Got another gig

Big Mike · Apr 28, 2005

I'm shooting a wedding this weekend for some friends of mine. I don't have the experience or backup equipment to be the primary photographer for the ceremony & formals so I'll be doing what I usually do; getting up early to get shots of the bride & bride's maids getting ready, shots of the guys too. Candids & guests while the hired Pro does his thing and then all night coverage of the reception.

Quite a few friends will be there and I'm sure we will be having a blast and getting a little tanked. I'll only have a few drinks while there are still speeches & cake cutting shots to get...but once the dance starts...I'll have my camera in one hand and a drink in the other... :greenpbl:

The best part is that the wedding is in Canmore, Alberta...a beautiful town just on the edge of the Canadian Rockies, around Banff National Park. I hope to have some time to shoot some scenery while I'm there.

AIRIC · Apr 28, 2005

He! He! "I'm Mike from Canmore" Sorry could not help myself. I really miss John Morgan from Air Farce. Good luck and have fun.

Eric

Corry · Apr 28, 2005

Have fun Mike!!! I was SO nervous about doing my first wedding two weeks ago, because I WAS the primary photographer, and I knew I didn't have the proper equipment or experience...but they really wanted me to do it, so I did. I talked to the bride today, and she said she loved my pictures...so I'm feeling much better now.

I think it's really good that you are doing this though...I think it's best to get all the experience you can get!

terri · Apr 29, 2005

I agree with Corry - this is a great way for you to get your feet wet, so to speak. No major pressure, but it could help you decide if weddings are your bag or not. The more relaxed you feel while there, the better your shots will be. (I said RELAXED, not tanked!) :drunk:

Have a great time! We'll be looking forward to the results! :thumbup:

Big Mike · Apr 29, 2005

Thanks. The last wedding I did, I knew both sides really well and had a very, very good time

. I was worried about the photos at the end of the night because I had a lot of trouble trying to focus...but almost all of them turned out great. Don't worry, I know that if/when I do this for real...I won't drink at all. Because if anyone sees you having even one drink...they will swear that you were tanked all night and that's why the photos aren't perfect.

I'm a little concerned about the weather. It's snowing here right now and the wedding is up in the mountains...it's about 350-400 km away so hopefully it's going to be nicer there but they will be lucky if the temperature is above freezing.

Alison · Apr 29, 2005

Have a good time and I hope you get good weather. I look forward to seeing the results :thumbsup:

Big Mike · May 2, 2005

Well...things went well. I got there nice and early to shoot the girls at the salon, then to the hotel to get some of the groom. The b&g were planning to meet at 11:00 with their pro photographer to take a drive to some scenic spots. The Bride was 35 minutes late so the groom & I hung out with the pro. At one point he passed me one of his lenses to try out....EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM... :drool:

Stupid me, I forgot the invitation and even the cheat sheet notes that I usually have with all the important info. I didn't even remember the name of the church so I couldn't ask where it was. I asked at our hotel (different from wedding party) and she didn't know. The bride had given me some quick directions...(4-way stop, left)....but just about every intersection in town is a 4-way stop. We were already late and were just driving around town when we spotted the church and recognized the groom's car.
Thank goodness I wasn't doing any shooting for the ceremony.

The funniest thing was that the priest talked just like the one from the movie 'The Princess Bride'...if you know what I'm talking about...you know how funny that is. Also funny was that when we woke up the next morning, that movie was on TV.

The reception was pretty smooth, although my table is always last to get called up to the buffet. I got lots of shots of the speeches & lots of everybody dancing the night away. I don't know if the b&g had asked one of the relatives to get shots for them as well...but he had Canon DSLR, with a few grand worth of lenses & flashes...and was shooting like crazy.

I did get some shots of the scenery...it was spectacular.