My first paid photoshoot! HELP!

[DKC Photography]

There is also always "that other guy", that thinks getting quick spoon fed answers is more valuable than doing honest to goodness research.

You didn't answer my questions.
Just answer this. Which will be MOST helpful, doing a google image search, and Flickr image search for "engagement photos", and yielding thousands of results for pose suggestions, or waiting for a few people here, to give a few poses verbally?

K

 

[Aze]

Considering this is a paid gig and you are looking for help from qualified individuals in order to help you make a profit, I do believe consulting fees are in order.

No?

 

[reedshots]

I’m late on this one (got busy but) I have to agree with Bitter’s first response on this one. If you are doing a paying gig (friend or not) and you have to ask where, when and how to do it. You may have a problem. There is always the people that will give you good advice and bad advice and there is all ways the people that will give you the slap in the face with reality.

If you live in Texas and the shoot is in Texas can look outside (what time dose the sun come up and go down?)

 

[CBURKE]

Where at in Texas? The best time is going to be early between 6:30 and 8:30 due to the heat (you dont want sweaty models) or late in the evening 7:00 to 9:00. Those are the best times for good light. If those times dont work make sure you have a reflector/diffuser to block out the sun and harsh shadows. Also you will want to bring a flash it will also help with the shadows.

Now that was helpful! Good reply.

 

[gsgary]

Best way to learn is from your mistakes

 

[quickphotography78]

I'm sure I'm wrong here but one comment I saw about people taking gigs on the side and asking on the cheap. The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone. I wish I could remember where I read it but someone asked if you are a professional shouldn't the pictures come out great with out editing them??? Knowing the price it costs to get prints done through a printing company I can't see charging what some do charge. I guess it depends on if you go full force in the beginning or slowly build. That is my opinion though.

I wish I could of given you an answer on time but I am too new and not enough time to read through everything for info. I wish you luck I'm sure you will do a good job much easier with friends then strangers.

 

[Aye-non Oh-non Imus]

Where at in Texas? The best time is going to be early between 6:30 and 8:30 due to the heat (you dont want sweaty models) or late in the evening 7:00 to 9:00. Those are the best times for good light. If those times dont work make sure you have a reflector/diffuser to block out the sun and harsh shadows. Also you will want to bring a flash it will also help with the shadows.

Now that was helpful! Good reply.

Yes, but Bob said it best......
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

 

[MissCream]

I'm sure I'm wrong here but one comment I saw about people taking gigs on the side and asking on the cheap. The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone. I wish I could remember where I read it but someone asked if you are a professional shouldn't the pictures come out great with out editing them??? Knowing the price it costs to get prints done through a printing company I can't see charging what some do charge. I guess it depends on if you go full force in the beginning or slowly build. That is my opinion though.

I wish I could of given you an answer on time but I am too new and not enough time to read through everything for info. I wish you luck I'm sure you will do a good job much easier with friends then strangers.

Can-o-worms.

And no. If you shoot RAW then you have to edit your pictures but since you are "too new" you probably do not know what that means and probably shouldn't be making a statement like that without having proper knowledge of what you are commenting on.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone.

...and by the time you are as good as all the expensive photographers, your kids will be all growed up!

 

[jwbryson1]

You are getting paid and don't know time of day, poses, props, or techniques?

Maybe you should rethink that?

I am going to agree with Bitter on this one. Going back and reading your original post, this is the impression that I have in my mind. You have this great friend from high school (she's a "sweetheart") and you got yourself a camera and are really interested in taking some photos, and you've taken a bunch of them and darn if you don't think some of them are pretty good. So this young sweetheart now has a fiance and wants her buddy to take some shots of them together and GET THIS, she's willing to pay you for them!

Not to sound harsh, but this does not seem to be a professional gig by any grasp of the imagination. Your questions on timing, technique and props are concerning---and I would think they'd be concerning to anybody who is paying you for these shots.

If you are going to do this shoot and get paid for it, I'd be very wary of charging very much, if anything. That's just my $0.02.

