Advice needed please

Pinkserza

Pinkserza

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Hello, I am hoping someone will be able to give me a bit if advice... I have been asked to do the photography at the wedding of a friend's daughter. I am not a professional and I don't have a business. My concern is that I don't have insurance or a contract etc - do I need these for a one off favour? Any advice would be much appreciated!! Also, are there any professional photographers out there that wouldn't mind me popping along to one of their wedding shoots for some experience so I know what to expect on the day? If so that would be amazing!! (I live in Hull) . The wedding I am doing is in April. [emoji1] Thank you
 
Pinkserza said:
I have been asked to do the photography at the wedding of a friend's daughter. I am not a professional and I don't have a business. My concern is that I don't have insurance or a contract etc - do I need these for a one off favour?
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Opinions vary - I shot a lot of mates weddings without a contract, however that was in a different time.

It might be worth you making a few notes of what you've agreed to do for them and let them have a copy. Most complaints are caused by the delivered goods not being what was expected, it helps to have a common understanding. It'll also help you keep your priorities in order on the day.

Pinkserza said:
Also, are there any professional photographers out there that wouldn't mind me popping along to one of their wedding shoots for some experience so I know what to expect on the day? If so that would be amazing!! (I live in Hull)
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Would you like me hanging round you at work tomorrow, interrupting and asking questions? If you work in a customer facing environment, how would that work for them? And if your actual livelihood depended on feedback from that day at work you brought a stranger to, how risky do you see that?

I'm not saying it cant happen, but that you should understand what it is you're asking.
 
Pinkserza said:
Hello, I am hoping someone will be able to give me a bit if advice... I have been asked to do the photography at the wedding of a friend's daughter. I am not a professional and I don't have a business. My concern is that I don't have insurance or a contract etc - do I need these for a one off favour? Any advice would be much appreciated!!
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If you must do it (& I'd recommend saying no, its a great way to put your friendship under considerable strain when what you deliver and she expects differ) take no money for the job. That way it remains a favour and you need neither. Doubtless you'll get loads of well meaning folks along telling you to hire 2nd cameras and all sorts. Don't. Why would your mate expect it to cost you money to do him a favour. If you feel you need something explain what and what it would bring and let your mate sort it for you
 
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Both the above is great advice, and I can't emphasise enough that in this sort of scenario its so important to manage expectations. I'm not saying your photographs won't be great, far from it, just emphasise that your'e not a pro (which they know, but hammer that in) and that if they want a pro to hire one! If they are still happy (maybe get this in writing, even if its just an email), crack on and do your best :)
 
Good advice above

I did a wedding once (and only ever once), as a favour for a friend's daughter. They were genuinely hard up and I eventually said OK.

I put a lot of effort into the day and worked through their ideas etc.

All pre digital so a fair amount of film.

The album was my weddibg gift and all very happy.

The work, stress and not understating the aggro was just not worth the wear and tear on me personally.

I did not want to do it and have steadfastly refused point blant to repeat the experience on numerous occassions when asked. I do not even take a pocket camera to weddings I am a guest at.

My advice - don't do it.

Steve
 
Hugh Jarse said:
Good advice above

I did a wedding once (and only ever once), as a favour for a friend's daughter. They were genuinely hard up and I eventually said OK.

I put a lot of effort into the day and worked through their ideas etc.

All pre digital so a fair amount of film.

The album was my weddibg gift and all very happy.

The work, stress and not understating the aggro was just not worth the wear and tear on me personally.

I did not want to do it and have steadfastly refused point blant to repeat the experience on numerous occassions when asked. I do not even take a pocket camera to weddings I am a guest at.

My advice - don't do it.

Steve
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...and to expand on this, Hugh makes a good point - I'm frequently being asked to do friends and families weddings (my gf has 8 brothers and sisters, and I have done a few, making a rod for my own back, charged and 'free' for the closest family who were hard up with the album being our gift). I have steadfastly stopped agreeing to this as its not nice being at a close family members wedding and being there as a photographer, rather than a guest. It puts a massively different slant on things and you can't enjoy the occasion as you normally would. And you can't really drink!
 
If you occasionally changed a tyre or spark plug, and topped up your enginge oil. Would you do a pre mot service for a friend who asked a favour.

Wedding photography is stressful and is not for the feint hearted, or any one not totally confindent in all aspects of their photography.
More than that it is very much about people and controlling situations. And being aware of what is likely to happen next and being ready for it.

Some people persons take to it like a duck to water. Other extremely fine photographers, take one, and never a second.

