First wedding...$?

N'Kolor

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Okay, so I have had someone contact me that would like me to photograph their wedding. I have requested more info as far as location, times and how large of a wedding. Currently, I do not have two things that I think might be important and if they are, then I will just turn them down. They understand that I am new to weddings, so that is out of the way.

The items I am missing are a back-up camera body and an assistant photographer.

What do I currently have?

Nikon D300
Nikkor 24-70 f2.8
Nikkor 70-200 f2.8
Nikkor 50 f1.8
Nikon SB-800 Flash
Tons of cards and extra batteries.

I don't know anything about contracts but I know I want one so I need to find one online that I can use as a guide or something. I am also going to do engagement photos for them so that will need to be incorporated in the price.

Please help me think of anything I may need, what kind of pricing I should give the couple...so on.

Thanks in advance!
Mike
 
Don't even think about it without a backup body and an assistant.
 
Well I have an assistant, my wife...she is actually a great assistant. What I meant was a second photographer.

Since I shoot Nikon any suggestions on a BU body?
 
You can do it without an assistant. Hard work but it can be done ( i do it alone mostly)

Backup body however is something that really should be considered seriously. You might get by but it's a risk......

Can you borrow one? Can you rent?
 
I wouldn’t do a wedding without a contract, business license, and its a good idea if you are new to wedding photography an assistant will do ya some good. Im using a cheap D40 as my back up with a long lense on it.
 
Renting a backup body will set you back about $100/day. Roll it into your fee. And find a second photographer.
 
Back up body for sure. Maybe you could just rent on for the day.

You will also want a back up flash.

You might want a flash bracket and TTL cord.

Really, the best thing you can have for shooting a wedding...is knowledge and experience. That's why it's not recommended to be the primary photographer, without prior wedding experience.

That being said, everyone has to start somewhere...just be prepared.
 
Well I am actually looking into working with a photographer now but not on this one. The photographer I talked to is supposed to email me the dates of his weddings so I can check him out and possibly start assisting him.

As for this wedding, the couple doesn't have a lot of money so that is where I come in...I am fairly cheap but have no idea what to charge.

A back-up body...sure! I have no problems in looking at a BU body, but if it is strictly back-up then do I need anything that is great? Or would something like a D70 work? I would love to get a D200 as a BU but that is a little expensive right now...even used ones.

I can check around tonight at my photography class and see if anyone is interested in assisting me...paid of course.
 
A back-up body...sure! I have no problems in looking at a BU body, but if it is strictly back-up then do I need anything that is great? Or would something like a D70 work? I would love to get a D200 as a BU but that is a little expensive right now...even used ones.
A lot of photographers (myself included) like to use two cameras while shooting a wedding. That way, you can have your 70-200 on one camera and your 24-70 on the other....you can cover just about anything without changing lenses.

Also, maybe look into a wider lens. 24mm is just no wide enough on a crop body....for me anyway.
 
Yeah, I understand what you mean on wider but I think the 24 is wide enough for me, but later I do plan to add a 12-24 but can't right now...already have too much invested and I need some return.

I like the idea of running to camera's but that means to brackets, two flash sync cords and two flashes...right? That seems like it will get expensive.

If I get a body, what do you recommend?
 
I like the idea of running to camera's but that means to brackets, two flash sync cords and two flashes...right? That seems like it will get expensive.
I wouldn't necessarily put the 70-200 with a bracket. I personally like to shoot without flash when using a 70-200 F2.8 IS.

If I get a body, what do you recommend?
Well, I'm a Canon guy...so I don't know the nuances of the different Nikon bodies.
It might be cheapest to go with a used D70 or D50...or a new D40.
I'm not sure how similar the D300 is to the other bodies...but one theory is that you should get a 2nd body that is very similar to your main...that way you don't have to think about different controls when you pick it up.
 
As for this wedding, the couple doesn't have a lot of money so that is where I come in...I am fairly cheap but have no idea what to charge.

When people say this, the whole thing usually turns out to be bad news bears. Pick a reasonable price that well-covers your time and expenses, and stick with it.
 
$500, includes album, pics and engagement photos?
 
that sounds fair

i do it as a hobby and charge between 250 to 350 english pounds for pcs and album

there are lots of threads on here that can help.


just go to the search bar and type in


contracts

weddings

ect
 
Try to figure out how much time you will spend on this project/job. Shooting time should be easy but also include your processing time...which may be two, three or 4 times as long as your shooting time. Don't forget travel time, for the wedding and for any meetings you might have with them beforehand. Your time per hour isn't going to be very much.

You have a sizable investment in gear, so consider that...plus anything expendable that you might use. Rental fees etc.

If you are trying to start a business...I'd tell you to charge more. You might make very little money on this job...but maybe the experience you get, will be more valuable in the long run.
 

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