Just shot my first Wedding!

jamie-dm

jamie-dm

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Well Saturday I shot my first wedding - Woohoo!!...I'm 17 and I'd love to get more experience with wedding photography and any comments etc would be really appreciated. :thumbs:

www.JaysPhotography.co.uk

Cheers,
Jay
 
Lots of good photos there Jamie - you're braver than me to capture someone's big day - it could be my monitor, but alot of the indoor shots look underexposed to me i.e they need brightening a bit.......What do I know!!:shrug:

.....your edited ones look pretty good........:thumbs:
 
Are you going to edit more of the 'unedited' ones, as as there's underexposed/blurry/yellowy white balanced ones in amongst them? (not sure I'd include them on my website if I had one). The edited ones look good though, well done!! :)
 
Ive had a look and all i can say is i hope you are good at, White Balance correction, colour correction and exposure correction without making the pics too noisey.

I think you really need to get to grips with shooting indoors before you attempt another.
Im not saying the composition or anything is bad, its just that you have given yourself a hel of a lot of PP work to do to bring them up to acceptable standard.
 
Mind your own fluffing business Gary :P only joking haha....

With regards experience, Ive done a few projects for a couple of companies, but nothing major. I did an anniversary party for some friends a few weeks back aswell. With this wedding, it was a friends friend, and as I hadnt done a wedding before, I attended for free (although they gave me some money anyway) and the Bride will be purchasing the prints from me when shes ready. The Bride and Groom are really pleased with the photos, and I really enjoyed doing it.

Jay
 
Hi thanks for all the replies. I definitely need to 'brush up' on my indoor skills, and I'll be editing a few more of the photos and adding them to the website. I agree with gary these forums are really great for people like me.

Jay.
 
The main question is are you honestly happy with them and are the bride and groom happy, that's the main point. If you and they are happy with then all well and good, if not. Opps.. You haven't got another chance to re shoot it... Remember that for next time if there is a next time!

Had a quick look through the shot's and they are a real mixed bag, personally I would have left them all off the site until you are finished editing them, then only show them the ones you feel happiest about, your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest image.

It has been said in a post above me, I hope you are good with Photoshop to salvage some of the shots. Plus get to grips with indoor photography before then next one.

I have done a now weddings now and everytime I learn something new or try something different, but I make sure I have the "must get shots" before adding my own personal style to the images. One thing is you must get those traditional shots nailed and nailed good, those are the ones that the wedding party want to see and potentially buy.
Miss them and word of mouth will kill any potential future business you may get.

Sorry if my post is mostly on the negative side it isn't meant to be but there is a harsh reality to wedding photography that most ignore. The job you have been tasked to is to document someones life changing event, one that will stay with them forever, or as long as the marriage lasts!, and those images you capture of that day need to be spot on.
Fairly play for taking on the challenge and from some of the edited images you seem to have salvaged some shots.
 
I hope it's my monitor and not the photos.

I have had a look at both sets and whilst I admire your courage I do feel the shots are not quite up there for a wedding shoot.

Generally the composition is good but far too many are over/under exposed and quite a few not in focus ie; #1066 bride and mirror shot. It's a great composition but it looks like you missed the focal point of the bride in the mirror.

White balance is also out in most of the colour shots especially of the cake, tables & chairs shots.

I am not so sure the flash viewer has done you any favours though.

Did you shoot in raw? Which camera and lens did you use? Did you have a speedlite type of flash?

I hope I am not being too harsh.

A big thanks for sharing. :thumbs:
 
jamie-dm said:
Hi thanks for all the replies. I definitely need to 'brush up' on my indoor skills, and I'll be editing a few more of the photos and adding them to the website. I agree with gary these forums are really great for people like me.

Jay.
Click to expand...
 
jamie-dm said:
Hi thanks for all the replies. I definitely need to 'brush up' on my indoor skills, and I'll be editing a few more of the photos and adding them to the website. I agree with gary these forums are really great for people like me.

Jay.
Click to expand...

If you really want to get anywhere with wedding pics, you have to study what the pros do. Find out where they are working, watch them , check out their web sites etc.
Its like most things in life, it always looks easy, but it aint..
Most established pros probably gross around a thousand quid for an average wedding shoot, possibly a lot more in certain affluent areas of the UK.
:bonk:I should know, been there, got the T shirt etc.
I can honestly say it took me many many years to get to a 'good' level, that is one that I was personally satisfied with : and I am a very fussy, stubborn, perfectionist.
Hope this doesn't sound too vague, but wedding photography is not for the faint hearted..
Cheers. :thumbs:
 
I think you have sharpness issues on a lot of the unedited ones and they really need a bit of post pro to bring the colours up on a lot of them. Also some of the B&Ws on your edited set need some work as I feel a couple are underexposed to be honest and need some levels adjusting.

