[Heie]

That's right. I did it. I have officially been a wedding photographer. I know some will shrug that off: "pfft...I stopped counting after 100," but it is an important crucible in my photographic 'career'. Also, it was not in the same "manner" as what is usually thought of because it was far smaller than your typical (ahem...American) wedding with only about 25 (30?) guests, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless and I wanted to share that experience with you here. Both as a 'diary' of it for myself as well as hopefully a lessons learned for anyone who is about to venture in on one for their first time.

The groom is a giant of a man named Robert (I swear, that Polish blood breeds large people lol), and his (also tall) wife, Sylvia. Robert is an American that is stationed here in Germany (as I am) and his bride is a local school teacher that he met while living here. Robert also deployed with me to Afghanistan (which, I just want to share with you - the photos and the project are in the process of being reviewed!! They were just cleared by an intel analyst as not being rife with OPSEC violations!), and I lived with him for 9 months along with the two other guys part of our team on a FOB (Forward Operating Base) that had roughly 15-25 Americans. In contrast, typical bases have thousands, so it was extremely small. Robert was my gunner and my armorer (the guy that fixes and maintains a myriad of weapon systems because of his expertise in the subject matter), and despite the fact that he does not carry much rank (he is only a Specialist, or the grade right above a Private), he is responsible for a significant amount of my success as a trainer of Afghan forces. When I talk with my friends and other senior NCO's (sergeants), one of the first phrases thrown around to describe him is "he is the smartest and most capable specialist in the entire U.S. Army." We keep trying to get him to go become an officer, but a combination of the Army changing its rules as to when soldiers can go to Officer Candidate School (Rob is a bit older than your standard "Joe") and his watching me and my peers. "Sir, the pay increase would be great, as well as the increased level of inherent trust and respect that rank and being an officer provide, but...you never leave the office. All you do is paperwork..." As per usual, his assessment is entirely accurate, but I digress

Robert came to me a couple of months ago and asked if I would be interested in shooting his wedding for him. I told him that I would be honored, but I warned him that a wedding is a significant endeavor and one not taken lightly (boy would I learn the true meaning of my words), and I recommended that he find an actual professional. “I know, Sir, but I am not looking for anything spectacular, nor a ton of photos. Just a few to remember the day, and I know you will do a great job, especially processing them.”
Rob is not your typical non-photographer in the way that he is ignorant to the behind the scenes work required after the shutter is pressed. For those that remember from my deployment series, I covered a memorial service for CPL Darrion Hicks. That proved one of the worst processing experiences of my life because of the horrible sodium bulbs in a 20m tall tent combined with my color blindness. It was absolutely horrible, and I was incapable of doing it. So I had Rob help me and he spent about 2 hours with me moving the White Balance and HSL sliders. After that experience, I don’t think he will ever take for granted the processing a RAW photographer goes through.

“Alright, I’m in. And don’t worry about paying me, it’s on me and it would be my honor.” (Mistake Number One)

“Sir, absolutely not.”

“No, really, but regardless we can talk about that later,” I say, dismissing the issue.

ATTIRE:

Perhaps it is my military experience, my upbringing, or a combination thereof, but I refused to not dress to the occasion. It was a wedding, and a small one at that, and I know 100% that no one would have ever bat an eye at me if I wore slacks or even cargo pants (shorts?) and a loose fitting shirt. I was working, so it would have been understood, right? Despite Robert telling me to dress comfortably because I was photographing the event. from my perspective, that was absolutely wrong and I couldn't allow it.

A week prior I laid out my finest suit (one of two I own) with my nicest shirt, which incidentally had French Cuffs (love those). Despite it being June and I was wearing a backpack and carrying a lot of photo gear, I wore the jacket and tie and never took them off. I may not have been a "professional," but you better believe that I exuded as much professionalism as I could, as I was there to conduct a job, and I took that extremely seriously. I have been to two weddings in my adult life and one had a photographer that was dressed similarly to how I was, and the other had some young guy - late twenties - wear sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt. Regardless of their output photographically, at face value I would never reference/endorse the latter. How he had the gall to dress that way is, in my opinion, not just unprofessional but downright disrespectful and lazy. I'm sure there will be those that disagree with my stance on this (for example my brother is one who doesn't value the impression given off by one's appearance - "Why does it matter?"), but this is my fixed opinion.

