First wedding shot

Jeff_M · Sep 30, 2012

This was my first opportunity to shoot at a wedding. My wifes cousin was getting married and was having a friend do the photos. She said she didn't mind if I brought along some gear to shoot too. It was my first time with a flash and a great learning experience! I have a few more friend/family weddings to attend to broaden my scope. I know these are just a few, but thoughts? Potential? Thanks guys/gals!

~Jeff M

1. I know the highlights in the sky are blown out in this one. Will be learning my PP soon

2.

3. could have been a bit sharper

4.

5.

6.liked the parents and children dancing in this one!

7. haha, what are they arguing about lol

8. Best shot, because its my BEAUTIFUL wife!

thanks again!

Sw1tchFX · Sep 30, 2012

Why are the bridesmaids facing away?

cgipson1 · Sep 30, 2012

whats with the TILT?

MLeeK · Sep 30, 2012

1.Well, more than your highlights are blown. You've got some real issues on some of the groomsmen's faces and the groom's face. It's an issue if you go to crop and print to any standard size. You're going to invade on the end bridesmaid and groomsman. The pose is really wierd. Why would you have the bridesmaids backs?
Focus is really soft on the bride and groom
2. The bride has no eyes. The tilt makes you want to tilt your head. It's a bit on the dark side and cool
3.The angle is not flattering to this bride. If a woman is above a size 7 you should never shoot her from below. It makes her all hips and azz. You need to straighten your shot here. It's tilting. Simplify. You've a ton of distractions going on here. Instead of shooting toward the table of people perhaps shooting toward the window or the wall or anything to keep those distractions out of there. Or shoot from above making the floor your background.
Your conversion is very gray and black. In fact, all of them are. THe only WHITE white is in the blown window. A black and white should be black, white and everything between.
4.I like this one best of the set. I'd clone out those lights. The tilt isn't so bad because you've gotten the background to blur away.
5. It's a great moment. Your flash is a bit strong for what was a dark moment. Remember to expose for what you are seeing-not lit up like Christmas. That tilt problem you have is making me want to tilt my head again.
6.It's a funky tilted photo without any real story or subject. I think it's supposed to be both couples, but instead it is feeling like neither.
7.That tilt is getting really awful. THey look like they're fighting?
8.It's not too bad. She's got a big face and nose because of the angle and the wide lens. You've got white here, but it's more of a distraction to the eye than a real element of the black and white. I'd prefer to see the whites of her eyes closer to white in this one. I'd rotate and crop so that the legs are gone.

Jeff_M · Sep 30, 2012

The first photo was set up by her photographer, I was off to the side. Thats why the photo has thier backs

I hear what youre saying about the tilt in the photos.

The b and w conversion was done on a free photo editor (photoscape) not sure if that has anything to do with it being black and gray.

when your talking about #7 and setting the exposure, im not sure i understand what you mean by it. I have not yet learned how to use the flash and set it correctly with the camera.

Thank you for the constructive criticism mleek

MLeeK · Sep 30, 2012

Photoscape is very capable. If you are converting a shot to black and white without using color sliders you'll need to bump the exposure a little bit and the contrast in order to get your black and white in the right places.