Being a Wedding Photographer

[Jason Dunn]

By the time this post goes live, I'll be off at a wedding, being an official wedding photographer for the first time. In hindsight, I should have posted this a week ago when I first heard and asked for advice from the Digital Media Thoughts readers who have shot weddings before. I don't mind admitting that I'm nervous about it - I've never been the official photographer at a wedding before, and when asked in the past I've turned it down because of the pressure to properly capture a unique day. In this instance though, I couldn't say no, so with camera batteries charged, memory cards ready, and lenses polished, off I go to be a wedding photographer...

[Kris Kumar]

Just remember, PhotoShop can do wonders!! :D

Jokes aside; All the best, Jason! You will do great. 8)

[Doug Johnson]

One word for anyone considering professional wedding photography: Lightsphere

Just got one (two actually: one clear, one cloudy) and love it (them)...
http://www.garyfongestore.com

[sundown]

Though it's too late for you, my advice is to talk with the bride and groom about what they want, reminding them that for you to get great pictures you (the photographer) sometimes have to be in the way, such as blocking the view of a guest momentarily. Listen, the event is about them and years later they will far prefer better pictures even if it means uncle Benny won't able to see the minister for 30 seconds. Same goes for videographers. You don't want to be in their faces, of course, but it will still feel intrusive. Just make sure they know your plans up front and your reasoning.

Also, posed shots are nice and necessary but candid shots are much appreciated. They won't normally be asked for but they will be appreciated.

And if it's for family or friends, give them the stinking files and rights to those files. And since you're shooting digital, take lots of pictures. Plan the best ones but try and get everyone who showed up.

[Jason Dunn]

One word for anyone considering professional wedding photography: Lightsphere

Here's the thing: I have one (a cloudy one) and I was using it during the shoots inside the church. I shoot with a flash so rarely that I can honestly say that I didn't have much of a clue as to what I was doing. ;-) I found that even using it properly (well, I think I was using it properly - angled straight up or one notch away from straight up for the flash bounce) the flash was still blasting out too much light. I compensated by pushing the flash strength down to -1 or -1.5, but that was frustrating to have to adjust it during the shoot.

I'm all about the natural light, but I know I need to become more comfortable with using a flash because you don't always have natural light. I'm in the process of going through the photos now, and thankfully because I was shooting in RAW + JPEG I think I can rescue any of the photos that were blown out by too much light. We'll see...

[Jason Dunn]

Listen, the event is about them and years later they will far prefer better pictures even if it means uncle Benny won't able to see the minister for 30 seconds.

So, funny thing: they got married in a Roman Catholic church and the priest explained to me that I was allowed to take pictures exactly four places during the ceremony: when the bride was walking down aisle, when they were doing their vows, when they were doing the paperwork (wedding license? I forget what it's called), and when they were leaving. I also wasn't allowed to go up onto the steps toward the altar - I had to stay on the ground level. That, combined with how self-conscious I was about getting in the way of people watching the ceremony, really restricted how many ceremony photos I was able to get.

Also, posed shots are nice and necessary but candid shots are much appreciated. They won't normally be asked for but they will be appreciated.

I'm actually much more comfortable taking candid shots, and as of late that's what I'm known for among my friends and family. So that wasn't a problem, although the lighting inside the church made candids basically impossible without using the flash...and the flash kills the candid moment (or at least every other moment after the one you capture).

And if it's for family or friends, give them the stinking files and rights to those files. And since you're shooting digital, take lots of pictures. Plan the best ones but try and get everyone who showed up.

Definitely, though I hope my photos don't stink. ;-) I'm not charging them anything for this, so I will of course give them all the original files and they can order prints from Smugmug at no added cost on my end.

[Doug Johnson]

I'm all about the natural light, but I know I need to become more comfortable with using a flash because you don't always have natural light. I'm in the process of going through the photos now, and thankfully because I was shooting in RAW + JPEG I think I can rescue any of the photos that were blown out by too much light. We'll see...
I'm all about natural light too... But in a wedding situation I typically don't have enough time to get the lighting setup 'just right' and often I don't have an assistant to operate a reflector, so the flash has to "fill in" (pun intended). I always dial it way back, though, usually to -2, so my shots don't look like they use a flash. But with that said, its always nice to use a flash as a catchlight to make eyes sparkle.

