Frustrated

[Rob.Marsh]

Hi all,

I am currently going through a patch where I just cant seem to move any further on with my 'tography.

I was at a wedding the other day and took a few shots, but I can't say I am happy with any of them technically. As pictures they record memories great, but, something I am doing makes them seem as though they lack that "something". I am pretty certain its my comosition, not just with this set but in general.

Tips on where to go next and what to think about would be great. This last set feel like I am up against a dead end.

Below are a handful, no cropping, off cam with a little adjustment but not much. C & C more than welcome, the help is needed/appreciated.

1

2

3

4

5

There are others of the cake cutting etc but yet to upload those.

 

[Steven001]

Have they been processed at all? Or are they just straight from the camera? Maybe some of the crops are just wrong, for instance:

You've cut two people in half. Perhaps cropping a little more, or asking them to move would've produced a better picture?

 

[Rob.Marsh]

no cropping has been done at all. these are as framed.

I ran them through a quick fix in PSP for speed, I am still learing the ropes with PP.

The one you mentioned was taken with the intention to crop later. The guy at the back appeared at the last moment and I coulnd't really get a pbetter position as the official photographer was there at that point. I didnt want to ask anyone to move for fear of treading on her toes so to speak, felt it wasn't the done thing to do. Although I have since found out the pro missed these shots as her battery ran out!

 

[KIPAX]

as the official photographer was there at that point.

Thats your problem.. Look at picture 5 ..ruined.. because the groom is looking at (presumably) the official photographer and the bride is looking at you... not just ruined for you but the official pic will show the bride looking away.

Good composition is when your the official photogrpaher

 

[Marc]

To me they all seem too distant. Wedding photos should be more intimate (IMHO of course). Maybe this could be corrected by cropping in PP or framing/composition and depth of field at the time. I also very much agree with KIPAX with regard to #5.

 

[Rob.Marsh]

To me they all seem too distant.

Again, limited to the fact I was concous of remaining behind the Pro.

Look at picture 5 ..ruined.. because the groom is looking at (presumably) the official photographer and the bride is looking at you

I think actually, he was looking at the parents of the brides camera at that point as the official tog was to my imeadiate right.

The official tog was very very good. She had the authority when needed to ensure that all subject were looking at her cam, yet she also was happy to back off a little every now and again for others.

I don't think i could ever be a wedding tog!

Thanks for your comments so far peeps, I think as well as lack of knowledge on my part at the moment, my confidence isn't great. I guess I just gotta keep trying!

 

[KIPAX]

I think actually, he was looking at the parents of the brides camera at that point as the official tog was to my imeadiate right.

thye are posing for a picture.. thats pretty obvious... the picture is ruined because they are looking in different direction... the bride at you... it doesnt matter if its the official tog or not... its still got the bride and groom looking in different directions

The official tog was very very good. She had the authority when needed to ensure that all subject were looking at her cam,

Thats exactly my point.. so she will get all the best compositions..

 

[Gnaser]

I hope this doesn't sound patronising as I admit I'm a complete newbie to photography but I think your composition is where you're beginning to struggle.

Obviously we can crop an image to steer attention towards something but we can't add things in so make sure you don't leave things out such as the backside of the lady bending over the child and the bride. The bride, child and woman in the picture are all overlapping/connected so cropping her out would show something was missing that should have been there.

As others mentioned your photos look distant, you needed to have gotten closer and reduced DoF, in my opinion to centre the attention on those things that were important to the shot.

Please don't take these as criticisms because they aren't. I've never seen any more of your work so some of them could be brilliant. I'm just trying to offer advice from the things I've managed to work out in the last few weeks.

Finally, and this only works when you have the chance to really compose a shot how you want it, I've learnt to try and think about each shot and examine it in the viewfinder before I take it; or even before the viewfinder. I basically imagine I'm not using a camera but an easel and brush and wonder what I would have in the frame if I had to paint it, then I try to shoot that.

It's working for me, so maybe it's something you might like to have a try at too. I've seen a definite improvement in my images over the last few weeks by doing that. Not technically, I should add, merely from an artistic/spiritual aspect. My photos just look better now than they did a few weeks ago.

 

[WeddingHack]

I think your main problem is that you are giving too much of your focus to the subject, without considering the image as a whole.

I was told many years ago to 'live in the viewfinder' - when you are composing a shot make sure you look around the whole viewfinder to spot elements on the edge that detract from the whole.

#1 The basket on the back of the car draws the eye, could be a nice shot with a crop

#2 The kids shoes on the edge of the frame, also drop down lower so that you are at the level of the kid.

#3 Again, drop down lower

#4 The background draws your eye in this shot, shoot at a wider aperture to isolate the subject. And you should have spotted the car in the background.

#5 I don't mind the B&G looking in opposite directions, a crop to centralise them more, and darken down the background a little and it's a nice shot.

 

[denz]

i agree with you and some others, the compsition is your downfall i think ,im a noob to so you dont have to listen to me but imho


#1
could be better without the lamp post thing on the left and maybe more of the car in the pic

#2 & 3
would be great if you bent down maybe to the lady and the little girls level and maybe if it was possible you could have moved to the left a bit to capture there faces etc

#4
more of the car in my opinion would have made the shot nicer

#5
a tighter crop to get the door out of the way and would have been great if they were both looking at you shame that, it would be a cracking shot if they were!


i've never taken photos at a wedding but i expect its pritty nervy and very up in the air with all the different people around getting in the way etc so i would think its easy to get caught up in it all and make little mistakes (i do all the time )

I try to picture the picture before i take it, if that makes sense,like what i want in the pic and what i dont hope this helps

p.s please dont be offended by my comments its my opinion and im a noob

keep togging

 

[Rob.Marsh]

Thank-you all very much for your helpful comments, i shall be taking them on board and hopefully seeing things improve.

As i said before, I was limited and as close and where I could get to be able to compose these but with your comments, in the future I'll get better. I really didn't want to get in the way of the official tog and that has unfortunately effected my distance and position. I would have love to have got closer.

Thanks again for the comments,

 

[aberal]

no cropping has been done at all. these are as framed.

I ran them through a quick fix in PSP for speed, I am still learing the ropes with PP.

PP isn't the be all and end all - but where there's an official tog then you're always going to take second place (rightly) and you have to compensate somehow. PP helps. I hope you don't mind (and I make no claims about quality) but this took me all of 20 seconds. It obviously could be improved upon as you can still see the men, but it gives you an idea.

[/IMG]

I did the same at a cousin's wedding recently where a lot of them were taken with people looking away, but I didn't mind - I like them and so did everyone else including the B&G. Taken with a D700 and 50mm f1.4 and loads of cropping and PP required. I enjoyed doing it. See here:

http://www.flickr.com/gp/9020855@N02/jen481