The official NEWBIE wedding photography thread!

JerryPH · Jun 6, 2008

jols said:
Maybe they are just a little nervous about asking you, considering your other answers.

People can't really change from being Mr Grumpy to Mr Nice Guy in a flash.

My job is not to change people... and I never really saw myself as a mr grumpy... (not that I care what people think about me anyways).

Now if they use that as an excuse... 2 comments... they're childish, and it is their loss at a possible chance to get the answer.

Anyhooo... question time is closed off tomorrow (saturday), I'll take the ones up to that point (tomorrow morning Saturday EST) and include them in the blog that I start in 1-2 weeks and add anything else that I can think of.

Thanks folks. Now comes the fun part... putting it all together!

Rachelsne · Jun 6, 2008

Some one in the wedding party has very bad skin-it looks red and nasty in the photos, would you edit without asking b+G ask them or not say anything?

Ill try and think of some more-

Rachelsne · Jun 6, 2008

screaming kids, how do you dela with them in the group shots?

husky_mom · Jun 6, 2008

what the most used setting? which indoors which outdoors.... I know it varies on weather and such but what do you use most??.. as to have one cam in one and the other in another one...

do you shoot on largest file possible?? in case wanting a super large print??

how many pics do you take on average and how many do you provide in your average package??

equipment has been asked so I´ll check for that one...

how many pre wed meeting shoudl you have? ( to get to know them, know locations, take engagement pics etc)

how long should you take to deliver the pics... after PP and all...

should you place a watermark of some sort and how big?

JIP · Jun 6, 2008

Rachelsne said:
screaming kids, how do you dela with them in the group shots?

1 of 2 things depending on the kid

:gun:

OR

quickshot · Jun 6, 2008

I was talking to a woman whom i've worked with for quite a while and she has a second job as a wedding photographer. I asked her if it was as stressful as people say it is. She then explained her first wedding photography experience...after the wedding, right before the photos, the wedding party smoked....um...illegal substances.

Then when they received the photos later, they were upset with how they looked, and blamed her for it.

SO my question is, how would you deal with a situation like that?

JerryPH · Jun 7, 2008

Question time over... I've started the outline of the blog and will add current questions into it.

Thanks so much to all that participated!

JerryPH · Jun 19, 2008

Over the next month, I am going to be EXTREMELY busy... like working 7 days a week from end of June till mid August, and I know some poeple are waiting for me... so I pushed a little and set up at least something (better than nothing, I hope!).

Its available to view on my blog:

Intro: Weddings for Beginners

The Equipment

Pre-Wedding at the house

The FAQ - Questions from here!

Enjoy, and as soon as I can, more will come.

jols · Jun 20, 2008

Just briefly started to read the first few pages and did not realise you have had this camra for less than a year!

and from what i am reading its no different from a hundreds sites on wedding tog help, in fact anyone could write this with no actual experience just research on the web.

No real surprises

JerryPH · Jun 20, 2008

jols said:
Just briefly started to read the first few pages and did not realise you have had this camra for less than a year!

and from what i am reading its no different from a hundreds sites on wedding tog help, in fact anyone could write this with no actual experience just research on the web.

No real surprises

Well, the fact that I *am* so new did seem to surprise you.

Had I not mentioned it on the blog, what would you have thought? I did mention it here, and as a matter of fact my #1 post and many others on this board state just that.

It is ALWAYS very easy to judge someone else, Jols. A little harder to actually put up, if you know what I mean?

If shooting 3 weddings as a second photographer (#4 is coming up next weekend) and doing a 50th anniversary (paid) and many parties (as the main but unpaid 'Tog), as well as putting in on average 2-5 hours PER DAY, minimum 6 days a week of specific goal oriented studies in photography and hands on practice (over 11 months that easily comes to thousands of hours of concerted and focused study and tens of thousands of shots (using more than just my D200, with the vast majority being to achieve very specific goals) means "no actual experience" to you, so be it, it is your opinion and you are completely entitled to it.

I, at least, would have been more fair and said "limited experience" instead, and I am NOT hesitant to admit that. Anyone and EVERYONE that says they have nothing more to learn has automatically placed themselves in a position where they have blocked themselves.

