opinions please - would you do this wedding?

jme_cay · Jan 3, 2012

I have an issue I need opinions on. My good friends sister is getting married and asked me to take her wedding photos and wanted to know what I would charge. I told her I have little experience with weddings and don't really plan on doing weddings, at least not anytime soon. I'm not quite a beginner anymore, but definately not wedding ready. She is on a tight budget and says she really just wants snapshots. Just curious I asked her what her budget was and she said "as cheap as possible". (So I'm thinking she wants free because I'm her sisters friend..). I'm leery (sp?) of doing this because I don't really want to be responsible for someones wedding photos when I'm not very experienced. When I say that, I have done one wedding but ONLY because it was a close personal friend who wouldn't have had any wedding pictures other than what guests took with their own cameras, because they truly couldn't afford it. She was so thrilled with the pictures that she cried when she saw them (she obviously didn't expect much lol). I on the other hand was not so pleased with them. My friends sister that is asking me now, is on a budget but if I don't do the pictures she can get someone else to. Mostly I think she just wants free or really really cheap pictures from me. (She says she's broke but she obviously has the money to go out partying every weekend..). So I don't know what to do. Do the pictures and gain some experience or just say no. I showed her the photos from the other wedding and she said she would be happy with something like that.. I also feel like every picture you do for someone is an advertisement for your work. I don't want to do less than ideal wedding photos and people to associate that with my name. I mostly do photography as a hobby, for now, it's just something I love to do. I am interested in senior, children, pet (mostly horse) and family photos and am studying that right now. I have the camera settings down, but am learning lighting and posing. I'm definately not where I need to be for wedding photos!

Big Mike · Jan 3, 2012

Wow...mix in the return key now and then...it's hard to read a block of text like that.

My advice...don't agree to be her official photographer. If you would have been invited anyway, then tell her that you'll bring your camera and shoot what you can, but you're not a good choice to be 'THE' photographer for her wedding. Either that, or figure out what an actual working wedding photographer needs to charge to stay in business and quoter her that price. from the sounds of it, she'll probably choke when she hears it...and then you don't have to worry about it anymore.

Many years ago, I was asked to shoot a couple weddings in my wife's family. I wasn't ready to properly/fully shoot a wedding so I declined. I did, however, show up to shoot the pre-wedding shots, I shot candids while they had a professional to shoot the ceremony and the formals, and then I shot photos at the reception all night. They paid for the film and gave me a little something extra, but they only had to hire a pro for the 'important' parts of the wedding. I got lots of real wedding day experience and everybody was happy.

gsgary · Jan 3, 2012

$5000, she won't ask again

MLeeK · Jan 3, 2012

I would tell her to hire a professional even if it's a craigslist professional. Put the burden of the responsibility on someone else. This is a family friend where any error on your part can cause friction...
Then tell her that you will absolutely be glad to take your camera and shoot at the wedding and she is welcomed to purchase the photos if they turn out at a per-determined price per image or per the day or whatever you want to agree on.

When she hires the "professional" and meets with him or her have the friend make sure the photog isn't averse to you "second shooting" for no charge to the photog or you. Wedding photogs can get very touchy about that... If it's handled correctly the photog isn't going to care and will allow you to snap away and may even give you some pointers if he or she has time. I know I have adopted a family member more times that I can count as a favor to the couple. I don't mind when I am asked ahead of time and can talk to the person FIRST. When someone else shows up and just starts professionally shooting my work in posing, etc and getting in my way? I can get a little upset.
It's in my contract that I will be the only professional photographer for the event, but that is totally negotiable as long as I can work with the person.

DiskoJoe · Jan 3, 2012

Do you have a flickr or a photo account where we could see your work? Talk is cheap. Let see some pics and I'll tell you if your ready. Also you need a pretty wicked arsenal of lenses to do it correctly. We are talking prime action here.

But seriously, let see some work.

tom_anderson18 · Jan 3, 2012

If it were me I would explain that you personally don't feel ready to do the wedding photos, it doesn't matter whether she thinks you are its going to be you taking them, advise her to hire a professional wedding photographer and then take your camera anyway to get in some practice but as you said your not really interested in wedding photography so entirely up to you.

KmH · Jan 3, 2012

"craigslist professional" - An oxymoron ????

MLeeK · Jan 3, 2012

KmH said:
"craigslist professional" - An oxymoron ????

ABSOLUTELY! LOL! But they think they are professionals! I probably should have put that in quotes...

Derrel · Jan 3, 2012

KmH said:
"craigslist professional" - An oxymoron ????

"Yellow Pages Professional" ...still shooting with a Mamiya C220 held together with gaffer's tape and wire twist ties from Hefty bag packs!!!

jme_cay · Jan 3, 2012

Mike, sorry about the run-on paragraph..
Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll tell her to get someone else. I was kinda thinking of referring her to facebook instead of craigslist though..what do yall think?

(kidding..)

MLeek and Mike, I think I'll leave the camera at home. I may try to take some mental notes, but I definately don't want to get in the photographers way. I have a lot of respect for wedding photographers, or any pro photogs really, and don't want to step on any toes. If it was someone I knew, then I would ask to shadow them.

DiskoJoe - I already know I'm not ready, I don't have the equipment or the experience. That was kinda the point of the post.. I don't want to humiliate myself by posting bad pictures for a bunch of pros!

EchoingWhisper · Jan 18, 2012

Every time you're doing work for someone for free, you're advertising your free/cheap work. So, others will expect you price them free.

RyanSands · Jan 18, 2012

Don't be an idiot and shoot that wedding. You're just asking for trouble. And no every picture you shoot for someone is not an advertisement for your work. The only advertisement your getting here is that your a sucker who shoots for free/pennies. You did a close friends wedding for free and that lead you to another free job...see where "free" is getting you? Politely decline and send them on their way.

Mach0 · Jan 18, 2012

I was asked the same thing. Actually, I was volunteered to be the photographer for a close friends destination wedding coming up. I told them no. I wasn't paying to leave the country and work. Paid or not. This is a friends wedding and not only did I not want to be responsible for their memories, I wanted to actually see the wedding. I told them I would bring my camera for informals but that's it.

Tee · Jan 18, 2012

Don't shoot it. Every time a bride wants photos on the cheap the photographer comes back to forums with a grocery list of complaints. She's playing you in the fact that you're a nice person. Let her be somebody else's nightmare while you enjoy the day as a guest.