 

[jaykilgore]

I'm sure I'm wrong here but one comment I saw about people taking gigs on the side and asking on the cheap. The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone. I wish I could remember where I read it but someone asked if you are a professional shouldn't the pictures come out great with out editing them??? Knowing the price it costs to get prints done through a printing company I can't see charging what some do charge. I guess it depends on if you go full force in the beginning or slowly build. That is my opinion though.

I wish I could of given you an answer on time but I am too new and not enough time to read through everything for info. I wish you luck I'm sure you will do a good job much easier with friends then strangers.

Now please don't take my post as being mean or targeting you or coming after you or being disrespectful or whatever. I'm just speaking to answer your comment is in direct relation to the thread I made.

To be totally honest, you just answered your own question. Let me break it down:

The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone.

You made a statement and contradicted in the same tone. You can't do what a professional photographer does, so you set out to learn how to do it. You don't want to pay for a professional to do his or her work, so you're going to do it on your own. Messing up many great images in an effort to get it later on down the line.

This attitude cracks me up! There are people who go into photography because they want to undercut a photographer. What and when did photography become that one profession any monkey with a camera can do? How many people walk into an E.R. and say "I've watched E.R. the entire 15 years it was on, I want to be an E.R. Doctor on the side. I went to the supply store and purchased scrubs. I know what a hematoma is, I can say "subdural empyema" as well as a acute myocardial infarction in thesub hemothorax. When do I start?"

Knowing the price it costs to get prints done through a printing company I can't see charging what some do charge.

Not a knock on you, but this proves why you're not a professional photographer. To best sum it up; Yes, a 8x10 print costs 2.11 to print, but the 10 years of professional experience and NOT GUESSING to get that image costs the other 75.00.

Like I said before, the above questions and comments you have are an insult to professionals and while you're still learning our craft, your opinions are laughable at best. If you keep at it for another 10-15 years, you'll look back at this comment and wish you can delete it.

Next time I need to call a plumber, I'm going to tell him he needs to do it free as I have a plunger too.

 

[jaykilgore]

The reason I wanted to learn about photography is due to the prices, much cheaper for me to do my kids photos myself then hire someone.

...and by the time you are as good as all the expensive photographers, your kids will be all growed up!

I'm really starting to like you! lol

 

[jaykilgore]

This video is PERFECT for this thread:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/embed/R2a8TRSgzZY[/video]

 

[KmH]

Pros sometimes hire location scouts when they have a shoot scheduled for a location they are not familiar with.

So you need to be the location scout this week by going to the college and looking around for where you want to shoot, so you will already know where and how you will set up on Saturday.

However, it sounds like you don't know what a good location would look like, and I haven't seen you mention what kind of supplimental lighting gear and grip you have available to use for the shoot.

Supplimental lighting gear need be no more than some simple reflectors and/or diffusers and grip is the tools and gizmos used to hold and direct the supplimental lighting gear.

Lighting on location is only different from lighting in the studio in that you have little to no control over the most powerful light being provided, sunlight.

For that reason I recommend you look for open shade as you scout locations. Open shade will make diffusers unnecessary, but will require the use of fill lighting, preferably strobed (flash), but reflected light can work.

When you use open shade, the background behind the subjects should also be completely shaded. Position your couple so they are just inside the edge of the sgade and facing towards the open sky, which will be your 'main light'. The use the reflectors for fill and shadow modeling.

If you don't have a reflector(s), go to Staples, Walmart or some similar store and get a white foamboard, 20x30 - 3 pack. Though not quite big enough, they will do, You will need someone to hold them and point them for you.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Knowing the price it costs to get prints done through a printing company I can't see charging what some do charge.

Then why are you looking to buy the absolute cheapest set of continuous lights you can find?

Next time I need to call a plumber, I'm going to tell him he needs to do it free as I have a plunger too.

To be fair, I redid most of the copper plumbing, and some PVC, in my duplex all by myself. But to be fair, I already have some sweet soldering skillz.
Although, adding a new line and spigot on the side of the house was a little tricky. The burnt and melted siding isn't THAT noticable!

I'm really starting to like you! lol

Cool! That keeps me at about a 50/50 community love/hate ratio.