cousin wants me to shoot wedding

[e36style]

so my cousin is strapped for cash and wants me to photograph his wedding. I've never really taken any portraits and i'm afraid my setup just isnt anywhere near professional nor do i have enough experience. I would love to help my cousin out but I'm afraid of turning over mediocre photos. I just got a $2 raise at work and next couples weeks might be able to save up some money for a lens for under $300 or so. should i go for a prime lens with a large f stop? or should i go for a sony telephoto lens? i just dont know what i would need. any help would greatly be appreciated

 

[keith foster]

Please do a search of the forum for help. This question (or ones like it) have been asked a lot and so there is tons of information already available to help you.

 

[joeamy05]

I say go with your gut on this one. Tell your cousin thanks, but no thanks. That's not to say you can't take pictures as a guest and if you catch a good shot or two give them some prints. But I think you already knew the answer to your question.

 

[jajomo]

I had some "football" mom ask me this question once about a family friend of hers...and this is what I said. ..."there is no way I am going to be responsible for someone else's memory's"

...in my case I am a mom with a nice camera and thats it!! I do my photos for me and me alone!! I never want to be a pro and I have no delusions that I will be one. I am here to learn how to get better pictures period.

As a bridal consultant for 4 years...I'm telling you..you are messing with a whole other breed...they act all nice at first ...but Bridezilla will show up and you will be her meal of choice. :lmao:

 

[mtfd635]

My wedding was a real budget affair. Would have been nice to have a pro photog, but a cousin aiming my canon élan II was all We could manage.
The so-so quality pics we have are much better than the alternative - nothing!
Pick upextra memory cards and shoot shoot shoot.
Purchase a lens you will have use for afterwards depending on your style/needs.

 

[Newcastle Shooter]

As mtfd635 said - so so quality pics vs no pics = so so pics.

If they genuinely cannot afford a pro then you are doing them a favour, and thus that should remove the pressure to provide. If they are asking you to save some cash then they could prob afford a budget pro and so they will have a certain quality level in their heads that they are expecting - thats where the pressure feeling starts.

Feeling unprepared with the incorrect equipment is one of the worst feelings. So I would say only do it if you feel like you are doing them a favour and they understand your skill level.

Firstly - you cannot do a legitimate wedding shoot on one lens. But if i had to choose a lens to shoot with (very hard) i would go for a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 as its nice and fast for good sharp well lit shots on a budget. It does mean you will have to use our feet alot more in place of having a zoom - but thats ok. I would rather have the confidence a fast prime gives me and lose certain shots than have a zoom and struggle in certain situations. You will miss shots by choosing either lens but my pref would be 50mm prime.

I started out doing cheap event photography with a low end DSLR with a 50mm 1.4 and that set me up.

Best of luck whatever you choose my friend

 

[Jeremy Z]

Some folks act like this is the holy grail of photography. Here's how I'd handle it.

Show your cousin and his fiance your work. Make sure they're both OK with it. Let them know that you'll do your best and that's all you can do.

If they're OK with it, then go for it. If you're going to buy anything, a good flash is more important.

 

[Actor]

I suspect the bride can't afford a pro. Her options are

• no photos
• give her P&S to one of the bridesmaids
• you

Shoot the wedding with a clear understanding that there are no guarantees.

I've literally been drafted to shoot weddings for nothing. ("Oh, please, Daddy. A**** can't afford a real photographer.") On one occasion I just turned the unprocessed film over to the groom and never saw the prints. On another occasion the bride insisted the ceremony be under candlelight. Shades of Stanley Kubrick. I used Kodak 1600 pushed one stop. No complaints.

For my own wedding I handed my Brownie to my roommate. He was recruited at the last minute because my best man didn't show. My brother was to do the photography but he got promoted to best man, thus we drafted my roommate.

In today's economy I seriously doubt that one bride in ten can afford a pro photographer, and I suspect the number is actually less than one in a hundred.

 

[Actor]

Please do a search of the forum for help. This question (or ones like it) have been asked a lot and so there is tons of information already available to help you.

What do you suggest he search for? "Free wedding?" "too poor?" "cousin?" Just asking. Nothing in his post suggests an appropriate filter.

 

[Montana]

Some folks act like this is the holy grail of photography. Here's how I'd handle it.

Show your cousin and his fiance your work. Make sure they're both OK with it. Let them know that you'll do your best and that's all you can do.

If they're OK with it, then go for it. If you're going to buy anything, a good flash is more important.

Well, it is "almost" exclusively the only photography where there is no "do-over", retakes, low expectations, or second chances. And then there is the bride aspect of the whole deal......I refuse to shoot them.

 

[table1349]

Please do a search of the forum for help. This question (or ones like it) have been asked a lot and so there is tons of information already available to help you.

What do you suggest he search for? "Free wedding?" "too poor?" "cousin?" Just asking. Nothing in his post suggests an appropriate filter.

Here is five of 400 hits for "free wedding" Just answering.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-gallery/195960-free-wedding-photography.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/professional-gallery/20069-hot-tips-wedding-photography.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/198133-advice-needed-noob-wedding-photog.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ry/186973-shooting-my-first-wedding-help.html

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...187852-taking-wedding-photos-tips-please.html


Actor-Maybe this one will be of help also:

how to use the search function on forums - Google Search

 

[Newcastle Shooter]

Jeremy Z - good points.

 

[keith foster]

Please do a search of the forum for help. This question (or ones like it) have been asked a lot and so there is tons of information already available to help you.

What do you suggest he search for? "Free wedding?" "too poor?" "cousin?" Just asking. Nothing in his post suggests an appropriate filter.

I just did a search by typing in "cousin's wedding" which seemed a logical place to begin a search and I got that idea from the OP post.

That search returned 96 results in .36 seconds.

Gryphonslair search results and mine probably overlap some but I think you could safely say there are over 400 threads already addressing the OP question in one way or another.
Do you need more examples or do you feel comfortable searching on your own now?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

"My First Wedding" will probably yield the most awesome threads.

 

[KmH]

Hmmm. No geographic location in your profile. What country are you in?

Instead of spending $300 on a lens that may not do the job why not rent some quality glass. I'd recommend some US places to rent but I'm not sure you're in the US.

Are the B&G offering to help cover any of your costs or will that be your wedding gift to them?

You mention something about a Sony zoom so I guess you have a Sony camera?