2nd wedding...critique welcome

Johnboy2978 · May 11, 2007

Hello all. I've about finished editing my 2nd wedding which was shot on the 5th of May. Things were a bit more chaotic this time around than the first. I met the bride at the salon early that morning, and the hairdresser was 30 minutes late getting started. This put her back to the church about 45 minutes late, then guests started filling the church an hour before the ceremony. I had time to shoot the groom pics before the ceremony, but all others had to wait until after. So things were a bit rushed, and we had to stick mainly to cliche, canned type shots due to time constraints. Just thought I'd post some here and get some critique and comments.

Thanks for taking the time to look....
1

2

3

4

5

6

xfloggingkylex · May 11, 2007

nice shots, how did the K10D work for ya?

Also, is it just my eyes or is number 4 slightly out of focus?

And is number 5 ever so slightly tilted? I cant really tell. Either way number 5 is my favorite, and I'm sure they will LOVE it.

I really admire this type of work and would love to get into it. Just need some faster glass and a flash. oh and some talent.

LeeLeeMelis · May 12, 2007

Great work! #5 is a bit dark but I think they all look great! I know everyone is all for "natural not posed" shots but the traditional ones are classic. I think you need those shots. I am sure this couple will be happy with your work.

schumionbike · May 12, 2007

Nice shot, I like number 1 and number 6. The bride facial expression in number one is priceless....

Johnboy2978 · May 12, 2007

The k10D did very well and I am really happy with it. I still used the DS a fair amount though too as I am more comfortable with it in combination w/ the sigma dedicated flash. Still getting used to the way the k10 operates w/ the flash, though it may have been low on batteries when I was testing it. Still I knew what to expect w/ the DS and I don't want guess work in this environment.

I think 4 is slightly out of focus and it was also a more shallow DOF too I think, which makes the pastor more OOF.

Anyone else care to comment?

xfloggingkylex · May 12, 2007

If you are having trouble with the Sigma flash it may be a chip problem. I know they have been having issues with that flash and the K10D, but sending it back to sigma to have it rechipped solves the problem. But for you this will be a problem because I do believe it then causes issues with the DS. You may want to look into this if you are having problems, and it's a possibility that the new Sigma supers are compatible with both (in which case you could sell yours to someone with a K10D chipped and use the money to buy the flash that works with both your cameras).

May want to check out Pentaxforums.com for more info.

elsaspet · May 12, 2007

Very Nicely done! (Wow, it's hard to believe that is from your second.)

Anywhoo, you want critique so here goes....

1. Very nice shot. The dof could have been a tad bit deeper, but it works well as it is. You might try painting in some light on the veil just to bring the eye directly to the bride.

2.
Wonderful! What a great personal shot. It looks like you have some Post on it, and it looks great. Only niggles are the table in the back (not level, so they eye is drawn to it) and the little bit of leaves on camera left. (You might crop them out). Overall, very nice!

3.
This is the kind of photo that will make you a ton of money in reprints IF you paint in some light and shadow.

4. Best of the bunch. Extremely well done. To enhance it even further, liquify the chin area to get rid of the "chin ripple".

5.
Another excellent shot.....but the white balance is off. Fix the exposure first before getting your white balance. (Bring your levels up a tad).

6.
Very nice ring shot, but my personal preference is to always have flowers in color. (Don't selective color it though).

Overall Critique:
Wow! The B&G must be very pleased. You did a fantastic job.

I believe if you keep up like this, and continue to grow, you are gonna be a hot tamale. I hope you don't live in Dallas.
:thumbup:

Johnboy2978 · May 12, 2007

I don't think that there is a problem w/ the flash and k10 combo per se. I think when I tried the initial testing w/ it, the batteries in the flash were a little low and I haven't had a chance to test it much more yet. I felt confident w/ it mounted on the ds though for the wedding since I didn't want to experiement w/ it there. I will give it a more thorough testing in the near future and may end up getting a second one to have on both and re-chip it if necessary. Right now these gigs are stocking me w/ some decent equipment

But thanks for the possible heads up. The k10 definately saved me for some of the handheld shots w/ the shake reduction. It's a gem!

