wedding camera

I'll add my pennys worth.

It's not all about equipment. Phil said 20% or thereabouts, don't get wrapped up in equipment! His reference to ....'The old adage that newbies think its about cameras, enthusiasts think its about lenses and photographers know its all about light is worth taking note of' is pretty good. I would add its also about atmosphere, character
emotion and humour. I have had clients fall in love with a photo I would have put as a second choice, because it meant something to them on a deeper emotional level
only they could appreciate.

I don't do weddings. I get enquiries but I refer them. Weddings are a particular skill set and it is my opinion, note, my opinion that weddings should be taken as a full time
occupation. Do not underestimate the work involved in covering weddings week in week out. Doing one for a friend and doing OK, doing a course and then setting up as a wedding photographer might prove challenging! As Phill pointed out there is a lot more to it. You are not just photographer, you are running a business with EVERYTHING that entails. There is also a world of difference between holding a full time job and doing some weddings on some weekends. The leap is a big one.

I am not discouraging you but think everything through, everything!

As to the equipment I learnt a long time ago not to run out and upgrade immediately and to not buy stuff you don't need/won't use. I still use a D700 and really don't see any need to change. I also have a couple of D300 and 6 lenses. My Nikon 24-70 is a workhorse and brilliant. I'd consider looking at 2 second hand D700s from a dealer for weddings and a couple or 3 appropriate lenses. Do buy good glass. Don't be afraid to buy secondhand as long as you use a good reputable dealer.

But I am a commercial and studio photographer so seek specific advice from full time wedding photographers.

And good luck.

Matthew
 
Well they do a 2 day wedding course and it's accredited by City & Guilds... Cant go wrong man!

The main objectives of the seminar are;
•To gain a workshop diploma in wedding photography.
•To give you the experience and confidence to become a successful professional wedding photographer
•To gain practical experience in directing and undertaking a wedding shoot.
•For you to create a strong portfolio that you can use for advertising and to show to potential clients.

Radiohead(Guy), Spxxx(Simon) etc.etc. I'm coming for ya!!
 
•To give you the experience and confidence to become a successful professional wedding photographer •To gain practical experience in directing and undertaking a wedding shoot.
•For you to create a strong portfolio that you can use for advertising and to show to potential clients.
Click to expand...

Give me strength :bang:

and you can't learn to direct a real wedding, or create a strong portfolio in two days worth of workshop either:cuckoo:
 
Last edited:
thewtam said:
I'll add my pennys worth.

It's not all about equipment. Phil said 20% or thereabouts, don't get wrapped up in equipment! His reference to ....'The old adage that newbies think its about cameras, enthusiasts think its about lenses and photographers know its all about light is worth taking note of' is pretty good. I would add its also about atmosphere, character
emotion and humour. I have had clients fall in love with a photo I would have put as a second choice, because it meant something to them on a deeper emotional level
only they could appreciate.

I don't do weddings. I get enquiries but I refer them. Weddings are a particular skill set and it is my opinion, note, my opinion that weddings should be taken as a full time
occupation. Do not underestimate the work involved in covering weddings week in week out. Doing one for a friend and doing OK, doing a course and then setting up as a wedding photographer might prove challenging! As Phill pointed out there is a lot more to it. You are not just photographer, you are running a business with EVERYTHING that entails. There is also a world of difference between holding a full time job and doing some weddings on some weekends. The leap is a big one.

I am not discouraging you but think everything through, everything!

As to the equipment I learnt a long time ago not to run out and upgrade immediately and to not buy stuff you don't need/won't use. I still use a D700 and really don't see any need to change. I also have a couple of D300 and 6 lenses. My Nikon 24-70 is a workhorse and brilliant. I'd consider looking at 2 second hand D700s from a dealer for weddings and a couple or 3 appropriate lenses. Do buy good glass. Don't be afraid to buy secondhand as long as you use a good reputable dealer.

But I am a commercial and studio photographer so seek specific advice from full time wedding photographers.

And good luck.

Matthew
Click to expand...
Totaly agree I used to be a part time wedding photographer up untill the mid 90's, I never used digital only in med format, technologies change which may make taking photos easier but if you cant control your camera or bridal parties and some of them run into hunderds you will struggle, also you need to understand the legal side as well i.e contracts, insurance, and god forbid anything going wrong.
Please do not think it will be easy or that you will do 50 weddings in 52 weeks and make £1000 or more a time, start slow learn your trade a short course will only help you so far I started helping my dad when I was 14 and I was 20 before he let me shoot my first solo job and that was only a registry office I was 32 when I stopped shooting weddings and if I'm honest every one scared the hell out of me.
Best of luck.
 
big soft moose said:
Give me strength :bang:

and you can't learn to direct a real wedding, or create a strong portfolio in two days worth of workshop either:cuckoo:
Click to expand...

Pete, it's acreddited by City & Guilds man. Get your self on a course, You get qualified in next-to-no-time...it's cool!!
 
With the best will in the world you will never learn the intricacies of a wedding photographer in 2 days, never. Nor will you be able to produce anything of any value using Photoshop other than the very basics at best.

