Another wedding post!

Stacylouwho · May 16, 2013

Okay.. SO I took my friends engagement photos. And now they decided they want me to shoot their wedding! The person they were going to hire was going to charge them a lot for what they are getting. Their work looks unedited and unimpressive to me. But I never told her that cuz I wasn't sure I could or wanted to do it. Now that she asked me I feel like it is something I can do and I have another friend that said she would help me but she has limited experience with her camera, so we are going to have to work on that. I have another friend who is a wedding photographer in another state and she said I could come shoot some weddings with her over the summer. Which I am all for! I am thinking of renting a camera, because it will be an outdoor wedding and my t3i just won't cut it in low light. I am thinking I might need to rent some lenses too . All I have is the kit, zoom and nifty fifty and an external flash.. Any advice or other products I should have.. The wedding is in September, so I have a while to prepare.

jowensphoto · May 16, 2013

Definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY get with your out of state friend to get some experience. Wedding days move FAST, and if you miss "the" shot... it's gone. Event photography is a whole different animal that even say, portrait photography. It's more about learning to flow through the day and getting what you need. If you don't have technical abilities down, I would refer this out to someone who does.

That being said, and I may get flamed for this, your T3i is pretty capable and I don't see why it couldn't be used - though you said outdoor, so I'm not sure what the low light issue is, unless it's at night. If you meant in door, bouncing flash will help and you can also get mini softboxes that attach to your external flash. Definitely have a back up body, though I wouldn't say it HAS to be full frame (have you ever shot on a FF camera? It's not completely different, but still different than you T3i).

I'd look into a macro lens for sure; the 50mm has shallow enough DOF for the detail shots, but doesn't compare to what you get from a true macro lens. I'd also consider renting a zoom other than the kit. Regarding an assistant/second shooter: your friend that volunteered doesn't need to photograph, necessarily, but can be there to coordinate group shots, fix stray hairs and carry equipment. Don't do it by yourself unless you really love being stressed out

Hope all that helps!

jowensphoto · May 16, 2013

Also, I meant to say about the T3i... I have photos from my T2i shot at ISO 12800 that, while incredibly grainy, aren't horribly unacceptable and could probably even be decent with the right kind of PSing (yes, the T2i goes up that high! Finally realized it while messing with the settings).

tirediron · May 16, 2013

First and foremost: Are you being paid for this, and what are the bride's expectations? Weddings, as you know, are a very touchy subject here, and I myself am a big proponent of 'don't mess with a wedding if you don't know what you're doing' EXCEPT when it's a choice between less than perfect work and no work. Okay, that said: My basic wedding kit is: Two bodies, two speedlights, and 2.8 zooms from UWA to 200mm, a flash bracket, TTL cord and a few other odds & ends.

The biggest favours you can do for yourself is practice and prepare. Practice: Work on getting good exposure of black and white under all lighting conditions. Dress up a friend/spouse/relative in a black shirt & white pants (or vice-versa) and practice shooting in harsh light, dim light, overcast, etc. Ensure that you can meter effectively in all three modes, and know how to get the point of critical focus where you want it. Know approximate depths of field for your various lenses at key distances & apertures (or which aperture to select to ensure sufficient DoF). Prepare: Talk to the couple, know the wedding schedule (and have a copy in your pocket) by heart. Know where you have to go, when you have to be there, where you're going to park, where you're going to store your gear... scout the venues, check out the lighting, determine best shooting positions, estimate exposures for likely conditions, plan how you're going to move from one position to another. Know what shots are key to the couple (esp. relatives who might be coming a long distance) and poses they may want. Research posing and have appropriate ones in mind. Plan the shoot - shoot the plan!

Good luck!

Stacylouwho · May 16, 2013

For some reason it won't let me upload a previous picture from a family members wedding. They had an outdoor wedding, but the pictures were super grainy. I am going to see if I can get it on here so you know what I am talking about. Anyway.. thanks for all the advice! very helpful!

Stacylouwho · May 16, 2013

Tirediron
She said she would pay me, but I am not going to charge her very much.. Mainly the cost of the equipment must haves... They are pretty close friends so I might not even charge for time. Thanks for all the advice, I know when I posted about their engagements you were right on about posing and practice for sure! Thanks again!

jowensphoto · May 16, 2013

Stacylouwho said:
For some reason it won't let me upload a previous picture from a family members wedding. They had an outdoor wedding, but the pictures were super grainy. I am going to see if I can get it on here so you know what I am talking about. Anyway.. thanks for all the advice! very helpful!

