First wedding CC please

[gatrell]

hey,

well a week last Friday i shot my first wedding, the bride is very happy with the photos, just wanted to see what the TPF community make of them, please if needs be, rip the hell out of them, i would rather learn from criticism, although a little well done is always nice if they deserve it
The day was a massive challange for me as i had been so used to Photography in big nightclubs in Manchesters city center and so using flash, The wedding was in a very nice church and obv. church = no flash... like i said the bride and groom love the photos, but i love photography and im always wanting to improve my skills. oh and this is an old english church with c**p lighting as its surrounded in trees outside...


#1 #2

#3 #4

#5

#6 #7

#8 #9

 

[gatrell]

compared to other wedding shoots ive seen on here i know im looking to be torn appart

 

[Brinr]

3 and 5 are out of focus, weird face thing and giant line thing in 2 is distracting but her rim light is fantabulous. Selective color in 6 is kind of a no no from what I hear... up to you but the dude in the background is definitely a distraction. Is the last one a totally black vignette? If it is I don't think it's necessary, this photo is your best by far and doesn't need the help of a vignette IMO. Just my piece...

 

[gatrell]

the line thing in 2 is a line on her mirror, and the last one is not totallt vignette, i brought the detail out in the edges and made the blacks more intense... i think with the 2 that are out of focus was because i was having to use a slow shutter speed because of the horrible lighting in the church, thanks for the comments

 

[gatrell]

as for the selective colour, personally dont really like it, think it looks quite tacky, but the bride pointed out a few photos that she wanted it done on,

 

[IgsEMT]

Church = no light? Really? Never had that issue, on contrary I either have my assistant w/ portable light and/or set up 1or2 monolights. Anyways
#1 I like very much, I think the processing is well done.
#2 I think to much of clarity. Not sure if wrinkles make the bride look good
#3, seems like motion blur or no in focus. Emotional image, although emotion seems like constipation, BUT its an emotion.
#4, seems like motion blur or no in focus. soften it up a bit. Again, on wedding day BRIDE wants to look her best.
#5 - seems like motion blur or no in focus. Very flat lighting, rather lack of lighting. Add some contrast to the image, fake additional light.
#6 again flat lighting and there's no isolation of groom from the background. Seems noisy . Color selection on this one doesn't do it for me. Add some contrast and darken the background by about 1/2 a stop - isolate foreground/subject/background.
#7 - that tail-like THING kinda-kills the shot. Otherwise, its nice.
#8 - TOOOOO much clarity for my flavor. again flat lighting (you mentioned no flash allowed) but seems like motion blur or no in focus.
#9 - a lot of stuff going on in that pic and took me few seconds to figure out what's going on there (B&G). Add some light (1/2-1) stop on them - it'll act as a spot light of some sort and would bring viewer's attention in the image.

Overall, there's a lot of lack of focus going on in the pics you posted. For the future, tell your b&g that flash is needed AND they have to arrange w/ officiant that your photographer is there to capture there ONCE in a lifetime moment therefore equipment that he/she uses are a MUST.

Good Luck

 

[bigtwinky]

1- very simple feeling image, soft processing. I like it. I don't mind the mirror frame, just wish her face was either a bit higher or a bit more to the side to have more of it in.

2- way too contrasty for me. The contrast makes the bride not look like the same bride in the other images. The post is distracting. Her face is too shiny. Without the post and less contrast, might work. Skin tones are important in black and white as well

3- Odd emotion, she looks sad. Out of focus, odd crop, fingers cut off. Wait for smiles, tears, gazes when you want to capture emotion. Watch the cutoff limbs. The get that focus.

4- This is a getting ready shot? Careful with those and judging when to shoot...too pre-makeup can be a bad thing (like it is in this one). The hand on the face is distracting, almost looks like she is smelling the finger. Move in closer, soften the image.

5- Flat image with a lack of contrast. Lack of sharpness as well. I get the idea of framing them between the posts, which is cool, but if you want to frame them, frame both of them. He is too cut off.

6- Is there a reason you used selective colour? My eye is totally drawn to the flower, thus making it the main subject of the image. Shallower DOF to blur out the background is a must. I like the pensive thought, but probably finding a better angle or trying to get that guy in the back out of the image bu moving a bit to your left would help

7- Now you are getting smiles (re comments on 3). Nice. That thing on the right is really odd and distracting. Again, lack of sharpness

8- wow... ih... no. You are unfortunately a victim of a badly textured tuxedo. Lack of focus again here, odd crop. It just seems like an image uncle Bob took with this P&S. It feels unbalanced due to the serious crop of his arm, she seems like she has one arm..

9- This one I kinda of like. Again way too contrasty, but I like the details going on. A nice setting shot of where the wedding took place.


Overall, if I were a couple who paid for this, I would seriously want my money back and be pissed. Compositions need to be worked on, but most importantly, you need to nail at LEAST the techincal part of getting a good, sharp and well exposed image, which most of these are lacking in one way or another.

Before shooting another wedding and turning out stuff like this, practice regular portraits and get composition down. Look at alot of images to learn.

I get we all start somewhere. But saying that "the bride likes them" means pretty much nothing in terms of developping your skill as a photographer.

 

[gatrell]

Thanks for the comments, Twinky i knew while i was processing them they wern't perfect, Hence the reason i posted them up here for a good grilling to learn, but i had made the bride aware from the first moment that this was my first wedding, i hadn't been advertising for wedding's, but she had seen my previous work and decided she wanted me...

as for the bad angles i was fighting like mad with the church funiture, it was f*****g everywhere, and i was only allowed to shoot from the side of the church, and alot of the angles the vic was stood in the way...

i know what you mean by that tux tho. the thing was horrible,

 

[billydoo73]

1 and 2 are very artistic. nice. some definite out of focus stuff going on, but not terrible. i love/hate technical forums, especially with regards to art because it's so based on people's personal tastes. that said, some of the colors are way overdone for my personal taste. but, if the bride loves it...that is ALL that matters. good job!