Sorry for the negativity, just trying to be honest.
 
for a whippersnapper, and a first wedding, i am impressed.
there are some real beautifull shots in there.
you have the right idea as far as poses and the general feel of how the work goes.
again , may be my monitor, but some are a little dark.
there are a few with a cast too. but mostly sortable.
but i,m still impressed.
mark
 
Just a couple of things to add to what everyone else has said - I've only had a chance to look at the edited ones. The 'sepia' shots are too orange, they look like cheap ice lolly orange. Focussing looks a bit off in some eg the first one, the focus is on the back of the chair rather than the shoes. Don't be afraid to really blow out the highlights when you have window in the background so you really expose the foreground properly (see shot 2&3) otherwise learn how to light with flash wihtout it looking crap.

7&8 look a bit 'reader's wives'. On camera flash is really harsh and the bride looks uncomfortable - you should be looking for unposed pictures like this.

16 - Flash has lit the forgound too much. Needs natural light really like you did in the next.

Got to stop now as I need to go to bed but the part colour part b&w is really quite out of date now. I'm guilty of it myself on occasion, and there's still some of it on my website (note to self), but it's not really done any more.

If I get a chance tomorrow I'll go through the rest of them for you. Don't want to get you down with the neg. criticism but I hope it all helps to improve your future shots.
 
Firstly I just want to thank everyone for their comments, been really helpful so far, negative comments are great for me to see what to work I need to work on.

With regards the website, its primarily to for the bride to have a quick look before she comes round and see's the full set of edited photos, which I've yet to upload.

Thanks again for the comments...good and bad :P

Cheers,
Jay
 
Hey Jay,

for a 17 year old attempting a wedding I take my hat off to you, you have more guts than I do! I only looked through the edited shots and in terms of what you have captured I think it is very good, agree with the comments above on lighting and exposure, WB, etc. But think you have a good eye for 'seeing' the photo...

My tip would be to always shoot in raw, then you have a little bit of playon the exposure (although you can't rescue blown photos - That's gone forever :shake:).

I found this list of 'standard' wedding shots and thought you might like it as a starting off point - Wedding Shot List (from the website of 'cinderella studios')

Anyway, sign up to some courses and keep your confidence/motivation - become good and you can mak a good living out of it!

This is my favourite wedding photographer: Charlotte Geary
 
Snowball said:
My tip would be to always shoot in raw, then you have a little bit of playon the exposure (although you can't rescue blown photos - That's gone forever :shake:).
Click to expand...



Sorry for the slight hijack, I was reading about the Fuji S5 - apparently you can blow buy a hole 4 stops and recover from raw?

See here, bloody impressive!!!

2517564374_f3d8b94058.jpg


Some Flickr User said:
This is a single raw file from the Fuji S5 Pro. On the left is the original raw file and on the right is the modified photo dropped down by 4 stops. The photo isnt perfect, but is still impressive.
Click to expand...


Hmmmmm....nice :)

Gary.
 
Firstly, I take my hat off to you. 17 yrs old and having the danglies to cover the wedding. Good for you. :clap:

I agree with all the comments above, and notice that your focus is off on a few of the shots. Maybe try manual focus - especially in difficult lighting conditions?

I am sure that if you take all the comments on board, and see them in a constructive / learning / positive way then you will continue to improve.

Look forward to your next wedding and enjoy!
 
This is great, thanks for all the comments, good and bad, I know what I need to work on now and hopefully next time :nuts: I will improve!!:geek:

Cheers,
Jay
 
A brave first effort - some good points above, which i'm sure you can work on. Weddings are by no means easy shoots, there's so much going on around you.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Sorry for the slight hijack, I was reading about the Fuji S5 - apparently you can blow buy a hole 4 stops and recover from raw?

See here, bloody impressive!!!

2517564374_f3d8b94058.jpg





Hmmmmm....nice :)

Gary.
Click to expand...

That is incredible!!!

How the hell do they manage to do that... Are you able to recover this much detail on your D3!?

Once again - WOW!! :clap:
 
jamie-dm said:
Well Saturday I shot my first wedding - Woohoo!!...I'm 17 and I'd love to get more experience with wedding photography and any comments etc would be really appreciated. :thumbs:

www.JaysPhotography.co.uk

Cheers,
Jay
Click to expand...

Well done!

I shot a couple weddings the kids always seem to turn out the best this a shot I took a Chirk Castle in North Wales with my Finepix F10, I managed 250 photos in all. This one is a bit too soft but it's natural so a bit Photoshopping wouldn't go amiss on this one.
Nev
bridesmaides.JPG
 
I thought you were someone else for a minute there! One of my mates has just started doing weddings and he's also 17 and called Jamie!
 
Websites been updated with more of the edited ones if anyones still interested. Thanks again for all the help.

Jay
 
Hi

jay

i think you have done a fair job there . are you putting them in an album or just giving them the photo printed or disc

rog :thumbs:
 
Thanks Spence, and 007 the bride is ordering some prints and having a photobook printed too.

Jay
 
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