JMphotographyweddings

Hi all First off let me say that our first year of shooting weddings has been memorable. We have done about 14 weddings and nearly all of them have been very enjoyable, I am at present editing the last one of our season. My post typically refers to shooting in very bad /low light, and by this I mean dimly lit churches, hotels and registry offices. Everywhere we go in the UK its bloody DARK ! hotels are especially bad. Now I know from doing my research that when the light falls we have a couple of choices; add some light, up the ISO, open the aperture or slow down the shutter speed. (yeah tripod as well) Most places forbid the use of flash during a ceremony - increasing the ISO adds horrible noise - opening the aperture decreases the focal plane - we are shooting handheld so we use a shutter speed that operates just above getting blurred shots. While I was editing a particularly bad ceremony situation where we were forced to work at F2 at around 1600/2000 ISO the thought occurred to me of having to explain why the shots look the way they do, they are not bad as ive done a fair amount of work on them (lightroom). My point is this ; we have very decent glass canon . . 135 L series - 1/8 85mm - 1/4 35mm L - 70/200 F2-8 L - 50mm 1/4 - 24/70 L - 24/105 L - is there just a point where with all this glass and decent cameras - we have Canon 5D Mk2's and a 6D we just have to concede that this is what we have to work with and this is what to expect . . .is there something here im missing / what do you guys do when faced with abysmal lighting conditions and restraints on what you can and cannot do ? I frequently look at others work in similar conditions and try to work out what they are doing and although my shots look pretty good what if the client zooms in ? and see's that ugly noisy look ? I have used my 5D Mk 2 outside and have gotten great shots at 2500 that needed little processing but take it inside and its a very different story . . I am looking forward to the replies here thank in advance from the uk Mike

Thank you mike that is probably the best solution for all concerned we have read all the replies here and have taken on board all that has been said. We have after some discussion reached the conclusion that we will not win this, even though we are within our rights. After all just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. We will select some photos and upload them to our online gallery for them to view and approve, and hopefully we can resolve this amicably. Thank you to everyone who posted your contribution was very valuable to us and its gratifying to know there is a resource at our disposal that is wholeheartedly objective we had decided to drop the matter and just concede in light of the bigger picture and put it all down to experience despite being a bitter pill to swallow but your advice takes that one step further and we thank you

Thank you I do hear what you are saying and its food for thought its not about money though we need exposure and every other client this year has not given us this problem what annoys us is that all the work we have done and have yet to do is not going to be seen and that means losing potential clients if our contract is not worth it when it comes to situations like this then why have one and that is at the root of our post they agreed to our terms and they signed to that effect now they are trying to change that and I don't agree with that its got nothing to do with ego or money its the principle that matters to us if I find that our only recourse is to drop it walk away and move on then thats ok but I need to know just how effective our contract is

But thank you for the reply this is something we shall look into this is all new to us I didn't quite expect this so its come as a bit of a shock and yes I may well do what you suggest I just need to be sure of the validity of our contract before I concede

My partner is not a solicitor the bride is

Hi all Let me start by saying that this . . our first professional year of shooting weddings has been a very enjoyable one, we have met some wonderful people, gained lots of valuable experience and have some nice photos now on our website. We decided to do our first year for expenses only to build our portfolio and have some real weddings to put on our facebook page and website. Our contract states: '10. DISPLAY The Bride and Groom grant the Photographers and its legal representatives, heirs and assigns, the irrevocable and unlimited consent to use the photographs included in this contract for advertising, web site, social media, portfolio, exhibitions, display areas or slide shows and to alter the photographs and/or copyright the images.' Earlier this year we had the chance to shoot an Indian Sikh wedding. After our consultation we agreed that it was probably a bit too involved for us at this stage and we respectfully declined on the grounds that we didn't want to make any mistakes on such an involved ceremony, they thanked us for our honesty and we went our separate ways. A few weeks later we heard from them saying they loved what we did and they liked us and would we shoot the pre-wedding parties that spanned 2 days, we agreed and drew up a contract that now included video coverage. As per usual we arranged an engagement photo session and we all spent a wonderful day shooting around the south bank and St Pauls in London. I posted a few shots on our facebook page that same day as a "taster" for them and we were surprised to receive a text message asking us to refrain from posting any further photos on the grounds that they were very private people. After some discussion we reluctantly agreed to do this respecting their wishes as she said it would be Ok to put up some images from the wedding parties. We did the wedding parties as arranged and spent 2 days doing what we loved. We shot over 2000 photos and captured some great video footage. The problems started to surface last week. I repeatedly had to chase them for the music for the film I was editing I then found out that the music they had on the night was not the kind of music they normally listen to (I had requested some tracks from the DJs set to match up the footage) I kept chasing I even had to contact her sister who was extremely helpful in identifying some tracks so I downloaded those. I eventually managed to start a dialogue with the bride who then decided to send us a different set of music tracks and some tracks for the ceremonies . .adding that she was very stressed by all this and shouldn't have to deal with all this "stuff" adding that it should all be handled by the professionals. They were well aware that we were a start up company from the outset. We eventually worked through our little problems agreeing that mistakes were made on both sides and I went back to editing (taking the week off work to catch up) We finished editing the photographs and contacted them saying that we would be sending them out in the next few days . . . we received a text message telling us not to upload any photos to facebook or any social media site or provide links of any sort . . . and that included the video! After some discussion my partner decided to reply and wrote a fairly lengthy response by email stating that they had signed a contract that quite clearly says we own the copyright to all images/footage taken and that we were within our rights to use them as we see fit on our website and facebook page and that they had signed that contract in good faith (she is a solicitor). She has replied again stating that they were private people and that we had to respect their wishes as we had done earlier in the year. Now I will put my hands up and admit that due to our inexperience and with the addition of hindsight we made some mistakes at the onset of this situation, When they got back in touch we should have gone back to them and set up another consultation that included video, we did mention video in the agreement of services section but there is no dispute about delivering anything here. We have fulfilled our side of the contract, the photos are all done the video is well underway and will be delivered on time as agreed, what im unsure about here is can they dictate to us about what we can and cannot do with our images when we have a signed contract. As it stands at the moment we have nearly 500 photos and 2 separate videos that according to our client will simply be shelved and not viewed by all the friends and family who attended those events, who I might add were allowed to share their photos and video of the same event on social media with no censorship. You may ask what do we want from all this? the answer is simple; I want to share our work with all who wish to see it, im proud of the work we did that weekend, we spent long hours editing and making it look great and I wish to use it for promotional purposes on my website and our facebook page and I don't think its right or fair that someone should just assume that they have the right to dictate to us about what we do with our property. Can someone clarify our position from a legal point of view

