My first wedding as 2nd shooter recap

[Ernicus]

This thread is an update to this one. http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/292890-time-pop-my-cherry.html

There will not be pics in here right now, as I have to wait until they are turned in and received by clients. I have uploaded and shared a couple thus far, but that's about all I can do for now.

So....let's begin this epic fail journey...

I would first like to thank all of you who gave advice via PM and thread posts along the way. The information was very useful, and will continue to be so. I'd like to give a few disclaimers too. If you feel I am making excuses for things later on, revisit this line. I am not. I will however speak of various things that were going on that I felt helped contribute to fail. I was there, you weren't, so just take my word on it. If I could have moved, I would have. If I just plain F'ed up, I'll tell you openly.

While I am hard on myself, and I think this was utter fail, I do think I got off maybe a dozen or so keepers that would make a nice contribution to an album. I honestly believe I got ZERO shots that I would put in my portfolio. That is the main reason for my dissapointment. Other than that, it was a good experience for me and a great learning lesson in areas that I need to focus on to be a better photog.

I will start by talking about the venue a bit. The place was dark. As to be expected, but darker than I thought it would be. It was not in a church. It was in a sort of "event center". The whole thing was pretty low budget. That's not me being a dick, just stating it so if you see antlers on the wall in a background shot or a pool table in the corner, you'll know why. However, regardless of budget, people deserve a good photographic representation of their event. So that is what I wanted to do.

I had a very tough time isolating my subjects. Maybe I'm not supposed to? I dunno. Some things in backgrounds are easily cloneable so I tried to shoot for that.
I had a very tough time bouncing my flash. Even with all the wisdom imparted upon me prior, this was hard. It was hard for two reasons. Firstly, because I don't have the experience, and secondly, the location. The walls were dark wood. Like logs. Vaulted ceilings in main area, slanted in the other. Open mostly except for poles and at the spot separating the dancefloor and eating area was a half wall about 4 feet high and a hang down from the ceiling. I was able to bounce off those things nicely at given times.

I never shot flash right at the people, but you'd think I did looking at some of the pics.

anyway, I drifted off there a bit.

So location, kinda covered...I did not get to go outside to shoot, so I was in this lighting nightmare for four hours.

Next, the other photog.

I'll talk about him for a minute just to share my experience, not to poke fun or whatever. I was set up for failure as far as learning goes as this guy had nothing to teach me. He wasn't interested in teaching me. Which is fine, I mean he has to focus on the wedding so I'm cool with that, but I thought and was hoping I could learn a thing or two from watching him. I did. I learned what not to do.

His gear. He was shooting with a D5100 and what looked to me like a kit lens with a wide angle hood on it. Now, this could have been a mid range zoom fast lens, but to me it really looked like a kit lens. He did not offer to show me. I was setting out my gear on the pool table arranging what I wanted to use on what body etc. He commented on my 50mm and then I set big boy down and he said "what's that one", I replied "it's the 80-200 2.8, I'll use that one when I'm at the back trying to get shots of bride n groom". He replied, "nice...but you won't need it, I got them covered." Later on when I brought it out to shoot the couple at the head table he said "ah..bringing out the big boy eh?", to which I said "yeah, I wanna shoot them from back here and not be in your way".

There were a few times he saw me framing up for shots on the bride and he purposely got in my way. After the 5th or 6th time I just gave up and went on to something else. He also made a comment when we had a small discussion about the total shots taken thus far. He asked me how many I shot and I said about 150 ish. This was about an hour or more into the event. He told me he was at 400. You'll know why in a minute. He made a comment, and I am guessing to which he thought he was teaching me something, he said "yeah....I notice you take your time and frame up your shots. You're not going to get a lot that way, just keep shooting man...have fun and keep snapping away". I smiled. He also said he is a Documentary style shooter. "weddings are like documentaries....so just shoot them like that."

His style. I think, and I'm probly wrong, but this is really all I recollect, but I think I saw him put the camera to his eye maybe 5-6 times. I'm sure there are more but that really is all I can remember. The rest of the time the camera was in the air, at his waist, near his knees, off to the left...off to the right, you get the picture. Not using lcd. Just holding it and actuating shutter. I cannot for the life of me understand how he is getting properly exposed or in focus shots. He had to be shooting on full auto or P mode, with full AF-a. I just don't get it. Maybe it woks for him, so be it. But that's now the sort of photog I want to be. So, that's why I said, I learned nothing from watching him.

So, enough of him and the venue. On to me.

