My First Wedding

LynziMarie · Jun 29, 2008

C&C as always

(and as always, just keep it nice, please)

This was my first wedding, and I was sooo nervous!! I did it mostly on manual, but a few times I switched to auto to make sure I didn't miss anything (my favorites happened on auto, actually)

In discussion with the bride about the end result, she said she wanted it to be "as dream-like" as possible... I emailed her a few options, and she liked when the background was blown out.... I couldn't protest, so that will explain why the ceremony photos have blown out backgrounds...

I'll only post a few of my personal favorites, there are alot of pictures! haha

I've tried to resize these... my mom screwed around with the computer and changed everything so I can't figure out how to do it now :blushing:... if they're too big I really apologize.

1.

2. (0ne of the blown out ones she liked)

3.

4.

5.

6.

These are not as good as I was hoping for at the start, but I did my best! The bride was terribly unorganized, so nothing was ready for me to shoot formals until everyone had left... so oh well!

LynziMarie · Jun 29, 2008

por favor?

returnofa5i · Jun 29, 2008

Were you the main photographer or just shooting it for fun?

Mike30D · Jun 30, 2008

It could be my monitor but the first one looks way too warm (orange). Do you have a link to the rest? Also, could be my monitor again, but the bride's dress doesn't look exactly white in some. Maybe adjusting your color and/or white balance would help. Did you shoot in RAW?

The first one is always the hardest. :wink:

LynziMarie · Jun 30, 2008

The situation was a special one. The bride is one of my really good friends, and wasn't planning on having a photographer at all, then she remembered that I really am trying to get experience, so she asked me to do it. I told her that I can't accept any money, and that I'm not a professional so I can't guarantee what I'll give her. She understood and we went ahead as huge favors for eachother. So I was the only one, but having one is better than none I think, even if they aren't as good as someone else could have done

LynziMarie · Jun 30, 2008

Mike30D said:
It could be my monitor but the first one looks way too warm (orange). Do you have a link to the rest? Also, could be my monitor again, but the bride's dress doesn't look exactly white in some. Maybe adjusting your color and/or white balance would help. Did you shoot in RAW?

The first one is always the hardest.

yeah, I've had some trouble fixing them up.... the lighting was terrible for both the reception and the ceremony... these are 'first drafts' hehe
What I have done so far is all on the first two pages Here:
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i92/musiconice16/Portfolio/
and I did shoot in RAW.

Rachelsne · Jun 30, 2008

All things considered (I remember your previous post about this) I think you did fine-its great practice and hopefully gave you a confident boost. when it comes to blown highlights, I dont think your bride will mind, or probably even notice, the one with the orange tint does need more work, play with the different sliders in your editing program. Obviously as you know you are not up to the standard where you can charge. but knowing your mistakes and critiquing your images and knowing what you would do better if the day was to repeat is a great way of improving,
Well done. hope you enjoyed it too!

SandShots · Jun 30, 2008

some of your stuff came out nice and some needs some work. keep shooting, and get some angles.

i might be wrong but seems like some of the shots were taken from wherever you were sitting at the time. move around get some better angles.

kellylindseyphotography · Jun 30, 2008

hmm well. i will try not to be too hard, but i'll be honest. they are not great, but as you admitted it's your first wedding.

the first has bad pop up flash lighting and a bad red color cast.

2 coud probably be better with some PS work (if you don't have PS, you NEED it to be a wedidng photog) but it's not sharp, so I don't know that it's salvagable

3 is OK and technically, you actually did the right thing. It's better to blow out the background than it is to blow out the bride. You cut your losses, and here your exposure is good. Its unfortunate that she's not looking at the camera.

4 has dappled sunlight, something you want to work to avoid

5 is OK but your looking up her nose. the angle would have been better if your at eye level

6 is fun but the lighting is bad

LynziMarie · Jul 1, 2008

kellylindseyphotography said:
hmm well. i will try not to be too hard, but i'll be honest. they are not great, but as you admitted it's your first wedding.

the first has bad pop up flash lighting and a bad red color cast.

2 coud probably be better with some PS work (if you don't have PS, you NEED it to be a wedidng photog) but it's not sharp, so I don't know that it's salvagable

3 is OK and technically, you actually did the right thing. It's better to blow out the background than it is to blow out the bride. You cut your losses, and here your exposure is good. Its unfortunate that she's not looking at the camera.

4 has dappled sunlight, something you want to work to avoid

5 is OK but your looking up her nose. the angle would have been better if your at eye level

6 is fun but the lighting is bad

thanks for your honesty!!
I actually didn't use a pop up flash for these, I used my Sb-600 flash, but inside... the lighting just really sucked. it was pretty much exactly the color you see.
What I was trying to do in the ceremony is show exactly what was there, for the bride. She really, really loved this location and the way the light was coming through the trees. Fixing the lighting wouldn't have done that for her. I, personally, don't really like these at all, but the bride asked for some specifics and I did it for her. I think as an outsider, and artist, it may not make sense, but to the most important person, the bride, all of it does.

it's terribly hard with the bride being 5'10 and the groom taller than her... and measly me standing in at 5'7.... next time I'll have a step ladder thing....

and on 6, it's funny, we were walking back up to the church and she did that... so I snapped, one of those priceless moment things

LynziMarie · Jul 1, 2008

SandShots said:
some of your stuff came out nice and some needs some work. keep shooting, and get some angles.

i might be wrong but seems like some of the shots were taken from wherever you were sitting at the time. move around get some better angles.

thanks!!

I did move around alot, but the better shots came from one location... that's what happens I guess :lol:

LynziMarie · Jul 1, 2008

Rachelsne said:
All things considered (I remember your previous post about this) I think you did fine-its great practice and hopefully gave you a confident boost. when it comes to blown highlights, I dont think your bride will mind, or probably even notice, the one with the orange tint does need more work, play with the different sliders in your editing program. Obviously as you know you are not up to the standard where you can charge. but knowing your mistakes and critiquing your images and knowing what you would do better if the day was to repeat is a great way of improving,
Well done. hope you enjoyed it too!

thank you!!

I had so much fun, and looking back I can see several things I would have done differently, which is the whole point I think.
This was a great learning experience, and hopefully, my next one will be better and so on up from there! I should have a wedding coming up with the guy I intern for, so hopefully with him there I'll be able to really get some good stuff....

LynziMarie · Jul 1, 2008

what about these edits for the first one?

amberlark · Jul 1, 2008

Here are a couple of edits using Kubota Photoshop Actions.
I also used a white balance method done with levels.
Bring up a levels menu, then shift click on a neutral grey area on the image. This will leave a little target. Now double click on the white eyedropper (on the right side of the levels menu) and you will get a color menu that comes up. Click on the exact same spot where you left your target (you will know you hit it when the target changes, just a bit). This should have sampled your color. Now check out the L a b. Keep Luminosity the same and make the apples and bananas zero (bad monkey). Select OK and then shoot your image again in the same target. This should change your image to a pretty good white balance. You can cut those targets by hovering over them while holding the option>shift (mac) not so sure on a pc but it might be ctrl > shift.

Most of the Actions used were to brighten or darken and a bit of sharpening. All of the Actions used where for Kubota Artistic tools V2.

I hope you like them.

Amber