Elsa, WOW....I am beside myself w/ getting such high praise from you after seeing so much of your wedding work here. Even if I lived in Tx instead of VA, I doubt that I'd prove to be much competition for you. When you speak of painting in light, are you talking about dodge/burning?

I will definately go back and straighten the level on #2. Didn't notice it. I'll also try the liquify though I must admit, I haven't messed w/ that tool much.
I know what you mean about flowers and colors, I just think it detracts sometimes and makes them the center of attention instead of the rings. Point taken though.

I really appreciate all the feedback. Other comments welcome as well.

NJMAN · May 12, 2007

Beautiful color and clarity! But I agree that #4 is a bit out of focus, and #5 could be color corrected. Overall, fantastic job!

xfloggingkylex · May 13, 2007

Johnboy2978 said:
I don't think that there is a problem w/ the flash and k10 combo per se. I think when I tried the initial testing w/ it, the batteries in the flash were a little low and I haven't had a chance to test it much more yet. I felt confident w/ it mounted on the ds though for the wedding since I didn't want to experiement w/ it there. I will give it a more thorough testing in the near future and may end up getting a second one to have on both and re-chip it if necessary. Right now these gigs are stocking me w/ some decent equipment But thanks for the possible heads up. The k10 definately saved me for some of the handheld shots w/ the shake reduction. It's a gem!

Elsa, WOW....I am beside myself w/ getting such high praise from you after seeing so much of your wedding work here. Even if I lived in Tx instead of VA, I doubt that I'd prove to be much competition for you. When you speak of painting in light, are you talking about dodge/burning?

I will definately go back and straighten the level on #2. Didn't notice it. I'll also try the liquify though I must admit, I haven't messed w/ that tool much.
I know what you mean about flowers and colors, I just think it detracts sometimes and makes them the center of attention instead of the rings. Point taken though.

I really appreciate all the feedback. Other comments welcome as well.

I wish I could score a gig or two. :grumpy:

Johnboy2978 · May 13, 2007

xfloggingkylex said:
I wish I could score a gig or two.

It really only takes one good shoot for word to get around of what you do and the quality you can produce. I shot a free wedding for my first one and once she started showing the pics around, I had more calls. Same thing w/ portrait shoots. Find a girl who wants some pics of her kids and offer to shoot for free and let them pay for the prints. Once she starts passing them around to family/friends, you'll start getting more calls and then the same thing will happen w/ those.

I have considered going to dance studios, karate dojos, little league sports and offering some cut rate portraits and giving the one responsible 10% of the proceeds, but right now I'm busy enough to be doing it part time. Another thing I've done is made a screen saver w/ some of my best shots and made sure that my signature was visible in the image. I get a lot of through traffic in my office, and people frequently stop and watch the show and make comments and ask about portraits, weddings, etc.

NJMAN · May 13, 2007

It really only takes one good shoot for word to get around of what you do and the quality you can produce. I shot a free wedding for my first one and once she started showing the pics around, I had more calls. Same thing w/ portrait shoots. Find a girl who wants some pics of her kids and offer to shoot for free and let them pay for the prints. Once she starts passing them around to family/friends, you'll start getting more calls and then the same thing will happen w/ those.

I agree completely Johnboy. Referrals from family and friends are priceless and, in my opinion, the fastest way to spread the word that you do quality work. I am also part time with photography. I have a day job that keeps me very busy and pays well, so it would be in my best interest to stay part time in photography for now. But I do occasional photo jobs on the side and making money with that too, so its all good with me. But who knows, that may change in the future. If word gets around that you are the not just good, but consistently great, a whole bunch of new doors may open for you.