patty_h.

<p>all of you guys have great points!<br>

I am a newbie and I would love to have a mentor but I just could not figure out a way to make that happen. Now I know that its not just about me getting help, its about helping each other. I actually know a very well, amazing established photographer well, i have spoken to her on the phone asking her for advice and emailing her to say hello and she is great but I have been afraid to even mention anything. Maybe now, I will know how to approach her. </p>

<p>So today Is kind of foggy here is TX and I was wondering if fog will be bad when shooting outdoors, lets say an engagement or a bridal? Thanks. </p>

<p>Usually this should be discussed at the time you book the wedding and sign the contract, if not before that. usually the bride knows because the church will let her know but if she does not know give the church a call and someone will point you to the right person to ask such question. Good luck!</p>

<p>Thank you guys!<br>

I will take that big girl pill next time:)</p>

<p>Hello!<br />A couple of weeks ago a shoot a wedding and it just happened really fast because the groom contacted me 3 days before the wedding, apparently their photographer just bailed out on them.<br>

So they were interested in one of my packages but they kind of thought it was a little too expensive so I customized it for them by removing the prints and the online gallery and all they were getting was just a DVD. I made sure to make this very clear on the contract.<br>

I met the groom a couple of days ago to deliver the DVD and he asked me if they were getting an online gallery for friends and family to view the photos and I just could not say no so I told him I would do it. Next day he email me and asked if their friends and family would be able to download the pictures from the gallery? So here is where I am second guessing myself and wondering if I did the right thing. I said NO that I was very sorry but they were not supposed to even get a gallery and that if their friends wanted any photos they would have to buy them from me. I mean the package I offered them was very cheap and I am a nice person and I will always try to keep my clients happy but I think that sometimes you just have to draw a line. Well, not I am not so sure!<br>

What do you guys think?</p>

 

<p>Kate<br>

Are you showing or giving this image to the bride?<br>

And so would anyone show an image that is not technically good to the bride? and would the bride care about the bad focus and that sort of thing? or would the bride love the an image like Kate's just because its a beautiful moment despite the flaws?</p>

<p>Yeah, I understand that one can get noise from underexposing but that is not my issue the photo is well exposed, its just not sharp and so when I used the Unsharp mask it looked grainy and I just freaked out!</p>

<p>So here is my question?<br>

I took a couple of photos but they are not as sharp as I usually like them to be and so I was using the Unsharp mask option from Capture NX from Nikon and they look great but then when I zoomed in 100% they look grainy. A friend photographer said that it did not matter if they look grainy because they will not look grainy when its printed at least not on a 4x6. Is this true? Thanks</p>

<p>I am so sorry this happened to you Bob!<br>

Now after listening to your story I do not feel so bad about having my BF dropping me of at the events. I usually do not like to drive to the events it just makes me nervous and so my bf does it. He drops me off right at the entrance and he waits for me to be inside and and then he picks me up at the end of the night.</p>

<p>Yeah, you are right Nadine, I was confusing camera exposure with focusing mode!!!!!<br>

I am using the Nikon d300 with the 18-200 f3.5-5.6.<br>

I have been using the single-servo AF mode and the Auto-area AF mode.<br>

I appreciate all the advice.</p>

<p>I agree with Nadine, i did not specify whether i miss a bridesmaid or if i miss focus. So here it goes: Now that I am thinking before i would actually miss a bridesmaid but actually that was because I had an issue with my bracket's flash cord, but that is a whole different issue which I fixed by replacing it. So now my issue is "I miss the focus" in the beginning I used to shoot auto and you know what happens here, sometimes it focuses right and sometimes it does not so then I switched to aperture but then again its the same issue and so manual was the best option but i feel that I am not fast enough focusing and so that's my issue.<br>

Perhaps I should put this into practice:</p>

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=615486">C Jo Gough - Carmel, CA</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/1roll.gif" alt="" title="Frequent poster" /> </a> , Aug 26, 2009; 07:00 p.m.</p>

 

<p>I stand halfway down the aisle > more towards the back of the church. I tell the processional when to start -- I preset my spot (focus) on a pew ---set my camera all manual. Genuflect ..... When the bride/maids cross that point >> I fire --never changing the exposure/zoom or focus. 1/60 @ 5.6 Flash set auto @ about 6.7 (depends on footage )...Duck in the pew --wait for the next. If the church permits :: I follow the bride /father to the altar and fire one shot as he gives her away......Immediately return to back of the church --tripod awaiting ...Same system since the 80's > fail proof.....sharp and perfect exposure</p>

 

<p>So I would like some advice or techniques on how to shoot the processional. Honestly, I always end up either missing one of the bridesmaids walking down the aisle one way or another and this is killing me!! So how do you guys shoot this particular moment? Do you guys run up and down the aisle trying to get as many as possible so you are not relying on one shoot? or do you stay put in one spot to capture the shoot? Your advice will be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>I love the mysterious look of the bride!<br>

