Here we go again, amateur being asked to do...

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Betty

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... a wedding :shake:

Some of you may have seen the DJ shots I did over in the General Sharing section, well the DJ's wife has asked if I can now do her nieces wedding in July based on these shots and my basic grasp of PS.

Its on a Friday so I would have to take time off work to do it, but they will pay me. Ive said no for the time being as she knows I am a total beginner and I would need to get some practice in. I am not after advice on how to do weddings, just needed to rant somewhere I guess :lol:

Go about your business people :D
 
I do feel your pain.

A while back we had a spate of family weddings. I would let the ‘professional’ photographer take his then take mine 2 seconds after he had finished his shots when everyone had relaxed and looked ‘normal’.

Did 4 or 5 weddings like this and had more orders than the professional.

Was asked to do a few but that for me would just loose the whole idea of what I wanted to achieve.

Besides, too much pressure for me, probably leave the lens cap on the whole day! :bonk:
 
I know how you feel, i've been asked to do a wedding by a freind as he can't afford a photographer so I have no choice other than to do it and I really don't want to incase I mess it up lol.

Good luck if you do take it up.
 
Look at the end of the day, if you don't charge her "wedding tog fees", and instead ask for maybe £50 to £200 (how brass is your neck?:)), AND on the basis that if you fail, then its HER fault for hiring a beginner? I would probably jump at the chance for the experience and every penny helps. i say go for it, but make sure she understands the ENTIRE situation, COMPLETELY.

Experience, money and a fun day out. Don't say no.

Gary.
 
Dal said:
I know how you feel, i've been asked to do a wedding by a freind as he can't afford a photographer so I have no choice other than to do it and I really don't want to incase I mess it up lol.

Good luck if you do take it up.
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Take it as a blessing, you will be learning a key skill - taking good photos under extreme pressure. If you can nail that, go make a killing :) £££
 
Eeep, advice I was not expecting, thanks guys!

What will make it harder, what with getting exposure right on pure white, is the fact there will be two wedding dresses :D;)
 
How wude :lol:

Will be an interesting day I suppose, there wont even be a night reception, they are having a family gathering at home, shows how hard up for cash they are, which would make it harder to charge them :(

I know I know, wont get anywhere if I dont make the monies :p
 
Betty said:
How wude :lol:

Will be an interesting day I suppose, there wont even be a night reception, they are having a family gathering at home, shows how hard up for cash they are, which would make it harder to charge them :(

I know I know, wont get anywhere if I dont make the monies :p
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Will you be doing the whole "brides getting ready" style of shot, before the wedding? Also maybe going back to the house afterwards will let you get some personal shots. Should be fun!!

Gary.
 
Also no harm in doing a freebie for a friend!! The experience will surely be worth more than any money on that day. If you develop it and start making a fortune from photography, then money well spe....erm I mean, Money well...erm...rejected? i dunno. I've managed to confuse myself somewhat :thinking:
 
Ive honestly no idea, all Ive been asked to do, is the wedding :D That could be from very start to very end, or just a bit inbetween :p
 
Betty said:
Ive honestly no idea, all Ive been asked to do, is the wedding :D That could be from very start to very end, or just a bit inbetween :p
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Cool have fun, and remember to post the pics! I bet you do really well. I was at a 40th wedding at the weekend, and I took the camera without being asked. Ended up taking 300 pics, most crap, but they are happy with them :clap:
 
Betty said:
there will be two wedding dresses :D;)
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that probably makes things a tad easier I guess...... except the bit where you have TWO mothers of the bride to deal with..... shudder. :exit:

The question that comes to my mind Miss RH is why the desire to rant. Makes me think that you're undecided on what you'd like to do???

As you may have read, I loathe weddings and generaly wont go near them. Been asked to do a couple in the last few weeks and not eveyone has taken the look on my face as a clear answer. :lol:

I would consider this one though, appeals to the inner me. ;)
 
I wonder why? :D

I am certainly thinking about it, would be a good excuse to have the week off work :)
 
I did my cousins wedding photos last summer, had never done a wedding before, but my dad is an ex pro wedding tog and he was my assistant (not sure why we had it this way round, he just seemed determined not to take the photos). The shots have come out ok, but not my best. I had insanely bright sunlight to fight, with no shade in sight so was battling exposure the whole time, and to be honest once you have got everyone set in the group shots etc they are normally prepared to wait longer they would far say a snap shot on holiday etc, people know it is an important event so will generally behave longer (going on experience from when I used to help out my dad too, not just my one shoot) - I found there was plenty of time to look at my shots and decide if I had the exposure nailed etc, I was only using my 350D at the time, so hard to tell the exposure on the tiny screen (compared to the 40D).

I say go for it if you want to help them out and get the experience, you have to start somewhere I guess. Just take you time, make sure you are prepared and get the shots you need, and shoot Raw so you can correct any silly mistakes later :)
 
And I guess, to the untrained eye, any photos are good. I am just my own worse critic.

