Wedding questions

[Luna]

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[Mike_E]

Crop them to sell. In other words present them in their best light.

Smile a lot and don't worry about it. You are not THE show but you are a part of it and you need to be doing your bit.

 

[Peanuts]

I crop most of them in a 5x7 ratio. However, there are some where I will crop them square etc. I just tell the couple that if they decide to print an image and it isn't the correct ratio to email me with the # and I will do the cropping if they wish. Probably not the smartest way but it works and I haven't had any complaints (actually, I haven't had anyone email me with a request... hmm..)

I haven't really had anyone look at me 'annoyed' (usually that is me doing that to the photographers ) but I dress all in black when I am shooting (I have had people come up to me and say "Oh you look so professional - it is such a nice change from some photographers I have seen at weddings) and stay at the 'corners' of the room. Unless it is cocktail hour when it is easier to 'mull' around and not get looks that wish to spite you dead on the spot.

 

[JIP]

Sometimes it is necesarry to annoy people. While you always want to be as unobtrusive as possible you are there to document the day and that requires you to "annoy" some people. I think most people you want to phoograph should be close enough to the B+G that getting their photo taken to be remembered as a part of the day should not be a problem. Besides if you can't get around those feelings you are in the wrong business there are some things you just have to do.

 

[ksmattfish]

Let's say you are just giving the client a DVD with the pictures on them. How do you crop them? 4x6? Because obviously if the proportions are off, and they try to print for a different size, some stuff will be cut off.

I educate my clients on aspect ratio, and explain that unless instructed otherwise I will normally compose the photos with the camera's aspect ratio in mind. Many 2:3 aspect ratio photos can be cropped to 5:7 or 4:5, but if they really need 4:5 they should let me know before I shoot. Do the math: 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 are all different aspect ratios. Instead of fighting the insanity, I'm trying to re-educate the world to think of 4x6, 6x9, 8x12, 10x15, 12x18, 16x24, etc... as "normal" print sizes. I know it's a lost cause, but in the hundreds of wedding clients I've worked with I've had very few problems as long as I explained it to them in advance. Walmart may not carry those frame sizes, but plenty of online stores do. I also recommend they use full service labs that will help them with cropping.

Also... throughout the day, I felt like I was annoying people too much. Like I would be looking around for photo ops and a lot of people caught me looking at them. Is that just the way it is? Or is there a way to be less noticeable?

They are more afraid of you than you are of them.

 

[RyanLilly]

For cropping just stick with the normal aspect ratio of your camera(2:3), and they can crop when they print, why throw away part of the picture by cropping before you know what size you want to print.

 

[visualpoetry]

I keep the size that it comes out of the camera.. which I believe ends up being a 4x6. I have a disclaimer that says depending on the size they print, it may crop the image. If I am the one doing the printing for them then I resize as orders come in and make sure they read the disclosure.

 

[JerryPH]

The cropping question has been answered a few times already... as for the annoying the people, YOU must remember that:

1 - You work for the bride and groom, not the guests

2 - Smile and be polite, but remain firm and professional

3 - Your first goal is to get the shot. If someone is in the way, politely excuse yourself and do what you need to do.

I've had someone send me a nasty comment that I was in their way, I just turned around, smiled and said "I apologize, but I've been hired the bride and groom to capture their special day, please be patient, I'll be out of your way in 30 seconds".

They apologized and life continued without further incident. I've also had the priest make a comment at the church as to who I was, what my role was and though I had permission to use flash, NO ONE else was to. I never use a flash in the church during the actual ceremony, but there were no comments or issues with my horridly loud shutter release and I took many pics.

The comment also served to introduce me and my role throughout the day and I found that this particular wedding was the easiest from that point of view than any other. If I was to do this professionally, I would ask that the priest do this all the time because the results were VERY evident.

 

[Big Mike]

I leave the images in a 2:3 format but I try to leave room for other sizes/ratios when I shoot and when I give them the files. When I make 4x6 prints, I might crop them without leaving room for other formats.
I also try to educate them about different 'common' sizes and the different ratios.

As for guests, some of them are more open to it/you than others. I've had some flat out refuse to have their photo taken and even had the bride tell me to sneak a shot of them anyway. Others (often kids) can't get enough of you and want you to take their picture every time you turn around.
I've shot a couple wedding since I bought my 70-200mm lens and I find that it's a lot easier to get candid shots of guests when you are across the room.
Part of annoying guests is firing the flash right into their faces. I try to avoid that...partially because it is annoying...but mostly because it makes for bad photos. Try to bounce the light or have it off-camera, it's less annoying and makes for better photos.

 

[LuckyStarPhotography]

The majority of mine are 4x6. I haven't had any problems.

As far as feeling like a creeper. Oh boy did I my first few weddings I shot as a second shooter. I almost quit doing weddings all together. Once I did my first solo gig I felt a little better; but still felt a little awkward.

It is just something you have to get over; and you do.

 

[jayreilly]

i would keep it 2:3 hi res and let them deal with it. maybe making a little info sheet on aspect ratio, so they understand

people were looking at you? if that bothers you, you better not be a wedding photographer! just dont care, keep shooting them, and when they look at you, shoot them some more. if you go to a wedding, you pretty much assume your gonna get your picture taken, i think. until someone asks you not to take their picture, it is all fair game.

jay