I really felt lost. I enjoyed the freedom of being able to walk around and do my own thing. But for a place this small, I ran out of ideas fast. I really felt like I did three hours of point and shoot to fill a quota. I don't like that. Since I wasn't "allowed", for lack of better words, to shoot the party, I got really bored of shooting the present table, cake, wine glasses, and guests. I would guess they got tired of my flash nailing them all night too. Although one guy came after me in the parking lot to ask me for a card, said he liked the way I worked.

I do think I got off some good ones, but again I call it a total fail because I have too many misses. I was tempted to go back to the 3100 and see if it was just me not knowing the d90. I did so, and while the shots were exposed, the noise was horrendous. So, I put it back in the bag, I think I shot 12 total shots with the 3100.

Areas I need to focus on.

-Strobes. Everything about them. That's a given.
-Bracketing. I think it could have helped me get more hits along with my misses.
-Flash Bracketing. I dunno how, but I am guessing this could have helped me.
-Using flash exposure compensation more (as kerbouchard advised me to in the first place). I think my irritation with the overall event led me astray in my thinking.
-Learning how to shoot in low light. (this reminds me of how I felt when I first shot my woman. For those who follow my stuff, that first one was icky and I was pissed. I ordered and got my monolight kit, and a few things, now I shoot great. In great light. Not so great, in low light)
-Monopod. Could have benefited greatly when using my big lens. Lots of blur from low shutter speed. That lens has no VR
-Shoulda brought a fong diffuser. I think that would have helped in times where bouncing was a no go.
-Learning how to be quicker...by that I mean, things move fast and half the time I was not ready to shoot them, so I missed or got blur. I need to learn how to be ready quicker. This part I think just comes with experience.

I think there is more, but I'm brain dead now, if I think of more I'll add it in later.

One thing I'll say I'm kinda dissapointed about is that this did not follow a typical, or what I thought was typical, wedding. People came already ready. There was no groom getting prepared or bride getting prepared, so I missed out on watching that stuff and learning. I was just shooting random chit then it was "oh, brides here we are starting".

I did my best to stay out of the mains way, I only got him in one shot accidentally. I am pretty sure he got me in none. I kept a close eye on that.

Even though I sound upset, I did enjoy myself. The mother of the bride and her date were awesome and a few of the guests were cool to interact with. I did learn a lot, however mostly in what not to do.



Once release is given, I'll update and post up what I think were my winners, and a few of my fails for some C&C.

 

[Ernicus]

I will also add that I am proud of my decisions thus far to turn down the 3 wedding offers I had so far, as I truly believe I could have, and probly would have, made a terribly name for myself. I believe I do good work, but this event showed me I am not ready for shooting under these type of conditions.

 

[pixmedic]

I think it was more of having a poor main photog than a lack of readiness on your part. Still, practice makes perfect.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Welcome to wedding photography...what you described is pretty much how it is every wedding I have done. It doesn't get easier...you just get used to it.

As far as the flash, you showed up with a camera that you had 0 days of experience with and a flash that you also had 0 days experience with...what did you expect?

You have a lot to learn, but at least now you know what you need to work on. As far as the main, he sounds like a tool. Personally, if it were me, I wouldn't work with him again.

And I don't mean to be harsh. We are actually pretty similiar. I grasp concepts instantly. I learn things very fast and can usually apply them on the go. You made references to that in your threads. Something along the lines of you being able to figure it out...

Turns out, there is a lot to figure out, and it takes some time, and some experience to make it all work together. No matter how smart you are, it can't be done in two days.

Don't worry, with your drive, you will get there, and it sounds like you learned a lot from this experience.

 

[Ernicus]

He was polite and not a jerk, but until I am ready where I can do my own thing admist stupid, I don't plan on working with him. The only reason I would, is to be able to show myself as better than him, but that's all the wrong reasons. lolz.

I did not expect to walk away a winner by any means, but I did expect a bit better. However, I always have higher expectations for myself, even if unrealistic.

Oh, I wanted to point out that this forum saved me from melting the flash. I recall someone telling me the signs that it might be getting hot, and telling me to watch out for it. Since I was not used to using it, I was firing off sometimes way too early, etc. at one point I noticed it taking a long time to charge, I felt it and it was wayyyyyy hot. I took out the batteries and I swear they were two shots from smoking...they were very hot. So we took a break and I put in new batteries. lol.

Without the comments here on that part, I probly would have fried it.

 

[Ernicus]

You have a lot to learn, but at least now you know what you need to work on

Indeed. I will finish out the summer, and the year doing jobs as 2nd. I have no desire to take on a wedding at this point. I honestly don't know that I'll be ready by next season. We'll see how the year finishes out. I am now eager to go as a second with the photog from work, who is a real photog, does a great job, and has been for twenty years. I'd like to see how a good one vs. a bad one goes.

