I don't do weddings...

[Bend The Light]

...but a friend convinced me to do one for friends of his. It was done as a favour, no payment, and had I not been there they would have not had any photos at all (barring the mobile phone shots by some of the guests). So, here we go...

The groom

2-8-2012 Phil - Groom by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

The Bride

2-8-2012 Carol - Bride v2 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

The registry office (which was TINY!)

2-8-2012 Just wed with bridesmaids, best man, and usher by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

Best Man (and bride's son)

2-8-2012 Ben the Best Man by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

A small group (with other son looking at a mobile phone camera!)

2-8-2012 BandG, BM, U, BM, FG by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

The Happy Couple

2-8-2012 Just married v2 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

So, honest critique. Bear in mind that I will NOT be setting myself up as a budget wedding tog any time soon, but I would be interested in how you think I did with what I had.

Cheers

 

[Jaemie]

I think you did quite well. Far better than many wedding professionals, frankly. Nice, solid compositions. Good exposures. You did a fine job of capturing the happiness and warmth of the day. I'd say it's a success!

 

[Bend The Light]

I think you did quite well. Far better than many wedding professionals, frankly. Nice, solid compositions. Good exposures. You did a fine job of capturing the happiness and warmth of the day. I'd say it's a success!

Thank you.

I messed up a bit at the start with the flash, but worked it out in the end (as in positioning, bouncing light, etc.)

Cheers

 

[Forkie]

I see the groom is doing his bit to keep up Britain's reputation for great oral hygiene!

 

[Kazooie]

Looks like a redneck wedding.

 

[amolitor]

The light's not great and these are NOT photogenic people at all, although they're fantastically interesting.

I think the photograph of the best man is flirting with greatness. The light isn't all that, but he's well placed in the frame, and you nailed a fantastic instant in time with his hands and expression. The rest are quite good given the on-camera flash, which is always going to look terrible.

A little light processing makes these better, I think. Healing brush to tone down some of the blemishes, just a hair, desaturate a little to take out some of the red blotchiness in the skin without screwing the color balance, lighten up her teeth a bit, and push contrast into the mid-tones (with curves, this will also darken the darks and lighten the lights). Put a strong vignette on some of them where the background is awful -- better a cheap gimmick like a vignette than a horrible background!

 

[Bend The Light]

Looks like a redneck wedding.

The light's not great and these are NOT photogenic people at all, although they're fantastically interesting.

I think the photograph of the best man is flirting with greatness. The light isn't all that, but he's well placed in the frame, and you nailed a fantastic instant in time with his hands and expression. The rest are quite good given the on-camera flash, which is always going to look terrible.

A little light processing makes these better, I think. Healing brush to tone down some of the blemishes, just a hair, desaturate a little to take out some of the red blotchiness in the skin without screwing the color balance, lighten up her teeth a bit, and push contrast into the mid-tones (with curves, this will also darken the darks and lighten the lights). Put a strong vignette on some of them where the background is awful -- better a cheap gimmick like a vignette than a horrible background!

View attachment 15680

Not sure it's fair to criticise the people in the photos.

Thanks for the tips on how the do such things again, I will take them into account next time. I had proper flash (Canon 430 E) but at the start I hadn't got the angle etc. seet correctly so some are a little flashed. and then the colour in the building was terrible. But anyway, I tried, and I did it for nowt, so there we go.

 

[shefjr]

I don't do wedding photography either so I don't comment. However, when I saw the best man I couldn't help but laugh a little. You just know he's thinking, "yeah, I'm a pimp!" or "I'm getting my swagger on!" or "Bond, James Bond!"

 

[manaheim]

Can I suggest we skip further commentary on the subjects unless it factors into choices made with the camera?

 

[amolitor]

I apologize, I didn't intend to criticize the people but I see that I wound up doing just that.

What I meant to say was more complicated. These are not traditionally beautiful young brides and grooms. They're older. They're stouter. I am pretty sure they'd be ok with that -- I am older and stouter too, and while I wish I was young and thing, I'm not. It happens to everyone, if you just wait long enough!

The POINT is that you're simply not going to be able to produce traditionally beautiful wedding photographs. Which is kind of a stupid thing to have said, since it's pretty obvious.

When I said they were fantastically interesting, I was also reaching for a photographic point, which is this: While you're not going to produce the cliched "here's is the dewy young bride in her gown surrounded by her bridesmaids in their horrid dresses" you can (and did) do some wonderful photographic work. These people are visual delights, they have the marks of life on them, there are stories in every line of their faces and every imperfection. They look joyful, they look nervous, they look excited.

You did a freakin' great job, all things considered, and you should be pleased with yourself. I think they'll be pleased with the results.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Nice pics. Pic 1, I usually have the subject close their lips if they may have braces or teeth issues. If they're minor i may touch up with photochop. Who knows, the family may enjoy that pic of him more one day when they remember him and I'd have taken a lessor pic =)

 

[Robin Usagani]

My comments are in red.

...but a friend convinced me to do one for friends of his. It was done as a favour, no payment, and had I not been there they would have not had any photos at all (barring the mobile phone shots by some of the guests). So, here we go...

The groom

2-8-2012 Phil - Groom by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr
If the guy has bad teeth, then show only the ones where he is smiling without showing his teeth. Or only show the far away shots. According to the exif data you were only at ISO400 with f/5.6 and 1/250. You could easily have shot this without flash if you had a fast zoom or 50mm f/1.8. Or even with higher ISO, slower shutter with that lens.



The Bride

2-8-2012 Carol - Bride v2 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr
[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR="class: lookatme"]
[TH]Camera[/TH]
[TD]Canon EOS 40D[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: lookatme"]
[TH]Exposure[/TH]
[TD]0.004 sec (1/250)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: lookatme"]
[TH]Aperture[/TH]
[TD]f/8.0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: lookatme"]
[TH]Focal Length[/TH]
[TD]50 mm[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]ISO Speed[/TH]
[TD]400

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
F/8.0???? Full on flash again. This is what you do, open up your lens to almost max aperture, 1/40, ISO1600, flash bounced.


The registry office (which was TINY!)

2-8-2012 Just wed with bridesmaids, best man, and usher by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

Not bad for a direct flash photo.

Best Man (and bride's son)

2-8-2012 Ben the Best Man by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr

Dont think flash is necessary.

A small group (with other son looking at a mobile phone camera!)

2-8-2012 BandG, BM, U, BM, FG by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr
Wandering eyes



The Happy Couple

2-8-2012 Just married v2 by http://bendthelight.me.uk, on Flickr
His eyes were shut. Flash isnt necessary.

It seems that you are stuck at 1/250. Why?


So, honest critique. Bear in mind that I will NOT be setting myself up as a budget wedding tog any time soon, but I would be interested in how you think I did with what I had.

Cheers

 

[rexbobcat]

Those teeth.....

I think the biggest issue is the use of flash. It's all very flat and direct. There is no depth to the scene.

 

[jwbryson1]

Looks like a redneck wedding.

I ALMOST went there but opted out at the last minute....:mrgreen:

 

[Robin Usagani]

I guarantee you that some talented photographers can shoot this wedding and low budget/redneck would not pop in your mind when you see the results. They are that GOOD!