Wedding photos

[NateNLogansDad]

(I jumped to conclusions. Didn't watch the video, takes too long to download on my dialup modem. Any takers for a play by play description in words?)

Looks kinda fake to me but.........

Video guy gets ticked off at Photographer guy because he keeps getting in the camera's way while trying to take a picture. Fights break out and equipment get thrown.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Anyone notice three video cameras and two photographers? And 5 people in the wedding party?

Looks like a fake to me.

video cameras looked cheap too!!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

dang...I can't get it to play and I wanna see

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Good grief! It looks like he tried to take a picture of a kid at a character spot.

Honestly, if this was the only concern, I wouldn't mind shooting weddings. I can deal with common psychopathic videographers. It's bridezilla and her mother that scare me.

 

[Geoff_M]

Holmes vs. Moriarty, Dogs vs. Cats, Yankees vs. Red Sox... and Still vs. Video. Anyone that's shot a professional sporting event will understand the analogy. Heck, last month I was told to "move" by ESPN2 at an amateur game!

 

[omghidanielle]

It's bridezilla and her mother that scare me.

I think about this often whenever my sister mentions her 'Say Yes to the Dress' fund. My Mother was completely psychotic when it came to my wedding. My sister is like 70 times worse than she is. I pity all of the vendors she works with when that day comes. I will be in the back doing this the whole time.

 

[NLD]

My feet are cut up, there may be a permanent mark on my left shoulder from the camera strap, and my arms are starting to shake.

I'm scared to look at the pictures--they are uploading now.

It was soooooo hard.

Wish I could say "Never again!" ...but #2 is in two weeks.

All I can say is people who do this for a living work HARD.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

My feet are cut up, there may be a permanent mark on my left shoulder from the camera strap, and my arms are starting to shake.

I'm scared to look at the pictures--they are uploading now.

It was soooooo hard.

Wish I could say "Never again!" ...but #2 is in two weeks.

All I can say is people who do this for a living work HARD.

The key to wedding photography is not to do it. Ever.

 

[NLD]

Yeah, I'm realizing that Mark! LOL

And I actually SAID no. To both. In fact I said no to both several times.

And then they said there was no money in the budget and it was me or a friend with a point-and-shoot.

Next time the friends with the point-and-shoots can do it!

 

[saturndb]

I've done a few and and I hated it. Mostly because of the bride and the mothers. The key is to plan out the shoot ahead of time and like Mark said, don't do them

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I have been dragooned into shooting two of them. I finally decided that there is no one that I like enough that I'm not already married to that I'm willing to shoot a wedding for.

 

[mom2rtk]

I feel that way when people ask me about making their wedding dress. I've gotten very good at saying no.

What a good friend you are!

Would they let you post any shots here?

 

[ukcatfan]

I have a couple pro friends that do weddings and they say that they only do them for the money involved and not for the love of it. One is the daughter of a very popular portrait photographer from my home town. She went the way of weddings so she could live in the tropics instead of KY. The other is only planning to do weddings to pay the bills while she breaks into fashion photography. So far she has done some shoots as a second camera in Miami, L.A., and NYC so she is on her way!

Basically, I have not known anyone that really enjoys doing weddings.

 

[Chikabowa]

I love shooting weddings. Totally love it.
(not being snarky at all... I really do love it)

 

[photo_chick]

I helped on one wedding. Never again.

 

[Suburbanmom]

I have shot 5 weddings. Two of those were large 1st weddings with the big receptions and 6 attendants and 14-hours later, I'm still not done. The others have been small affairs, 2nd or 3rd marriages, intimate and lovely. I will never take a big wedding gig again, but if I'm offered the chance to shoot a small wedding or vow renewal, I will take it. I thoroughly enjoyed those. Anyone who shoots a big wedding and does it well, deserves the thousands of dollars they should charge.

 

[NLD]

You know, I think I would have liked it if I actually were qualified/skilled enough!

I truly had no idea what I was doing. It was like every bit of knowledge in my head flew out. That is what made it so hard, is how FAST it all is. You can't just know how to make an exposure, or bounce a flash from the appropriate direction, or whatever.... it has to be second nature.

What also made this hard is that the bride and groom didn't want to take any time for posed shots. Seriously, the only shots I have of them together are completely candid. There are no posed shots of them with the entire bridal party. No shots of them with their families.

This is making me feel REALLY bad. But they just did not want to take the time to do it. Should I have insisted?

 

[Golf4food]

This is making me feel REALLY bad. But they just did not want to take the time to do it. Should I have insisted?

If they didn't take the time, you didn't do a crime. Or something like that.

 

[manning]

You know, I think I would have liked it if I actually were qualified/skilled enough!

I truly had no idea what I was doing. It was like every bit of knowledge in my head flew out. That is what made it so hard, is how FAST it all is. You can't just know how to make an exposure, or bounce a flash from the appropriate direction, or whatever.... it has to be second nature.

What also made this hard is that the bride and groom didn't want to take any time for posed shots. Seriously, the only shots I have of them together are completely candid. There are no posed shots of them with the entire bridal party. No shots of them with their families.

This is making me feel REALLY bad. But they just did not want to take the time to do it. Should I have insisted?

From someone who did it for several years working with a studio and doing some on my own I can truly say I don't miss it nor will do it again!!!

Believe me you work your butt off and hope for no equipment failure which if you are in it long enough will happen. Fortunately I noticed them and recovered without the client noticing

The name of the game beside knowing what to do is move move move and move some more.

One way or another I would have worked in some posed shots. The studio would not allow them to be missed.

 

[Groucho]

If you said no several times, then you shouldn't feel bad no matter what happens. Even if you only got one good shot that you were happy with, that's one more than they would have gotten if you weren't there.

I will admit, your message makes me a little big nervous, too - just because I'm going to my shooting my sister-in-law's wedding next month! I'm actually not too nervous about most of it... the thing that I am most worried about is the posed photos! I don't know anything about how to pose people, or what shots you're supposed to get... Mrs Groucho got a few wedding photography books out of the library but they haven't done much for me so far.

My one idea that I'm a little bit excited about it bringing along one of my film SLRs (manual focus, manual metering) with a few rolls of black/white film to use, too. There's something about real b/w film that is very difficult to replicate with digital (sometimes impossible, due to dynamic range)... hopefully they'll produce at least a few memorable shots.

Anyway, hope you are happier once you look at your photos... and that you won't be a nervous wreck for #2. And that there won't be a #3.