1st Time to Shoot a Wedding

[pixmedic]

Just once, i would like to see the results of these "friends making me shoot their wedding what do I do?" deals.
Good luck on the shoot. Stay calm and try to have fun with it. Post pictures when you get them processed.

Try not to appear nervous. Brides can smell fear.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Awiserbud]

Just once, i would like to see the results of these "friends making me shoot their wedding what do I do?" deals.
Good luck on the shoot. Stay calm and try to have fun with it. Post pictures when you get them processed.

Try not to appear nervous. Brides can smell fear.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

I would love to see a "when wedding photography goes bad" threads.

 

[PagesPhotography]

as many others have said, at the very least rent a 70-200 and a backup body...

 

[imagemaker46]

As long as your friend understands that you have limitations on your experience and you aren't charging him to shoot the wedding, then things should be ok. If at the end of the day you have missed the important moments and the pictures all look like snapshots then you'll understand why smart people hire professionals. It's also why friends shouldn't ask friends that own a camera to cover the most important day of their lives. Good luck.

 

[gconnoyer]

As with everyone else here, I'd say you're not ready. One of my friends insisted that I shoot his wedding. I told him that I would gladly do it as a wedding present, but that he needed to hire a photographer because I haven't ever shot one and couldn't make any sort of guarantee and would hate to miss one of those moments.

If you do shoot it, as the main photographer or not, research and plan everything out as best you can.
Keep a booklet or list of poses and photographs that you will 100% want to get. Bring all of your lenses and bodies.

 

[gconnoyer]

I would love to see a "when wedding photography goes bad" threads.

Weddings Gone Wrong « You Are Not a Photographer | Exposing fauxtographers since 2011

 

[dbvirago]

Where did the OP go? If your friend is the groom, his being on board is irrelevant. Is the bride and mother of the bride on board? If not, Australia won't be big enough, for you or your friend.

 

[Pallycow]

You have a decent kit, but not a wedding kit.

SO much has been stated already, there is no point saying it again. I'd just say listen to those who may be attacked as jerks...because they are right.

I finally have a decent arsenal. Just about anything I will need to do portraiture anywhere. I have a lot of mobile equipment.

I have nice images, some stunning, some blah, some ok, many I like. I am developing my craft. I do a good job. I am finally comfortable enough now to say this aloud.

I still won't do weddings. I've turned down many already this year...and it's Feb.

I have learned by being 2nd shooter at a couple, and befriending other wedding photogs, what it takes to do weddings.

So many regular old Joe's think you just need a high dollar camera and a "good eye" for photography. It is simply not the case.

It is easy to want to help people. Someone says "hey man, you can take nice photos...we can't afford a photog..do my wedding" it's easy to get caught up in.

My advice. Apologize but say no.

I don't know about you, but I won't ruin my hard earned reputation thus far by doing someone else a favor when I am ill-equipped for what a true wedding photog should be.

Just because we have an iPod with 5K songs, doesn't mean we can walk in a club and be a DJ.

Why would 5K dollars in camera gear be any different.

 

[SCraig]

It's all well and good to say "Everyone understands that I'm inexperienced" and "Everyone understands that they may not get any good photographs" and "Everyone understands that I'm doing it for free" before the event. But just wait until AFTER the event and the photographs don't stand up to scrutiny. There is a huge, huge difference. Sometimes saying that you are sorry and did your best just isn't enough.

 

[ralphh]

And if they really can't afford a pro?

Sitting there after the wedding with zero photos at all going "yeah, this is fine, we didn't need any, glad we didn't get mediocre ones, imagine how bad that would have been"
Regardless of what most photographers would like to believe, people ARE willing to go photographer-less if they're stretched. And something IS better than nothing

Besides, OP might do a god job

 

[Pallycow]

It amazes me how much money people spend on things that are used up and thrown away at a wedding. Food, flowers, things thrown...like rice...decorations. All things that are no longer any good after the event.....yet they skimp on photos...something that will last a lifetime.

No one ever said OP won't do a good job. Wasn't even part of the discussion. People who make comments like that usually have no idea what it takes to do a wedding.

Sure we could all agree "something is better than nothing" but trust me when I say, and people will attest, that attitude changes drastically. Even when trying to help and do a nice deed. After the fact.

 

[tevo]

I would love to see a "when wedding photography goes bad" threads.

Weddings Gone Wrong « You Are Not a Photographer | Exposing fauxtographers since 2011

It burns

 

[Tony S]

An important thing to remember......... the more you drink the better the images look on the back of the camera.

That's not a good thing.

Be a friend and enjoy the wedding, take your camera but really push for them to get someone who has done a wedding before.

 

[Pallycow]

An important thing to remember......... the more you drink the better the images look on the back of the camera.

That's not a good thing.

Be a friend and enjoy the wedding, take your camera but really push for them to get someone who has done a wedding before.

Good point. I was going to make another comment but forgot and this post reminded me.

Go as a backup photog. Insist they hire one or get someone who's done them before to shoot as main. Offer to come and shoot as a backup for them. Pressure is off for you to "make the event" and you can even come off as winner if you supply them with good images the main photog didn't...or if the main fails...they have yours to fall back on if you get any good ones.

Win win in my book.

 

[ralphh]

Sure we could all agree "something is better than nothing" but trust me when I say, and people will attest, that attitude changes drastically. Even when trying to help and do a nice deed. After the fact.

I can tell you that's not always true from - person experience - ie from my wedding

If in 25 years I live to regret that then I'll be upset I didn't value having a proper photographer, but not that my friend bravely stepped in for me -- if he'd said 'no' we would have just gone without completely.

My friend gave me all the RAWs on a 16GB card (this was neary 6 years ago - RAWs were smaller back then!!) as a wedding present and it took us 3 months to get round to even looking at them.

I agree people might wish they'd paid for a pro later on, but photography can be done for free, no-one is going to cater for free, and while things like the rice are possibly a complete waste, a packet of rice costs rather less than a photographer.

It sounds like photographers do like to believe the photography is the most important part of the day, but the florist probably believes the same thing, as does the caterer, as does the guy giving the ceremony. For us, the most important people there was, well, us - and the fact that we were married after -the day itself was not a huge deal to me.