Advice needed for NOOB wedding Photog

[JeffieLove]

I was waiting for someone to post the judge joe video

 

[Overread]

Give the OP some time - its only just been 2 days since the first post
Not everyone lurks the forums and net all the time

 

[jubb]

I've been shooting families for a while now, and just shot my first wedding. I never really had any interest in doing weddings, but was asked by a client to shoot their wedding as the couldn't find any photographers they liked who could do a non-weekend wedding. It was going to be small and low key so I agreed. Of course I watched the Judge Joe brown video and immediately loaded up my credit card with $5000 of the equipment I've been dreaming about. The wedding went pretty well and I like my shots. The Chapel was incredibly dark, basically stain glassed windows only and I was glad to have the 5D Mark II and the 50mm 1.2L. You must scout the location before the shoot, you need to know if you can get shots with your camera + glass alone, if you need a tripod or monopod, if you have to bust out the flash, where you'll be able to stand during the ceremony, how you can get around in a non-distracting way to get different angles of different subjects. I took location and detail shots of the chapel on my scout visit so I could spend more time on the subjects.

You can see some of my shoot here:
Merging | Temple, TX Family Photographer

Bottom line is, I'm glad everything turned out ok with the shoot. I didn't feel quite prepared as I would have liked, and would have felt horrible if I'd screwed up the capture of such an important day.

Here is a post in another forum with lots of good advice and instillation of fear to a noob: Here

 

[KmH]

I was waiting for someone to post the judge joe video

Post #8!

 

[ghache]

I've been shooting families for a while now, and just shot my first wedding. I never really had any interest in doing weddings, but was asked by a client to shoot their wedding as the couldn't find any photographers they liked who could do a non-weekend wedding. It was going to be small and low key so I agreed. Of course I watched the Judge Joe brown video and immediately loaded up my credit card with $5000 of the equipment I've been dreaming about. The wedding went pretty well and I like my shots. The Chapel was incredibly dark, basically stain glassed windows only and I was glad to have the 5D Mark II and the 50mm 1.2L. You must scout the location before the shoot, you need to know if you can get shots with your camera + glass alone, if you need a tripod or monopod, if you have to bust out the flash, where you'll be able to stand during the ceremony, how you can get around in a non-distracting way to get different angles of different subjects. I took location and detail shots of the chapel on my scout visit so I could spend more time on the subjects.

You can see some of my shoot here:
Merging | Temple, TX Family Photographer

Bottom line is, I'm glad everything turned out ok with the shoot. I didn't feel quite prepared as I would have liked, and would have felt horrible if I'd screwed up the capture of such an important day.

Here is a post in another forum with lots of good advice and instillation of fear to a noob: Here

i really like the wedding pictures.

 

[templatephotoshop]

Weddings are tough, there is no doubt about it. But if you love it then I would continue on your path carefully.

I would def contact an area photog that you like the style of their work and offer to be their second shooter for free. This is an education you will never be able to duplicate.

Weddings are tough for a number of reasons, but one of the most difficult is that you are often going to new locations, sometimes very challenging lighting scenarios. Working with new equipment. I would practice practice practice.

If you decide to take this on, I would even go so far as to state in your contract that You are a new photographer and that although you will work very hard to get the best outcome possible, that results are not guaranteed. Results not typical seems to work for Jenny Craig

You need to study lighting on location and how to pose couples and groups. I would check into a State Photographers Convention and see if there is a seminar coming up, or better yet got to a photography school for a week. There's one in our area called MAIPP. You spend 1 week with one instructor.

Only knowledge will build you confidence. SO good Luck! And stay positive. Passion is the only thing that separates the good from the great!!