If all the couple want is a shot out side a register office almost any one could oblige. But to take on a full blown wedding for the first time could end up a nightmare.

Only you know what you are capable of, and it is your decision to live with.
 
Whist the intentions are good, and everyone wants to help out a friend, I would steer clear of it.

You should be there to enjoy the day and be part of their celebration.

You are inadvertently putting your friendship under pressure. If the slightest thing goes wrong for you, even a genuine accident or if you miss something, it will more than likely come back to bite you in the rump.

Perhaps have a chat with your friends and explain the potential hazards, the pitfalls, and the risks.

As others have said you would need some sort of contract. But think of this, how often would you offer to do someone a favour and then insist on a legally binding contract or agreement??

It's such a tricky situation because they want you to do it as a friend and think it will be great and that as you know them then it will be easier. More personal, more intimate. They have not thought about the potential risk to your friendship as they will not have even considered that anything could potentially go wrong.

As also said above, it would be a tough call for a wedding pro to invite you to one of their events just to have a poke around.

It's a Tough choice mate, but I know what I would be saying.
 
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Something to consider. I know everyone (including me) has said don't do it. They're right. But consider for a moment. If your friend's daughter is getting married with no budget, a few mates in the registry office and then down the pub & its a choice between you or no-one if you can manage expectations and are comfortable then why not?

But if she's got a massive budget and your friend is seeing it as a way to save a couple of grand then run away. You'll never produce what she wants
 
Whilst I maintain my stance to err on the side of caution, manage expectations, be realistic about what you can achieve and what you are getting for your work etc

I do not support the 'just run away' attitude of many - and for context you could start a poll in the business section titled 'did you ever shoot a wedding for a friend for free'*, where you'll find that close to 100% of us did indeed do that.

The sad truth is that you are the best person to judge this situation, but it relies on self awareness and a certain amount of emotional intelligence too.

You know what you're capable of. You know your relationship with your mate, and hopefully You know the brides expectations too. We can only guess - and there's not enough evidence for us to say 'go for it', but that's far from evidence to support 'run away'

As Hugh says, what sort if wedding, budget, what are their alternatives.

*This time last year for very close friends, and with reservations we shot their sons wedding, register office and working mens club (the brides family are pure class) - and they got some images that no alternative could have given them. Previously (again for very close friends) we've shot some very nice weddings where the alternative would have been a local rival - but we were portfolio building ;)
 
Hi first thing thing I would do is talk to the couple and see what there expectations are and can you deliver what they expect. I would find out where the venue is and go and see that too. I think that its ok for a friend to ask but really you are working for the couple and its them you have to please
 
There are two very different difficult aspects to a wedding photography shoot. One is managing the photographic technicalities. The other is managing the people, staging the special shots, making sure aal the right people are gathered for subgroup shots, chasing children and confused or intoxicated adults, etc.. If you can engage one of the other guests to act as your people manager it will make your day's work a lot easier, and may also help to develop realistic expectations.
 
When my gran and grandad got married (back in the 1930s), my grandad's mother informed everyone that her daughter would take the wedding photographs as she had a new camera, "so why spend money on a photographer?"... Whether it was operator error, or the roll of film she bought from the village shop was a dud, or the film lab/chemist dropped a clanger, will never be known; but this 'well-intentioned act' resulted in my grandparents not having a single photograph of their wedding day. This fact, and my Grandmother's sadness about it, is still remembered to this day. Such is the level of responsibility a person carries when they agree to photograph a wedding.
 
Having done a similar favour for my wife's best friend, my advice would be to politely decline - it's very stressful. If you can't go back on the offer now, then make sure you get clear guidelines on what they want, and manage their expectations carefully. Good luck.
 
Yes, as others say the wisest choice if it won't cause too much grief, is to make some excuse to duck out of it. However if it's a case of you doing it or no wedding photos then make sure that the bride's family aren't expecting a two thousand pound result. The first one I ever did was for a work colleague whose bump was rapidly getting bigger and they were so skint that if I didn't do it the bride's mother was going to do it on an Instamatic. The results were not what I would call good, but the shots were clear and sharp so everyone was happy. They paid me for the film and prints (Lab 35, if I remember....) and I got a bottle of Glenfiddich. But it was very stressful... all the organising and chasing people up to get into groups convinced me that I would never become a wedding photographer. I have done a couple more since then, but only under duress and on the same basis. I now tell people who ask that "I've only got a small camera".....

Rob
 
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