I'm sure even in the situation I was in, he would have come out with great photographs...so that is the experience I can pull upon, taking a rather "blah" situation and giving the customer nice memories of their event.

 

[Kerbouchard]

When your pocketbook recovers from the D90 purchase, you need to buy a flash, and then practice.. a lot. Eventually, it becomes second nature, but it sounds like that is the next step in your photographic journey.

 

[nmoody]

Despite all the issues my mentioned I say you have a great learning experience. And I think you nailed it where you said you learned what not to do. Sounds like he uses the spray and pray method while you were making sure you got the shot.

Thanks a lot for sharing this, its really interesting to see what goes through a persons head when starting out. I have no intentions of ever shooting events so thanks for letting me live through you.

 

[Ernicus]

When your pocketbook recovers from the D90 purchase, you need to buy a flash, and then practice.. a lot. Eventually, it becomes second nature, but it sounds like that is the next step in your photographic journey.

That's where my head is, so I am glad you echo'ed it. Let's me know I am on the right track. To me, that's what I think those of you who do this for a living have...that second nature instinct to adapt given the circumstances.

 

[Ernicus]

Despite all the issues my mentioned I say you have a great learning experience. And I think you nailed it where you said you learned what not to do. Sounds like he uses the spray and pray method while you were making sure you got the shot.

Thanks a lot for sharing this, its really interesting to see what goes through a persons head when starting out. I have no intentions of ever shooting events so thanks for letting me live through you.

You're welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. My hopes, when writing this, was to do just that. Allow folks to learn by what I go through, or at least see things by what I go through.

 

[Ernicus]

One other thing I forgot to add. Shadows. In the practice I have done thus far, especially with studio style lighting, I have learned to erase or minimalize, or utilize effectively shadows. In this situation, there were huge shadows, almost perfect silhouettes on the walls, walls that were like ten to twenty feet away. Is there something I could have done to avoid that, or is that just how it is?

It's be better pictorally to show and ask, so I'll revisit the question when I have a picture I can post up to illustrate.

 

[cgipson1]

Walking into a wedding at your experience level (even as a second), and using a body you aren't used to.. and other techniques you didn't really have much time to practice for... I would say you are gutsy to say the least! Sounds to me like the Main was not really what I would call a pro, and that had to make it harder for you.

On the flash... an external battery pack will give you faster recycle times, longer period of shooting, and you won't have to deal with the heat issues in the flash that you mentioned. Most of the better flashes have connectors for them.

You don't want a Fong.. they are omnidirectional, and work best in small area with white walls.. so that all that light can be used. You want something more directional... something that won't waste so much light (which increases your recycle time, and overheating!) I like the Demb Bounce stuff Demb Flash Products - Flip-it! the variable-angle flash reflector... and also scoops like this.. Lite Genius Lite-Scoops home page. There are a lot of DIY articles on how to make bounce gear also... just google it.

 

[Kerbouchard]

One other thing I forgot to add. Shadows. In the practice I have done thus far, especially with studio style lighting, I have learned to erase or minimalize, or utilize effectively shadows. In this situation, there were huge shadows, almost perfect silhouettes on the walls, walls that were like ten to twenty feet away. Is there something I could have done to avoid that, or is that just how it is?

It's be better pictorally to show and ask, so I'll revisit the question when I have a picture I can post up to illustrate.

Change the angle of your flash. Find the areas in the room that a bounce in a certain direction works well...avoid those that don't. Honestly, it really is that simple.

 

[cgipson1]

One other thing I forgot to add. Shadows. In the practice I have done thus far, especially with studio style lighting, I have learned to erase or minimalize, or utilize effectively shadows. In this situation, there were huge shadows, almost perfect silhouettes on the walls, walls that were like ten to twenty feet away. Is there something I could have done to avoid that, or is that just how it is?

It's be better pictorally to show and ask, so I'll revisit the question when I have a picture I can post up to illustrate.

larger softer light source will minimize that....

 

[Kerbouchard]

One other thing I forgot to add. Shadows. In the practice I have done thus far, especially with studio style lighting, I have learned to erase or minimalize, or utilize effectively shadows. In this situation, there were huge shadows, almost perfect silhouettes on the walls, walls that were like ten to twenty feet away. Is there something I could have done to avoid that, or is that just how it is?

It's be better pictorally to show and ask, so I'll revisit the question when I have a picture I can post up to illustrate.

larger softer light source will minimize that....

Spoken by somebody who has never shot a wedding reception. You can't always set up your shot and use a studio light. Most of the times, you just have to adapt and figure it out as you go. A wedding reception is taken with bounced flash, not studio lights...