I agree with David about the background, maybe if the cars were not in the frame. However, its a very unique and beautiful shot.</p>

<p>You are right Aimee,<br>

In the beginning the bride got the most expensive package then 3 weeks before the wedding she call me to tell me that she got gone beyond her budget therefore she could no longer afford the expensive package and so she then got another package.</p>

<p>From now on I will definitely have a clause on my contract because I do not want to experience this again.<br>

I was just remembering that when I first started I shot a wedding for free and the bride got someone else to shoot it for free as well but she told me and she actually asked me if ti bothered me and I said no. At least she warned me!<br>

it was a really small wedding and that time time it actually worked, in the end the other photographer contacted me later asking me to be her back up.<br>

Like Nadine said it was like a circus specially during the formals, one of the photographers took the liberty to take the main role and pose the wedding party, at first it bothered but I was not going to make a scene or be rude but in a way I should have taken control! I just did not know what to do.<br>

later the photographer would let me shoot first, then he would shoot the same pic, also the wedding was suppose to start at 7 pm but it really started at 8 something and then the ceremony ended until 9pm and we were supposed to leave the church at 9 and so the formals were a nightmare.<br>

At least now I know what to include on my contract.<br>

Thanks.</p>

 

<p>So this past Saturday I shoot a wedding and I was surprised because it turns out the bride hired 2 more photographers besides me.<br>

I believe one of them was just helping out and actually he also had like a helper shooting from time to time and some other times he would videotape although there was another videographer and so I am not sure he got paid and the other one was hired to shoot at the reception for 2 hrs.<br>

I just thought it was kind of weird because there were so many photographers and videographers and it was kind of crazy at times, all of us triyng to capture a moment without being in the shot.<br>

They were all nice and at times helpful and so I guess it was a good experience, I am just curious as far as why did the bride get so many photographers and videographers. I mean maybe she wanted different angles or I don't know.<br>

I thought it would have been smarter to have hired one company that would offer 3 photographers, somehow I think they would know how to work together better but, we were good.</p>

 

<p>My worst wedding experience was last year right about this time 1 day before the wedding day I got a face paralysis and I had to cancel it!!!!!!!!<br>

Best one, this past weekend, the groom's mother came up to me during the wedding and told me that the engagement photos came out beautiful and she could not even believe it was her son.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Never!!!<br>

I am so careful with my stuff all the time and I have never left it in the car, a lot of times after a gig a want to get a bite on the way home but I rather go home first drop my gear and then go out to get a bite!</p>

<p>A friend of a friend who got married last year, she paid the whole amount upfront and she barely got her photos! By the way the photos are horrible, she made a 4x6 album and the photos look pixelated, but she was just happy she got them.<br>

I am not sure what the photographer's excuse was but really there is no excuse for this behavior.<br>

I agree with Aimee, approach the photographer nicely, find out what the problem is and just go from there.</p>

<p>Thanks Nadine you are always great!</p>

<p>Thanks Nadine that makes a lot of sense, I do have one prime the Nikon f/1.4 50mm and I like how fast and sharp the photos are. Could you please give me an example of a prime that you would have used? Thanks</p>

<p>I have only shot one chuch wedding because I do too like to bounce my flash and church weddings are a little more complicated.<br>

This church I shot at was very strict they did not even allow me to shoot the processional with flash, I could not used flash at all, I had to stand on the balcony.<br>

So what I did was, I rented thr NIkon 70-200mm f/2.8 and It worked, I mean the church was actually very dark and this lens worked amazing under this circumstances.<br>

My only problem was, the pictures were not amazingly sharp and I am very picky about sharpness. It was probably me, I was kind of nervous and I did not have lots of experience shooting in churches.<br>

Actually, can anybody give me a little advice, as far as getting sharp pictures during the still moments happening during the ceremony? I will appreciate it.<br>

Here is a sample:</p>

<div></div>

<p>Bob, i think its very very nice of you to try to put together a place for newbies as a newbie myself I appreciate that!<br>

I have been reading a lot from this forum and it had been amazing, it has helped so much it really has taught me that there are a lot of things I am not ready for such; church wedding, I just do not book any because I would hate to mess someone's wedding, I would just feel terrible!<br>

I do agree with what others were saying about all the help given by pros to newbies might be more harm than good unless they are really serious about photography.<br>

It was a good story Bob, it was an eye opener!</p>

 

<p>Hello!<br>

I took this photo a couple of weeks ago, I really like their expressions but I annoyed at it because its so bright on the left side. What would you guys do to it so it looks better. Thanks.</p><div></div>

<p>Thank you so much guys for all your help, I will follow the instructions very closely!<br>

Let me ask you this, what would happen if something does not go right?<br>

and has anybody ever done this before?, is there any advice you guys have as far as the process goes? Thanks.</p>