People Guest shot a wedding this weekend.

Guest shot a wedding this weekend. · 06:20 PM

Those are a few of my favorite keepers. I very much welcome comments, criticism, and critiques.

sumx4182 · 09-02-2014, 02:40 PM

142 views and no replies! I guess none of them have caught anyone's fancy!

manntax · 09-02-2014, 02:48 PM

Congratulation - this is a very nice set of shots, although I find some of their white balance to be somehow .. experimental should I say ?

For some reason the white balance on this one somehow is attractive to me - perhaps this is my monitor calibration issue ?

and I also like the scene of a kiss on that small bridge - the light is beautiful there

And my favoured, that I particularly like is this one :

just love the scenery, composition is very appealing.

Good stuff

sumx4182 · 09-02-2014, 03:51 PM

You're right. I did alot of messing in post. The wedding was for family and I was not the main photographer. I wasn't going for consistency/faithful recreation of events with these photos. I was more hoping that they could each stand on their own. Like something that you might see in a magazine as a one-off. I plan on giving them a set that it just processed to be more natural. I consider these to be more like the "glamor" shots. haha

Thank you for taking the time to view and comment.

**RGlasel** · 09-02-2014, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by sumx4182

I was not the main photographer

How did the main photographer react to your presence? Did you take these shots after the paid photographer was finished? I'm not crazy about the first two pictures you posted, the bride and groom seem to be showing off the double doors and being that far apart in the second shot seems unnatural, but the rest are pretty good. I like how they are not standard wedding day poses, they should complement the main photographer's pictures very well. The off-kilter picture of the bridesmaids and their bouquets is very smart.

bigted · 09-02-2014, 05:42 PM

I really like the shot of the bridesmaids or should I say I like the shot with bouquets. Creative and nicely done.

sumx4182 · 09-02-2014, 06:17 PM

Originally posted by bigted

I really like the shot of the bridesmaids or should I say I like the shot with bouquets. Creative and nicely done.

Thank you very much. That is a shot that came from the fact that since I was not the main photographer, I was off to the side during alot of shots and was forced to improvise a bit with who/what/how I was photographing. For the majority of the shots I just left my fixed Sigma 70mm on the camera and moved around alot. I don't think I would have been afforded this opportunity if I was the main photographer.

Originally posted by RGlasel

How did the main photographer react to your presence? Did you take these shots after the paid photographer was finished? I'm not crazy about the first two pictures you posted, the bride and groom seem to be showing off the double doors and being that far apart in the second shot seems unnatural, but the rest are pretty good. I like how they are not standard wedding day poses, they should complement the main photographer's pictures very well. The off-kilter picture of the bridesmaids and their bouquets is very smart.

I made sure to clear it with the photographer prior to the day via facebook. I was originally asked to be the photographer because they were on a very tight budget and they are family. I did not feel comfortable taking on the task on my own (I've never shot a wedding before, and never shot anything posed before). So I suggested they hire someone and offered to take photos on the side. When I found out who the photographer was and looked her up, I was not terribly impressed with the results (something that I sort of expected for the fee they paid which I thought was quite low). I did not involve myself with posing while the photographer was there. I stayed out of her way as much as possible, thus resulting in the fact that alot of the shots are off angle (a fact that I actually like alot now that I look at it). The second location, the photographer got lost and didn't make it at all. This meant that I had to do the poses. 1, 2, 9 and 10 were posed by me. While I agree something is awkward about #2, the first one happens to be one of my favorites from the day. I just think it has a very classic look to it.

I supposed the fact that I tend to photograph street and flowers more, I approached the wedding from a different eye than some one who "does weddings". I like and appreciate the fact that you commented that they don't look like standard wedding poses. I like that they are different.

---------- Post added 09-02-14 at 09:26 PM ----------

Since I'm so new to posing, here are a few more that I posed and shot for critique.

**RGlasel** · 09-02-2014, 09:08 PM

This is just my opinion, based on an uneducated eye, because I'm not a professional. In the second set, first picture, I like that the bride's jewellery and shoulder is in sharp focus, her face slightly out of focus. With a closeup, no one likes to see their face in sharp focus, and this picture does a good job of being a little different and flattering at the same time. Second picture, perhaps it's my monitor, but the skin tone is wrong, even if you are trying to do a sepia toned image. The pose and setting are very nice. For the third and fourth pictures, you obviously had some difficulty getting one of the bridesmaids to smile, which is unfortunate. I checked the EXIF and the third picture is shot at 18mm, and you can see distortion from such a wide angle. I don't know if you had room to move further back or not, but if you could have used a longer focal length and positioned the camera a little higher, I think it might have turned out a bit better. The fourth picture, if you could do it over, I might suggest having the bridesmaids on the ends let their outside arms hang down instead of putting their hands on their hips. Minor points, and as always, if your subject is happy with your pictures, you did a good job.

sumx4182 · 09-03-2014, 10:52 AM

Thank you for your constructive comments. They are very much appreciated. Photography is always a learning experience.

People have asked me in the recent months if I would consider doing shoots for them. I've never felt confident enough to take on a paying gig.

In your honest opinion, are my results worthy of charging for? I know everything is relative and if I said I did this gig for $200 people might think they got their money's worth but not if I said I did it for $2000. But it's hard to find a line where you feel like you're good enough that you can start to charge people, especially friends and family.

