daniel_vincent

<p>Here is a copy from my blog on Photographing your first wedding.<br> The news that you are photographing for your first wedding often leads to emotions ranging from excitement to apprehension, and fear. Knowing your equipment and have developed the necessary skills to take great photographs, will set the wedding event and you will have a greater likelihood of your first wedding event being successful, along with following some key steps.<br> This blog should be used to illustrate the steps and positioning that you will need to follow before, during, and after the event. Proper preparation for any wedding is required and will result in the highest percentage of success.<br> At the time of signing the agreement, there are two key opportunities to enhance the process.<br />First, get to know the bride and groom. Spend some time chatting so you will know their story and they can get a sense of who you are. When the wedding day comes, they should feel comfortable with you so their true personalities will shine. I always include at no extra cost a engagement shoot. I look at this as a good opportunity to give them some posing tips that they can use on their wedding day. Plus this will give you some valuable insight on how they photograph together. Also, it allows you to see exactly how much coaching they need to get the desired results.<br> It is important that you have a standard written agreement that is signed by the bride, groom, and the photographer. There is no excuse for not having this document in place. It should describe the deliverables and the fees associated with the service and products. It should also include a model release so you can use the photos for promotional purposes.<br> I can remember spending several weeks before my first wedding visiting other photographers web sites, and researching photography blogs and forums. The amount of information thats available is overwhelming. I do not recommend waiting to the last minute to to start looking into what you should and shouldn’t do.<br />Browsing other photographers sites can and will inspire you. Websites like Pinterest, has millions of ideals for anything you could possibly think of for an engagement, bridal party, or for any stage of a wedding. This site along with many others will get you thinking about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to make it happen.</p> <h2><strong>Your Day Begins</strong></h2> <p>KNOW THE SCHEDULE!!!! Make sure you request a itinerary for the day of events. Know when you are meeting with the bride and groom, go over the agenda for the time you are expected to be at the wedding. Let them know what to expect from you and your assistant. Let them know that you need time to devote photographs with you in charge. This is a good time to talk about a wedding coordinator. If they will designate a friend or family member that will help you identify important family members during the wedding day, it can be a tremendous help.</p> <h2><strong>Equipment Prep</strong></h2> <p><a href="http://i2.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarkJRebilas-gear-4.jpg"><img src="http://i2.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MarkJRebilas-gear-4.jpg?resize=560%2C420" alt="dk_photography_wedding_equipment" width="560" height="420" /></a><br> Leading up to the event you HAVE to ensure that all your equipment is operational and ready to go. I thoroughly clean and check my equipment the night before the wedding, and the day of. Because the morning starts early I will know if I have any issues. It’s a good practice, as your business grows to invest in back up bodies, lens, and flashes. Ideally you need two camera bodies and two flash units at a minimum. If you do not have them, you can rent them. You never know when you will need one and the last thing you want is not being able to photograph a wedding for unforeseen circumstances.BE PREPARED!!!<br> It is not uncommon to take 2,000 to 3,000 images at a wedding.<br />If you are using flash, you will burn through batteries very fast at that rate.<br />For memory cards, it is better to have several smaller cards than just one or two big ones.<br />If a card fails, you minimize your loss by using multiple cards.</p> <ul> <li>Batteries (24)</li> <li>Memory Cards (4)</li> </ul> <p> </p> <h2><strong>Venue</strong></h2> <p><a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wedding-reception-venue-houston-tx.jpg"><img src="http://i0.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wedding-reception-venue-houston-tx.jpg?resize=900%2C350" alt="wedding-reception-venue-houston-tx" width="612" height="237" /></a><br> Visit the venue(s) prior to the wedding day in order to scope out lighting and shot locations. Do you need to gel your flash for proper white balance? I often find that if I take a few test shots with and without flash, and perform a custom white balance check with my camera, that there are competing colors from the various light sources. For indoor venues, I often have to gel the flash to match the color of the venue’s lighting. This will save you much time and aggravation later in the process.</p> <h2><strong>Your To-Do List</strong></h2> <p><a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wedding_to_do_list.jpg"><img src="http://i1.wp.com/www.dkvphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wedding_to_do_list.jpg?resize=800%2C547" alt="wedding_to_do_list" width="612" height="418" /></a></p> <ul> <li>Bring a fast lens; the faster the better. Indoor lighting at churches and reception halls is notoriously for being poor and. Be prepared with a fast lens (f /2.8 minimum – f/1.4 preferred). If you don’t have one, rent it.<br />If you are in a place of worship, have a clear understanding of where you can go and what locations are off-limits. Also, flash is usually not permitted in places of worship, but you can ask.</li> <li>When you arrive, begin by taking outdoor venue shots. Here in Houston, Texas, it can be sunny and bright one second and pouring cats and dogs the next. Get some key building and landscape images without people, This is apart of your prep photos.</li> <li>Be insured. If someone trips over your equipment, are you covered?</li> <li>Assistants are priceless! Yes they can carry things for you but, having help setting up shots, hold off-camera flash, and having a extra set of eyes is worth every penny and more.</li> <li>Part of blending into the event is dressing appropriately. Talk to the bride and groom about their expectations before the event. In all cases, wear comfortable shoes.</li> <li>To prepare yourself physically for a tiring day, have a light meal before you go. It is a good idea to bring granola, energy or candy bars, or other portable snacks. Bring water, too, just in case. If you are working a 6-10 hour event, be prepared for the physical impact it will have on you.</li> <li>Take shots of the bride and groom as soon after the ceremony (or before) as possible. After people start drinking and celebrating, it will get harder to assemble people and have them look their best.</li> <li>Outside of the the bride and groom, I make a point to start shooting the very young and very old early. They offend get tired fast, and some may leave early.</li> <li>If you have a camera bag, lock it down or have your assistant carry it. If you are on your own, consider using a cable lock for your camera bag and hide it out of sight. It serves as a deterrent from theft. You may feel comfortable with the bride and groom, but you never know about their friends and family or the staff at the venue.</li> <li>Be discreet your job is to blend in your goal is to capture candid images the display peoples emotions be it relaxed, happy, emotional, etc.</li> <li>If the wedding and reception are indoors, make sure to take shots of the bride and groom outside. Try to get away during the reception and get some outside shots–even if it is nighttime.</li> <li>Take a group shot of everyone. This is a great way to have everyone in attendance in one photo. It makes for a great enlargement and an opportunity for sales to others in attendance at the wedding.</li> <li>I process and deliver images faster then any other photographer that I know. I can’t express the happy my clients are to get their images back without sacificing quality in record time. Plus, word of mouth is everything in this business! Just a little food for thought….</li> <li>Keep in contact with the bride and groom and schedule a time to meet with them to go over the images and discuss ordering details. It is as important to provide a high level of customer service after the event and before it. If you establish a relationship with the couple, they will think of you for family portraits and portraits of their children in years to come.</li> </ul> <p></p>

<p>If your turning printed pictures over to a client, that's a finished product. I have reviewed each photo and if it has made the final cut that means I have given it my blessing.<br> I also use IPS Monitors that I calibrate when editing all pictures. This ensure that all my pictures will print as I seen them on my screen. So, when I give my clients a disk I also attach a disclaimer letting them know that my photos might look off in color or lighting but this is do to that fact that my equipment is different and I edit my photos for optimized printing and not social media. I've never had any dissatisfied customers.<br> On the flip side it's possible that your equipment need to be calibrated or eve upgraded.<br>