[Kris Kumar]

I'm actually much more comfortable taking candid shots, ...

I find it easy to take candid shots. I also get way conscious about getting in people's way or approaching a group (I don't know well) to take a photo when asked to do event photography. Plus wedding photography can be way too much pressure. Glad that I haven't been asked to do that.

[sundown]

One word for anyone considering professional wedding photography: Lightsphere

Just got one (two actually: one clear, one cloudy) and love it (them)...
http://www.garyfongestore.com

Thanks for this link, btw. I love the sample before and after pics. Assuming Lightsphere works as advertised, that's a really nice filter. It's on my buy list.

[karen]

I guess you learned a bit about RC weddings. Neither my wedding photog nor videographer had ever been to a Catholic service, let alone a wedding. Neither brought along tripods because they were used to the 10-30 minute Protestant weddings they had done before. The video was a shaky, cuss filled "now what the hell is going on" laugh fest.

They were floored to find out that no flashes were allowed, the that music would be different, that nearly the entire congregation would get up and move around, that everyone would stand up when the priest entered, not the bride, etc.

So our pics were absolutely lousy -- unusable, dark, and furry. We had to go back the next day with less than stellar weather and a ripped headpiece (thanks to my niece) and re do some posed pics of just us bride and groom. Missed all the lovely group photos and such.

So I'd say my best advice to newer wedding pros is to visit the location in similar light conditions, know the restrictions (and tips) of the actual venue, know a lot about the service itself and be prepared for anything.

I kept telling our photo people that while I wanted the traditional wedding stuff, I was much, much more interested in the candid, fun pics from the reception. The light was much better in the reception hall, but our photogs when home after the service because they were worn out from all the surprises. We got nothing but the usually family stuff at the reception.

I've also been in wedding parties where the photographer was such an ass that he had the family and wedding party in tears in the first 10 minutes of shooting.

I guess it is a hard job, important to customers, and not well paying. I dunno. I have a co-worker who has not yet received her photos 3 years after her wedding. The company keeps saying "soon - the artist is almost done with it". I keep telling her that they've lost the photos and hoping she will forget about it or get divorced before she really tries to get them.

[BubbaJon]

Love you folks to death but as a *real* photographer all I can do is shake my head. First thing that should go through your head - free or not - is that you are being entrusted to one of the single most important events in anyone life. That alone should scare the crap out of anyone but the most foolhardy. Just like anything else you should do your research and plan ahead. Pros get ahold of the priest/minister/rabbi well ahead of time to get the ground rules. They also try to go to the rehearsal so they have a clue what will be happening - plus it gives you a chance to get together with the principles. Figure out how you're going to deal with the lighting. Every officiator has their own rules pretty much determined by their own values - it ain't etched in stone anywhere flash/no flash. If no flash you need fast glass, high ISO and pray to Noise Ninja. If movements are restricted ask if you can set up a camera on tripod with radio remote at an optimum location (determined by being at the rehearsal).
Finally - Gary Fong is a marketing genius. I admire him for being a huge success. That being said his LightSphere's are a gimmick.
Go to www.strobist.com to learn how to use your flash - some excellent stuff here. Also Chuck Gardner, who worked with Monte Zucker, has plans for a DIY diffuser/bounce that works exceptionally well. http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/
In reference to the "I should be able to rescue overexposed images" - don't count on it. Once a bit is maxed - that's all she wrote. Think clear piece of glass. If you get underexposed then what happens is you are only working with 2 or 3 bits of data so your range is severely limited. Look up Michael Reichmann's article on "expose to the right" so you can understand how the dynamic range of your digital works - I bet it's not what you think it is.
Too late to say "hope this helped" but it may help you avoid the quicksand if you decide to accept your next assignment (assuming of course the bride doesn't have your head mounted from the last excursion). :twisted:
regards,
Jon