As far as the business end of it, most businesses are run on the same basic principals and are judged by one main criteria... either you are a success... or not. Business has one goal, to grow consistently and remain profitable.

I may not be a paid photographer, but I am a 1 man business that has been in business for 25 years and I am VERY comfortable earning a 6-figure salary and still have time to take 4 months a year off for vacations and other pursuits outside of work. Next year, my goal is to raise that to 6 months off per year, and still increase yearly revenue by 10%. I even know how to do it already!

However, to get back to the point, no one HERE was doing much to help the newbs, and I certainly saw no posts from yourself that assisted them much either, thats one reason why I started it.

As far as being different... wedding photography is wedding photography is wedding photography. It is a LEARNABLE skill to achieve some level of proficiency and if I am restating things again in another manner easier for newbs to understand, thats fine and just proves that my information is at least consistent (if currently far from complete).

Finally... as I stated it in the blog, I'm not just doing it for others, but more for me, as an exercise that I enjoy. If it can help someone, thats nice. It is part of how I express myself in this hobby and in others (my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blog just hit 1125 pages and my PCM tuning website is currently at 156 pages, either one complete enough to seriously consider writing a book with!). Granted, I have decades more experience in the other areas, but we all started from the same level... ZERO experience.

People come here to learn, others come here to share. I'm here for both of the same reasons.

jols · Jun 20, 2008

read the first paragraph of your answer, but then you started to ramble so didnt bother anymore.

good luck with your stuff

JerryPH · Jun 20, 2008

jols said:
good luck with your stuff

Thank-you, I wish you this same (I hope I didn't ramble on too much and bore you again in this post too... lol)

Mike30D · Jun 20, 2008

JerryPH said:
If shooting 3 weddings as a second photographer (#4 is coming up next weekend) and doing a 50th anniversary (paid) and many parties (as the main but unpaid 'Tog), as well as putting in on average 2-5 hours PER DAY, minimum 6 days a week of specific goal oriented studies in photography and hands on practice (over 11 months that easily comes to thousands of hours of concerted and focused study and tens of thousands of shots (using more than just my D200, with the vast majority being to achieve very specific goals) means "no actual experience" to you, so be it, it is your opinion and you are completely entitled to it.

Wow, you really have a set of big ones to be out here saying you have experience in the wedding field. I've done a couple on my own and I currently second shoot for a pro and there's no way I'd be out here saying I have experienced enough to be giving people advice on shooting weddings. I will tell you this though, I hope for your sake that no one that belongs to DWF and does this for a living reads this thread. You'll get a tongue lashing like you've never experienced. The big problem I see with all this advice is that you're basically saying that everyone and anyone can shoot weddings, and that's not even close to the truth. Just because you can "learn" it, doesn't mean you're good at it. Whatever you do, please don't start giving advice on how much to charge for doing wedding photography. Good luck!....

JerryPH · Jun 21, 2008

Mike30D said:
You'll get a tongue lashing like you've never experienced. The big problem I see with all this advice is that you're basically saying that everyone and anyone can shoot weddings, and that's not even close to the truth.

I think you need to go back and read it again... maybe even 2 times. I say SEVERAL times in there for beginners NOT to do it, to leave it to a professional. However, if they are at a wedding and are not the primaries, I offer tips and suggestions on how they could get better results.

Having shot 3 weddings (#4 in a few days) gives me more than enough experience and the right to say that... whether you agree or not.

Mike30D said:
Just because you can "learn" it, doesn't mean you're good at it. Whatever you do, please don't start giving advice on how much to charge for doing wedding photography. Good luck!....

I never discuss money, or did you not notice that? Also you need to set 2 feet firmly on terra firma. I am not telling ANYONE how to turn pro, nor shoot a wedding as one. If and when I decide to do so myself, I may... untl then, until I can speak from personal experience, I cannot and will not.

Now... if any one else wants to offer their 2 cents? Go for it... but for pete's make it constructive criticism, or else don't bother, becuase I sure won't care, nor listen to BS comments like this.

Tongue lashing? Don't make me laugh... I am not 12 years old, and trust me, I can take more than what you could ever offer, anyways.

But don't expect to give without getting some back.

Funny how the ones who contribute THE LEAST are the ones bitching the loudest. Hipocrites.