Sorry to hear all this it makes me angry/sad that people do this kind of thing if we lived near you we would offer to jump in and save your big day we do hope you get this mess sorted and enjoy your wedding

[Thanks mike yes I have come across this as well I think its helpful to be upfront to everyone I will check out the threads thanks

Hi all just a quick question- as professionals do you advertise your prices on your website ? I have looked at many sites and read about this subject a lot and ive come to realise that as a consumer if I am looking to purchase something, having all the info including the price in front of me helps me to make a decision . . .if a bride is looking for a photographer surely its better to give her all the information on the page there and then, if they have to ring up and ask surely this will make them pass you by and look elsewhere ? I would be interested in hearing what you all think many thanks mike

We never post on Facebook until the couple have received their photos I give them a time which is 2-4 weeks after the wedding I never post sneek previews usually on a long day we will put up a slideshow for everyone to see during the reception that goes down really well

We are looking for a card reader can anyone point us in the direction of something that they own or currently use as we cant seem to find anything that is recommended most of the reviews on Amazon are contradictory to say the least so maybe someone here can recommend something decent we have both SD and CF thanks

can anyone help us with file transfer on the go ? is it possible to download to a laptop or tablet via wi fi whilst still shooting a wedding thanks

We are keeping clients photos for 5 years on our backup databases my question is ; once ive done the final selections for the client should I keep the corresponding RAW files also ?

Thanks guys you have only reiterated what I already think I watched a few clips on you tube that really amount to the same thing there is just not enough to warrant the update save for the 2 card slot I change my cf card regularly when working and I have never had a card go bad on me yet my partner has a 6d and the resolution is identical I use flash and led lights on jobs so I can keep the ISO down and again I am so happy with the results I am getting I work with 2 5dmk2s at the moment I intend on getting another 3 as we now do video

Without going into a long and complicated explanation here I have a Canon 5DMk2 I absolutely love it the pictures are fantastic I don't have a problem with the AF I have some serious glass We shoot weddings I have looked at a 5DMk3 and for the price I can buy 2 more 5DMk2s can anyone give me a reason to upgrade bearing in mind the setup I have now was used for years by every wedding photographer all over the world I realise the 2 card slot is a deal breaker but is it worth the extra money ?

Hi all . . We are just wondering what lighting other photographers use at a wedding. We have flash and we are considering using continuous led lights. We are wondering about the time factor involved with setting up and using lights, we have good results with umbrella and flash on our model shoots and were wondering if this combination would be adequate on a real wedding We have decent glass and good cameras recently we shot a baptism event indoors and did not use any lights we relied on the ISO around a 1000 and they were very noisy. I did some test shots outside with my canon 5dmk2 in the street in London and I was using ISO of up to 2500 and the shots were really good with hardly any noise at all.Tthe lights inside the venue were in the ceiling I think they were tungsten and when you zoomed in to the shot at 50-100 % they looked really bad. My point here is we have made this mistake before about not using a light source when we know we should have relying on a wider aperture and then finding the shots have turned out very soft and not sharp at all In summary why is it that pushing the ISO indoors introduces noise when outdoors at the same ISO and higher does not ? and at a wedding is it feasible to use lighting rigs such as profoto B1 or a continuous light or should we just rely on flash and umbrella what are other photographers using regards Mike

