Nervous as heck...

[Kerbouchard]

Well.. good luck with the edit. You have given them a huge favor and they were not cooperating. Personally I would just process it and dont even attempt fixing the background. It sounded like they dont expect much from photography because they put it last on the list.

Still thinknig about it. I figure on most of them, I'll just crop tight, even if that does mean cutting off a shoulder or two. A few that are important, I'll completely process, and everything else just do normal cropping, exposure, sharpening, resize and be done with it.

Looking ahead and back, it was a good experience, and I don't regret it, but it won't happen again.

 

[Robin Usagani]

People ask me why I did this wedding b&w. My answer was:
1. I was 2nd shooter so I am not trying to please anybody
2. The skiers in the background are too busy. The all wear very bright colored outfits

So, the easiest way to combat busy colorful background is b&w IMO but probably you should deliver color ones too but if you blog it or put it on your portfolio, b&w would look better. But I have a feeling you probably wont use these formals on your portfolio anyway.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Well, as promised...here we go. I haven't really had time to do any real editing, but I wanted to get a few quick versions done just so the bride would have some stuff to share. You guys get to see 'em first.

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[Josh220]

If this had been a more formal wedding I would be more critical of these. But given they weren't cooperating and had a rather ghetto style wedding, I'd say they are getting more than they paid for.

I would just focus on your poses (both people and items) as well as the subjects (the string in the last one is distracting). For next time, I would make sure everyone in the group shots are looking at you. For the bad backgrounds, pull the person further away from the wall and shoot wide open so you can't even tell what is behind them. When in doubt, blur it out!

Keep up the good work and keep on practicing!

 

[Kerbouchard]

I pretty much agree. I wish there would have been more room to move them away from the walls. I also wish the guests would have at least made an effort to look my general direction during the posed shots. As far as distracting elements in the frame, well, it is what it is. Like I said, this was my first, and last, budget wedding.

 

[pgriz]

Given the circumstances, you have extracted the maximum amount of "good" out of a rather poor situation. Certainly better than many of us could manage. Can I give you a virtual pat on the back?

 

[memento]

lol @ "ghetto style wedding"

 

[Trever1t]

My 2 cents and let me qualify by saying I don't have too much experience in this arena:

I think they got what they paid for but not much more than that. I think some of the crops are too tight and others wide. The majority look under-exposed and color is washed. Some of the shots are at unusual angles, from too high above the subject for my taste. I am not saying I can do better, just that I wouldn't feel good about this set, regardless of how much I was paid.

 

[bazooka]

Can I give you a virtual pat on the back?

How about an internet high-five? I think you deserve one Ker. Add this to the invisible dollars you probably made doing this.

 

[rub]

*Please note - this is a real response, not an attack. I just know that people telling you you did good doesnt help the situation or help you improve.

I understand the wedding party wasn't as cooperative as you like, but its your role to direct them and control the situation. In the wedding industry, there will be coulntless times you dont have the ideal location, clients, environment. You need to be a problem solver, not just pass the buck.

And using the excuse thats its a low budget wedding is just that, an excuse.

I was expecting more. Sorry And whats with taking a picture of the dress while in the plastic bad? Yikes.

 

[gsgary]

Why did you shoot them inside ? if it had to be inside you should have set up a part of the room or found somewhere more appealing,

 

[camz]

Kerb I think they look too flash dominant. On the the getting ready shots, I would've withdrawn all the curtains and let in as much ambient as I can. If possible push the ambient as much as I can and try to use flash power to a minimum, usually for me no greater then 1/32 power -only as a very slight fill (Even though if it means a shallow DOF). My reasoning is that looks like you're using on camera flash(it looks too flat as a main light if your killing the ambient). I would only use flash as a main light only when using OCF. To me, getting the right bounce flash ratio is more difficult than going OCF as you constantly move around - Those darn angles and colour casts from the walls/ceilings are a pain to deal with. It's just too much to think about and you don't want miss the moments.

I think you need to put aside atleast 1-2 hours just for the bride and groom for their portrait session. These are the pictures that usually go in the album and the ones that generate the most revenue. These golden hours as in ($$$$) or portfolio material. That 1-2 hours to me is more than half of the work for the wedding day as you need to preplan poses, location, lighting, equipment etc. Everything else is just documenting. If you don't designated that time for them, you won't get good images.

Someone once asked me "Why are my client engagment pictures much better then my client wedding pictures?" Simple answer.... It's the lens time you give your couple during the engagement doesn't compare to the lens time you give them during the wedding.

Good luck kerb!

 

[rub]

Camz I completely agree about the over use of flash and you gave some great tips. We can't always get that quality time with the bride and groom - if all you have is 5 mins, you have to make it count. I think this was probably a very rushed wedding.

 

[camz]

Camz I completely agree about the over use of flash and you gave some great tips. We can't always get that quality time with the bride and groom - if all you have is 5 mins, you have to make it count. I think this was probably a very rushed wedding.

Yeah I agree couples are bewildered when I mention this, but I do give them a heads up before they sign the contract. I tell them to alot that time or else their investment won't be worth anybody's time. I pitch that way and they tend to cooperate. I ask for a minimum of 1 hour and in that golden hour is the majority of what will go on their walls and in their album.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Believe me, you guys aren't the only ones who wish it would have went different.

When I first agreed to the wedding, I sat down with her, gave her a list of what we need to do, explained what kind of room is ideal for getting ready, explained how I would like time to take formals of her and her bridesmaids before the wedding, explained the time we needed.

We also agreed to meet up at the restaurant to take engagement sort of photos and to scope out the site. She canceled the first meeting, rescheduled. Canceled the second, and then said we would just have to do it on her wedding day. We were supposed to do the formals right after the ceremony. I had everything set up and she then said she wanted to eat dinner first.

As I said earlier in the thread, I asked if we could move tables, the answer was no. I asked if we could go outside, the answer was no. I asked the DJ to move, the answer was no. I repeatedly asked people to pay attention and look at me...we saw how that turned out.

This isn't a cop out. Heck, I agree with the criticisms. I feel the same way. The unusual angles mentioned are a matter of what was behind them. The tight crops are also a result of the surroundings. The flashed look is a result of not wanting to balance flash with ambient. My choices were deliberate, even if it was choosing the lesser of two evils. Doesn't make the critiques any less right, just that I personally think the alternatives would have been worse.

As far as taking control of the situation, I will fully admit that I did not. It wasn't for a lack of trying, though.

I do appreciate all the input, though. Like I said, I'm not happy with the way any of it went.