a light stand and have an assistant holding it high over head of the model or models. The Jumbo I think is close to the size of the sunbounce.</p>

<p>Trying to decide which Lastolite Trigrip diffuser to buy, a 1 stop or 2 stop diffuser. Will use on the couple outdoors during the engagement shoot and for wedding portraits. Thinking about getting the jumbo 58 inch size and using it like a Sunbounce fly swatter. Need advice on which one would be the most useful or best one to have if I can only buy one. Thanks.</p>

<p>Trying to decide which Lastolite Trigrip diffuser to buy, a 1 stop or 2 stop diffuser. Plan on doing outdoor photoshoots with one to two models. Thinking about getting the jumbo 58 inch size and using it like a Sunbounce fly swatter. Need advice on which one would be the most useful or best one to have if I can only buy one. Thanks.</p>

Thanks for the info. Curious, what didn't they understand? Can you elaborate? Thanks.

Found this on the internet. Their website is cjlewis.com. They have 3 products for sell that focuses on marketing

and sales for photographers. One package is very expensive. The other two are more reasonable. Does anyone know

anything about this, good or bad. Thanks.

Has anyone attended

this seminar? I was

thinking about

attending one this

year. It's $99

dollars for one day.

Any comments or

feedback about is it

worth going. Thanks

Steve.

Do not give them a refund. Make them take you to court. If they did set you up, a judge might see this. You don't want to get the reputation that you roll over easy. As to the wedding, it had alot of red flags that were ignored. Shoot weddings on your terms, not the clients. You will save money on aspirin.

I checked out Rick DeLormes website. His photos there are awesome. His lighting is very good. Does anyone know what he charges to teach his methods? Anyone taken his seminars?

I agree with Sam's comment about the curiosity effect. I think in the future, when you show the client the photos you want them to see, tell them these are all the photos you took. Then, this problem won't come up again, and everyone is happy. Now go have a cookie! Steve.

Julie, I was re-thinking this today. You have been getting very good advice here and if you really think you can do it, then by all means go for it. But keep in mind you are gambling with their most important day of their lives and you cannot go back and re-shoot this. I agree with what Todd above has said and that is the statement that really bothers me the most. The couple's expectations are beyond what you can deliver. You have the passion and drive, that is good, but you just don't have the proper equipment and the know how to do this. The odds are that most of the photos are not going to be up to their expectations. And you are going to know in the family as the person that screwed up their wedding photos. You just don't have the time to learn all this stuff. I know that some of the people here are giving you alot of support in going ahead and doing it. That is fine. I am all for that, but then their not the ones that have to take the heat if you mess this up. I would have a serious talk with the couple as soon as possible and explain your situation. Make them understand that they may not like the results and why. If they have the budget and funds to hire a real professional, I would highly suggest you do that. You owe them that much. Then, watch the photographer closely, try to get him to let you assist during the wedding. You will learn alot and the couple will get what they want. Deep down, you know that the couple want really good photos of their wedding. I don't care what they say to you. They trust you and are being nice. Also, they don't know anything about photography and don't know what questions to ask or what to look for. I know you want to shoot this and prove to everyone you can do it. But do you really want to gamble with their images of their wedding. Any others out there want to back me up on this? You all know I speak the truth. Good luck. Steve.

This is a hard one. On one hand, I agree with the above comments. You don't want your unsatisfactorily images floating around for other people to see. You run the risk of people thinking you are not a good photographer. Your bride won't tell them that those photos are the out takes and not up to your high standards. You could be honest with her and explain why you don't want to do this, but most likely, she won't care and demand that you turn them over. If you decide to let her have them, I would charge a premium to make it worth while. At least $500 dollars. Maybe even close to $1000.00 on the other hand, we photographers sometimes can get to anal about this whole thing and are too stiff with these kind of issues. I understand why she would like to have them, however, if she saw them, she probably would decide their not worth having. She probably thinks she is missing out on some special moment caught by you or something like that and it is bothering her. You could bring her in and show her the photos on your monitor and explain that she didn't miss out on anything. It could save the relationship with her. If this is mishandled, she might not give you any good word of mouth advertising. I also, like the idea of telling her you have deleted them. It ends there. She could still get mad at you and bad mouth your business. I say go with your gut on this one. In the future, decide how you want to handle this, put it in your contract and go over it with new clients. Good luck.