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09-02-2014, 02:40 PM	#2
sumx4182 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 181 Original Poster	142 views and no replies! I guess none of them have caught anyone's fancy!

09-02-2014, 02:48 PM	#3
manntax Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	Congratulation - this is a very nice set of shots, although I find some of their white balance to be somehow .. experimental should I say ? For some reason the white balance on this one somehow is attractive to me - perhaps this is my monitor calibration issue ? and I also like the scene of a kiss on that small bridge - the light is beautiful there And my favoured, that I particularly like is this one : just love the scenery, composition is very appealing. Good stuff

09-02-2014, 03:51 PM	#4
sumx4182 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 181 Original Poster	You're right. I did alot of messing in post. The wedding was for family and I was not the main photographer. I wasn't going for consistency/faithful recreation of events with these photos. I was more hoping that they could each stand on their own. Like something that you might see in a magazine as a one-off. I plan on giving them a set that it just processed to be more natural. I consider these to be more like the "glamor" shots. haha Thank you for taking the time to view and comment.

09-02-2014, 05:27 PM	#5
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,228	Originally posted by sumx4182 I was not the main photographer How did the main photographer react to your presence? Did you take these shots after the paid photographer was finished? I'm not crazy about the first two pictures you posted, the bride and groom seem to be showing off the double doors and being that far apart in the second shot seems unnatural, but the rest are pretty good. I like how they are not standard wedding day poses, they should complement the main photographer's pictures very well. The off-kilter picture of the bridesmaids and their bouquets is very smart.

09-02-2014, 05:42 PM	#6
bigted Moderator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Jessica Lake, Whiteshell Provincial Park, or Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,593	I really like the shot of the bridesmaids or should I say I like the shot with bouquets. Creative and nicely done.

09-02-2014, 06:17 PM	#7
sumx4182 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 181 Original Poster	Originally posted by bigted I really like the shot of the bridesmaids or should I say I like the shot with bouquets. Creative and nicely done. Thank you very much. That is a shot that came from the fact that since I was not the main photographer, I was off to the side during alot of shots and was forced to improvise a bit with who/what/how I was photographing. For the majority of the shots I just left my fixed Sigma 70mm on the camera and moved around alot. I don't think I would have been afforded this opportunity if I was the main photographer. Originally posted by RGlasel How did the main photographer react to your presence? Did you take these shots after the paid photographer was finished? I'm not crazy about the first two pictures you posted, the bride and groom seem to be showing off the double doors and being that far apart in the second shot seems unnatural, but the rest are pretty good. I like how they are not standard wedding day poses, they should complement the main photographer's pictures very well. The off-kilter picture of the bridesmaids and their bouquets is very smart. I made sure to clear it with the photographer prior to the day via facebook. I was originally asked to be the photographer because they were on a very tight budget and they are family. I did not feel comfortable taking on the task on my own (I've never shot a wedding before, and never shot anything posed before). So I suggested they hire someone and offered to take photos on the side. When I found out who the photographer was and looked her up, I was not terribly impressed with the results (something that I sort of expected for the fee they paid which I thought was quite low). I did not involve myself with posing while the photographer was there. I stayed out of her way as much as possible, thus resulting in the fact that alot of the shots are off angle (a fact that I actually like alot now that I look at it). The second location, the photographer got lost and didn't make it at all. This meant that I had to do the poses. 1, 2, 9 and 10 were posed by me. While I agree something is awkward about #2, the first one happens to be one of my favorites from the day. I just think it has a very classic look to it. I supposed the fact that I tend to photograph street and flowers more, I approached the wedding from a different eye than some one who "does weddings". I like and appreciate the fact that you commented that they don't look like standard wedding poses. I like that they are different. ---------- Post added 09-02-14 at 09:26 PM ---------- Since I'm so new to posing, here are a few more that I posed and shot for critique.

09-02-2014, 09:08 PM	#8
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,228	This is just my opinion, based on an uneducated eye, because I'm not a professional. In the second set, first picture, I like that the bride's jewellery and shoulder is in sharp focus, her face slightly out of focus. With a closeup, no one likes to see their face in sharp focus, and this picture does a good job of being a little different and flattering at the same time. Second picture, perhaps it's my monitor, but the skin tone is wrong, even if you are trying to do a sepia toned image. The pose and setting are very nice. For the third and fourth pictures, you obviously had some difficulty getting one of the bridesmaids to smile, which is unfortunate. I checked the EXIF and the third picture is shot at 18mm, and you can see distortion from such a wide angle. I don't know if you had room to move further back or not, but if you could have used a longer focal length and positioned the camera a little higher, I think it might have turned out a bit better. The fourth picture, if you could do it over, I might suggest having the bridesmaids on the ends let their outside arms hang down instead of putting their hands on their hips. Minor points, and as always, if your subject is happy with your pictures, you did a good job.

09-03-2014, 10:52 AM	#9
sumx4182 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 181 Original Poster	Thank you for your constructive comments. They are very much appreciated. Photography is always a learning experience. People have asked me in the recent months if I would consider doing shoots for them. I've never felt confident enough to take on a paying gig. In your honest opinion, are my results worthy of charging for? I know everything is relative and if I said I did this gig for $200 people might think they got their money's worth but not if I said I did it for $2000. But it's hard to find a line where you feel like you're good enough that you can start to charge people, especially friends and family.