I took some at my dads wedding, he was very happy with them, and couldnt understand why I said they were all, and I quote, "Crap, rubbish, pants" :D Everyones eyes were looking in different directions and there are umbrellas sticking out of heads etc (it was a rainy day :p)

And thanks Jimmy, all good advice :)
 
Here's a suggestion - why not offer to do it, but only in reportage style? The thing that makes weddings such a hard gig is the whole organising massive groups of (sometimes unwilling) people into the boring group shots that everyone thinks they have to have. Just a thought :)
 
Good idea Dangleman, I am going to ask her about it now and see how many people are going...
 
feel your pain. At least you have notice...I turned into the official photographer at a huge 200 + wedding in Guangzhou (better half's family) with no flash and a standard lens. I shot 8 GB of raw files I am only making a dent in. White balance with horrible orange tungsten, pink table cloths, green curtains and red carpet is why they'll all be B&W by the time I'm finished!
 
Betty said:
Good idea Dangleman, I am going to ask her about it now and see how many people are going...
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Tell her it's the 'latest thing' - she'll probably jump on it. People will still come up to you and say 'oooh love can you just take quick pic of me and aunty Margret, uncle jimbob and cousin Harold etc' I bet you.

I've done a few weddings, most as the second tog doing the reportage stuff, which I think produce the best pics anyway. Much easier with 2 of course, one for the 'traditional' shots and another roamer. I don't do weddings anymore though. Whilst they are a lot of fun, they are harrrrrd work.
 
I say go for it!!!
You will have a blast, and might even pick up some more business form the guests!!
:)
dont forget to show us the resulting photos though, if you do do it!
:)
 
Ive spoken to Carole, it looks like its going to happen ;)

Will only be about 40 people, she couldnt stress enough how casual an event it is going to be. Plenty of time to get nervous eh? :D
 
If its casual..even better...not as much pressure. Just make sure you know what pictures the bride & groom definately want and work around that. Make sure you get some of just the B&G together away from the crowds as well.

My wife and I are doing a wedding in May for a friend and as a present we will give them a photo album. I'm really looking forward to it! I am actually going to the grooms hotel to take some pics of him getting ready/in the bar/playing golf etc! :)

We have another one next year for an old flame of mine who I went out with nearly 15 years ago!! That one should be interesting! :lol:
 
AndyBorzi said:
If its casual..even better...not as much pressure. Just make sure you know what pictures the bride & groom definately want and work around that. Make sure you get some of just the B&G together away from the crowds as well.
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Thanks Andy, but...

Betty said:
What will make it harder, what with getting exposure right on pure white, is the fact there will be two wedding dresses :D;)
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EdinburghGary said:
Will you be doing the whole "brides getting ready"
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dazzajl said:
that probably makes things a tad easier I guess...... except the bit where you have TWO mothers of the bride to deal with..... shudder. :exit:
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dazzajl said:
I've always known I'm a LesBrian trapped in a mans body. Tragic really. :'(
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;)

And thats a weird one, doing an old flames wedding :lol:
 
My introduction to wedding photography will be within a month, but I think I'm luckier than most. I've been asked by a colleague at work (a TL, but fortunately not mine), it's going to be a VERY small registry office do, seven people, eight if you include me. He's seen what I can (or rather can't) do, and says so long as they're better than what his parents could manage with a compact, he's happy.

Still nervous, mind.
 
Thats most peoples attitudes really. As long as they are happy that they know I am not a pro, then that makes me happy :)
 
AndyBorzi said:
Ah, the penny drops...sorry I actually took it too mean one bride had two dresses!! :lol: :bonk:
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Don't worry fella, so did I! Ha, what a limited mind I must have.
Presumably the honeymoon will be on the Greek island of ...... then (Alan Partridge fans fill in the gap ;))
 
ah...only just got the two wedding dresses thing ;)
 
Well now I've been told one is wearing a dress, and other is wearing a suit! I was worried she was trying to make herself look like the groom :eek:

Nope, just a nice tailored suit thank god :D
 
Not with so many other people around :lol:

Besides, it'll be bloody cold :D
 
If the money side of things is an issue for you as much as them I would just charge them what you earn per day in your day job. Afterall you will be loosing one of your annual leave days. Unless of course you were going to the wedding as a guest.
 
Actually both in dresses might be easier as you only have to expose for white then. Oh well!

Good luck with it!
 
The way i see it Betty is like this.

If you don't give a wedding ago, how are you going to know if you like it or not? if you can cope with it or not?

It's things like that i think of, and still can't wait until i do the wedding :thumbs:

Good luck

Tony :thumbs:
 
These is a real good guide in digitalslr photography magazine on weddings I would get copy of this and have read over if I wer going to do it gives you some good ideas!!
 
I did a pagan handfasting ceremony a few months ago and I had no real idea what to expect so I had to read up on it beforehand to get an idea of the "crucial" moments during the ceremony. It worked out to be an absolutely brilliant evening and although I woked my socks off I had a blast.

You go for it, as others have pointed out, manage expectations and you can't really lose.

Oh and there is a photography supplement in one of the wedding mags this month, well worth a look.
 
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