Hello, well we here at this forum get asked this question alot. There is already alot of info regarding this and if you do a search, you will find the information you seek. It sounds like you are really trying to do the right thing, continue reading everything you can on the subject and go out and practice as much as possible. Do not, I repeat, do not use the pop up flash. You need an external flash such as the SB-600 or better the SB-800. Also, you may not be able to use the flash during the ceremony. This is quite common and you need to find before hand. It would be nice if you had a f2.8 lens. Most pros use them to shoot weddings. You might want to take a back up camera and flash in case something goes wrong. Your photos that are out of focus may be due to low light and the camera could not focus. Just a guess. There are no pre-set settings for ceremony and formals. It depends on the lighting conditions and your ISO settings, and other variables. There is just too much to list here as to what you need to do this. I'm sure other people will post some really good advice. Also, if you get an external flash, get you a diffuser for it and bounce the flash. Much better results. Make sure the couple know you are not a pro and will not get upset at you if the photos don't turn out. Know their expectations on this. Find out why they are not hiring a professional. You may want to suggest that. Will they be on speaking terms with you if something goes wrong? Learn to pose people if you have the time. Makes for better shots. Also, obtain a shot list of the most common types of shots taken on the wedding day. Find out from the couple what shots are really important to them so you make sure you get them. Do you plan to use software to post process the photos? For cropping and other things. You will probably need a tripod for the ceremony because your lens is too slow. Use a high ISO for that to help. Go to where the wedding is going to take place and take some test shots in the exact lighting conditions you will have at the wedding. Read and learn as much as possible and practice alot under low light conditions. Good luck.

Thanks for the info. One last comment. I commend you for what you are trying to do. It shows you are not afraid to experiment and try new things. It shows you are thinking outside the box and that is good. That is how you develop your style and craft. We all can stuck in a rut and keep doing the same things over and over again and this effort of yours will hopefully keep that from happening to you. Keep trying new and different things.

Allan, I don't think you are stupid. If you got that impression, I am sorry. I gave my advice on what was said in this forum. Not hearing or talking to the bride and getting a personal feel from her as to her demeanor, it is hard to judge what the proper response should be. But, based on what you have relayed here in this forum, I still think this wedding spells trouble. Doing weddings for 1 year, you are still green in this business and have alot to learn. I am surprised you didn't get an impression of the bride during your meetings with her. Was she not scatter brained during those meetings? It sounds like you did your best to cover the details during those meetings based on what you said above, so, if she is acting this way now, I would be very supcious. As to the eating at the reception issue, I would recommend in the future, request that you be fed along with any assistants or 2nd shooters the same, exact food as the rest will eat. And, request that you and your help be seated at a front side table next the bride and groom so that if anything happens, you are close and can get the shot. There are solid good reasons for this. Steve.

Interesting. I like the second photo the best. However, make the letters red to stand out. Why are they white? Can't see them, barely. Also, some potential clients after seeing this might think you are on another planet. Others, will love it. They will think you are ahead of the curve. You may be on to something or you are on something! Ha! What feed back have you gotten? What process did you use to achieve this? Good luck. Steve.

Your website looks very professional. As too scalability, alot of people's monitors are set either at 1024 by 768 or 1280 by 1024. Most LCD monitors are default at 1280 by 1024. Anything lower than that, don't worry about it.

 

Noticed your price. Based on your images, I think you should charge more. At 1200 dollars, you are not going to make enough. Don't be afraid or ashamed of charging more for your services. I would at least start at $2500 and then slowly go up from there. Develop a pricing model and strategy for increasing your profits. Good luck.

Kristin, the more I think about this the more I think this guy has never shot a wedding before. Thought it would be easy, (the anybody can do it attitude) and a quick way to make a fast buck. Find out if he has shot other weddings. If he told you he has shot other weddings and he hasn't, this could be considered fraud and would help you sue him. Run an ad in your local area and see if you can find out if any other people have hired him or had the same problem with him. Also, check with your local Better Business Bureau for any complaints against him. Also, the photos he showed you that you liked, may not have been taken by him. He probably got them from some other source, maybe the internet. That too would be fraud.

Nadine, I agree totally. I didn't catch that part of it. One thing for sure, he has and will learn alot from this wedding.

 

Allan, in the future, learn alot more about your brides before you decide to shoot their wedding. Ask alot of questions, and if necessary, try to educate them on what it takes for you to do your job. Steve.

Thanks alot. I really appreciate it. Steve.