<p>im prob not gonna use 100 more like 400/800 but thanks all the same</p>

<p>Thanks Marc</p> <p>this really helps us I guess once you have the "angle" a pace to start from im thinking it gets better from there on in . . this guy takes great shots and his about page will provide some inspiration for our rewrite</p> <p>thank you for posting much appreciated<br> Mike & Jill</p>

<p>Ok Jeff</p> <p>Now I get it. . . . .the impact is very noticeable on the 2nd site ! its a pity we didn't have you in our corner when we started this. We are commited to site builder for a year now I don't suppose you would consider improving our site (how expensive are you )<br> thanks for the replies<br> Mike</p>

<p>Michael . . ha I know what you mean I guess when it comes to writing about yourself it gets very hard to put into words why you should hire us . .I have no idea of how to even start writing something like this .. but I thank you for your input and its something we will think about . .<br> in response to the previous two replies . . many thanks for your contributions it has given us food for thought.<br> We did hire someone to do us a website but that didn't work out so I decide to do it myself I looked at loads of sites and we kinda wanted something simple classy and to the point . . . isn't that the idea ? We were told that websites alone would not garner any real leads and so it remains our shop window where prospective clients can see our work . .and read about us<br> as I understand it there are 3 factors that relate directly to getting bookings : these are <br> A/ can we produce good quality work<br> B/ does the client like us and can they see some sort of relationship developing that will make the big day run smoothly<br> C/ is the price right<br> As to whether our site is "dated" im not sure what that means surely it fulfils a certain criteria . . ie it is informative . . and we have asked a couple of friends to review it who are in business and we respect their opinion and after a couple of changes we were left with what we have now<br> My partner went on a wedding course in 2015 she passed gaining a grade 1 diploma recognised by the MPA this leant toward the more traditional kind of wedding photography where as I tend to do more PJ style . . . the fact that we can offer clients both of these approaches surely means we are flexible ? I was really trying to say that we can cover all the bases . . . yes our portfolio as it stands is mainly posed shots I did a portfolio builders day and along with all the model shoots we did last year this is now the basis for our current portfolio as we get more bookings we will replace the shots to fall into line with what we currently offer but its the old catch 22 isn't it ? I have just tried to get going as best we can with what we have . . . to date I have done 1 wedding on my own and in 2015 we did a friends event together. I will add that the gear we were using didn't quite cut it but despite that we learnt loads . . we now have better gear and we are more experienced we have invested quite a lot into this venture so far . .and I knew there would be some setbacks and that some things would have to be changed . .but I don't have the skills to do everything im quite focussed on the photography at the moment and I was glad to read that at least this was up to scratch and for me that's the most important<br> I look forward to reading the replies . . maybe someone could point us in the direction of how to improve our writing on the about page ?<br> thank you all for taking the time we really appreciate the efforts</p>

<p>Hi marc<br> if you have the time I would like to get into a conversation with you regarding this thread<br> I understand what you are saying and I would just like to clarify a couple of things <br> thanks</p>

<p>no sorry it just remains on for the shot we want ive seen quite a few you tube clips on how this works and it looks easier than flash and no we wont be getting rid of our speedlights it really is a "point & shoot" solution as you know being pressed for time at a wedding is the norm so anything to make the job easier is worth a look to be able to pick out shots with lighting you can see and modify on the fly surely has to be a bonus .. .<br> the light lasts for around an hour with continuous use so im guessing it will last for a whole day<br> take a look on you tube if you have the time and see all the reviews it looks great most of the pro's in the usa endorse it and ive spoken to a uk tog who loves it </p>

<p>Hi all<br> we have looked at and are considering buying the Lowell GL 1 video light to use for our wedding photography<br> we have been very impressed with the great reviews we have seen and were wondering if anyone here has one <br> we are interested in obtainable apertures and iso performance plus shutter speeds <br> I did a test shot using my motorcycle headlights on a subject in our garage using my canon 85mm 1-8 I achieved a shutter speed of 1-60th @ f8 with iso 100 I would be interested to find out if I can do the same with this GL !</p> <p>thanks</p>

<p>ha I forgot to ad the link (doh) here it is ;</p> <p>http://jmphotographyweddings.com/</p>

<p>Hi all<br> I come here quite often to read the boards looking for advice, general inspiration and help. We are in the final stages of setting up our wedding photography business . . I recently completed our website and would appreciate some feedback<br> A member here (Ann Schwartz) was very instrumental in helping us decide on our target audience, pricing and we believe that we now have a well balanced package for prospective clients.</p> <p>We would be grateful if some of the wedding photographers here would have a look at our site and offer some constructive feedback regarding our services, our photography and the general layout and ease of use.</p> <p>2016 has been a great year for us we spent lots of money on photoshoots, buying equipment, working on our techniques and defining our style . . . . We just have a few things to purchase now and then we aim to join a couple of wedding photographers community sites, and attend some bridal fairs. Hopefully 2018 will see us begin to get some bookings we have one already lined up and that will give us our third wedding to date.<br> we look forward to your comments</p> <p>thanks in advance</p> <p>Mike & Jill (uk)</p>