That would be helpful along with EXIF data from the shot

hirejn · May 16, 2013

Weddings are not for amateurs. You should get a contract and set clear expectations. Maybe they'll like whatever pictures you give them, but maybe not. The contract should state that you're not a pro and you don't guarantee professional quality work. You'll miss some shots, either by not capturing them or blowing the exposures. Set the expectation for the look and feel of the images they'll get. Then detail the terms of payment, cancellation and delivery. Get as much in writing as you can. Spend your money on training and get only the equipment you absolutely need. Beyond this I'd recommend letting a professional shoot the wedding. If you're pinning your success on equipment, you've already lost.

ronlane · May 16, 2013

tirediron said:
First and foremost: Are you being paid for this, and what are the bride's expectations? Weddings, as you know, are a very touchy subject here, and I myself am a big proponent of 'don't mess with a wedding if you don't know what you're doing' EXCEPT when it's a choice between less than perfect work and no work. Okay, that said: My basic wedding kit is: Two bodies, two speedlights, and 2.8 zooms from UWA to 200mm, a flash bracket, TTL cord and a few other odds & ends.

The biggest favours you can do for yourself is practice and prepare. Practice: Work on getting good exposure of black and white under all lighting conditions. Dress up a friend/spouse/relative in a black shirt & white pants (or vice-versa) and practice shooting in harsh light, dim light, overcast, etc. Ensure that you can meter effectively in all three modes, and know how to get the point of critical focus where you want it. Know approximate depths of field for your various lenses at key distances & apertures (or which aperture to select to ensure sufficient DoF). Prepare: Talk to the couple, know the wedding schedule (and have a copy in your pocket) by heart. Know where you have to go, when you have to be there, where you're going to park, where you're going to store your gear... scout the venues, check out the lighting, determine best shooting positions, estimate exposures for likely conditions, plan how you're going to move from one position to another. Know what shots are key to the couple (esp. relatives who might be coming a long distance) and poses they may want. Research posing and have appropriate ones in mind. Plan the shoot - shoot the plan!

Good luck!

tirediron, that may be the best assistance, I've read on this site about weddings. (You could copy and paste that into every wedding and going "Pro" thread from now on.)

frommrstomommy · May 16, 2013

You're brave!! lol

I shot my first.. "event" type thing Monday and holy cow.. moved soooo fast!!!! I even prepped myself while we were waiting for them to land to know my kinda "go to" camera setting whereabouts depending which direction I was shooting because of the location and still blew out way more shots than I'm proud of. lol

Vtec44 · May 16, 2013

Shooting a wedding is stressful, and NOTHING will go according to plan. You have to be very proficient with your camera(s) and lighting, both natural and supplement, on top of anticipating the moment while instantly compose something that is decent. Remember that you have to be able to do this under stress while everyone is rushing, walking, moving, panicking crying, etc. It's probably the toughest form of photography if you want to do it right. Oh, don't forget backup equipment.

tirediron · May 16, 2013

Stacylouwho said:
Tirediron
She said she would pay me, but I am not going to charge her very much.. Mainly the cost of the equipment must haves... They are pretty close friends so I might not even charge for time. Thanks for all the advice, I know when I posted about their engagements you were right on about posing and practice for sure! Thanks again!

My recommendation is that you do this as your gift to her. She will pay for most or all of the cost of the rental equipment, and if she's really happy with the work, she can treat you to a fancy meal at a nice restaurant, or a spa day, or make a donation to charity, or something else as "payment" but regardless of your friendship, things will assume an entirely different dynamic if payment for services occurs.

Stacylouwho · May 16, 2013

This is one I took in low light at a fam. memb. wedding. They are very grainy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94460150@N02/8745278556/in/photostream

kathyt · May 16, 2013

Before I started doing weddings I was a second shooter for a long time. Before I was a second shooter I would say I was relatively strong in my skills, and I was able to produce consistent results in most situations. Now a few years later I am still challenged with each wedding that I shoot. Experience is the best advice I can give you, and at this point you do not have it. If I were you I would hold off on shooting this one and take the time to gain the experience you need and then maybe consider weddings in the future.