Andy
 
thewtam said:
It has absolutely nothing to do with qualifications. Nothing. NOTHING!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

It's acreddited by City & Guilds man. Get your self on a course, You get qualified in next-to-no-time...it's cool!!
 
I think everyone here recognised the less than subtle sarcasm - certainly my response was to the description not Zulfi's tongue in cheek "endorsement" of it
 
On the Huh said:
It's acreddited by City & Guilds man. Get your self on a course, You get qualified in next-to-no-time...it's cool!!
Click to expand...

**** that dude , with photoshop and **** you can just make your own certificate these days , waaaay cheaper :lol:
 
Lol!

My advice would be to learn how to control people, keeping a cool when people are too busy to do 'that' shot that you have in mind. It's not swings and roundabouts when you first start off, and yes, it's not always about the camera. As has been said, learn the light, the composition and then learn the banter and business talk. Just have a good read through the MANY 'I want to become a wedding tog' posts and you'll understand where everyone is coming from. I'm not a Nikon owner and never will be - not because of the camera body but I love Canon and Zeiss glass which just goes together like popcorn and the Cinema :)

Also check out your area for other togs, look for what work they do, their areas of market - you have to sell yourself and you can't do this with a high end camera to start off with if you have no idea of the numbers - You'll be put into the All-gear-no-idea crowd!
 
On the Huh said:
Well they do a 2 day wedding course and it's accredited by City & Guilds... Cant go wrong man!

The main objectives of the seminar are;
•To gain a workshop diploma in wedding photography.
•To give you the experience and confidence to become a successful professional wedding photographer
•To gain practical experience in directing and undertaking a wedding shoot.
•For you to create a strong portfolio that you can use for advertising and to show to potential clients.

Radiohead(Guy), Spxxx(Simon) etc.etc. I'm coming for ya!!
Click to expand...

This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I actually do shoot weddings. My advice to the OP is:

A diploma in wedding photography is worthless

The experience you need is something that can not be gained in 2 days. As a minimum you need to know how to shoot (without even thinking) portraits, babies, kids, old folks, posed couples, candid's, groups, flowers, jewellery, skin tones, fireworks, still life's, things that move fast. You need to be able to do this in the dark, the snow, the rain, in a marquee, in great light in poor light, with no light, with torchlight, flash, mixed lighting. On top of that you need to be excellent at composition, and getting colour and exposure bang on. You need to be able to do this when you are hot, worn out, at the end of a very long day, whist some idiot is determined on barging into you whilst dad dancing. - in other-words you need to be a fully rounded very competent natural flowing photographer. When you are a fully rounded very competent natural flowing photographer that stupid "confidence" word is irrelevant. Only you know if you are up to the mark photographically

The next round of experience you need comes from being a people person. You need to command respect with a glance, you need to be a diplomat, a outwardly happy person. You need to get what you want from people who don't really want to play ball with you. You need to do all of this all day long on auto pilot

The next round of experience you need is to do with business & organisation

Your shooting style will determine how much "directing you do" I barley direct anything. At most for me it is a glance

You need real images that you shot yourself in a wedding environment for your advertising. If you pop course images up, it is unlikely you can reproduce them yourself in the heat of a real wedding. Using course pic's is really misrepresenting yourself. Models are not like real brides & grooms
 
Find a photographer, who will take you under their wing, and shoot a season with them as a second. Especially one "out of your area"

You will then learn what is really needed, how to behave, all about the gear, all about shooting real weddings. You will also learn how Pro's really edit, what business things do and don't work etc.
 
Everything Richard says up there is a bit scary, unfortunately it's all true.

The worst thing about it is...

Once you've put in all the learning, invested in the gear and the website, had a few cheap customers to practice on and you're good to go. You enter an already overcrowded market where the common misconception is that you're overcharging for taking a 'few snaps'.

Good luck on your journey.
 
Richard King said:
The next round of experience you need comes from being a people person.
Click to expand...

That should be at the top of the list.

Learning to take good photographs is a lot easier than learning to become a good 'people person' if you're not one already.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
That should be at the top of the list.

Learning to take good photographs is a lot easier than learning to become a good 'people person' if you're not one already.


Steve.
Click to expand...

Life as a portrait photographer is a lot easier if you're naturally gregarious.

However I'm training myself to be a better salesman by using the 'fake it till you make it' method. ie I act the part of a confident salesman, which is as far from my natural personality as I can get. For years I struggled asking for money or discussing pricing, now I just play 'the salesman' who has no such hangups.

I don't know if any photographers have trained themselves past their hangups using this method, but it could work.
 
Phil V said:
For years I struggled asking for money or discussing pricing.
Click to expand...

That sounds like me as well.

If I go to buy something, e.g. advertised in the local paper's for sale pages, I will usually just give the asking price.

My brother however will see something he wants, arrange to go and see it and take just half of the asking price with him in cash.

More often than not he will come away with the item for half price.

I usually get him to buy stuff for me if I can.


Steve.
 
big soft moose said:
why ?

12MP is more than adequate for the uses to which most wedding photos will be put

don't get hung up on the MP thing

that aside before we can give any more specific advice than that already given we need to know what kit you already have, and what your budget for new kit is.
Click to expand...

Quite right, the D700 is a brilliant camera.
 
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