GEAR:

I got my gear prepared. I decided to use my Kata W-92 shoulder bag/fanny pack (it acts as both) since I can wear it like a fanny pack in front of me with the lid open and have instant access to critical items, i.e. lenses, lens pen, rocket blower, batteries, etc., without having to take off my backpack, and I can do it on the move too.

That said, I also carried my Canon 200 EG photo backpack. In all, this is what I left the house with:

CANON 200 EG BACKPACK

• Pentax K-5 IIs + Battery Grip
• Pentax K-30
• DA* 16-50 f/2.8
• DA* 55 f/1.4
• Sigma 8-16mm
• Sirui T-025 Travel Tripod + L-Plate
• Metz 50 AF-1 P-TTL Flash
• Extra sets of AA for flash

KATA FANNYPACK

• DFA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR
• FA 77mm Limited
• Sigma 30mm
• K-5 Spare Batteries
• K-30 Spare Batteries
• Rocket Blower
• Lens Pen

This is a scan from a photo that was taken of me (that I didn't know about ). Here you can see what I mean by my attire above, but also the Kata bag. I have the K-30 + DA* 16-50 + flash resting on it (yes it's attached to a camera strap), and you can see what I mean by the very handy instant access shelf that the super suave and cool fannypack provides



CAMERA STRAPS

I have replaced all my camera straps with the Op/Tech system, and I absolutely love it. I used the Sling Strap for my main body (that did not have the flash), and a regular Pentax strap attached to two of the Op/Tech buckles to allow for the quick disconnect if needed.

BACK POCKET OF SUIT TROUSERS

A bottle of water, which came out to be one of my best investments in a while. Don't underestimate your own personal need to hydrate your body.

PRE-COMBAT CHECKS/PRE-COMBAT INSPECTIONS

PCC's/PCI's will make or break you as a soldier. How many people have left without SD cards, an extra battery, a certain lens, etc? Now think about it as batteries for your optics or night vision goggles. Or food. Or proper amounts of ammunition. Always check EVERYTHING and ensure nothing is missing. If you have the ability (i.e. as in a military squad), have someone else check your stuff and you check theirs. Not having a second shooter/assistant, it was up to me to ensure that I didn't leave anything behind. I went through everything, laid it all out, and then turned everything on, tested battery levels, not just in the camera but all the spared. Checked the SD Cards. Cleaned my lenses, checked the tripod and L-Plate, sensor dust, etc.

Part of this should have been a shotlist. I have read some wedding photographers go so far as get a list from the bride of no bullsh*t shots that MUST be captured, or just them creating the list for themselves. I had a mental list - rings, kiss, corset, etc, but nothing was written down or even deliberately considered. I could have definitely been more deliberate here.

REHEARSALS/RECONNAISSANCE

No, not the wedding rehearsal (which Rob and Sylvia never had one, at least not to my knowledge), but my own rehearsal. One thing that the military has ingrained in me, and that I have found to apply out of uniform as well, is rehearse. And rehearse. And rehearse. And then do it some more. What this means is if you have a mission (i.e. raid a building), then act it out as deliberately as possible before you ever start it so it is second nature - you should never prepare to figure things out on the fly. One of my favorite quotes is, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

In order to ensure that I didn't fail my client, I went to the wedding location (which was the Bamberg City Hall), and prepared my settings, tested focal lengths, fired my flash, etc. Also, it was a great opportunity to visualize before hand how the proceedings would go - "Oh, this would be a great spot to get x shot from." I tried to do this again the morning of the wedding by arriving an hour before anyone was scheduled to arrive. I am glad that I went prior because the morning of the wedding, in typical city hall fashion, another wedding was taking place, so I wasn't able to do any practice runs that morning. No biggy, I was confident enough and glad I planned ahead. Never underestimate the value of visiting a venue prior to having to actually photograph it, especially if it is one you have never been to before, because you may not get the chance again.

Also, if you have the chance, have someone come with you and mimick the speed or a bride/groom walking down the aisle and practice with getting settings right on your camera, especially if you don't have much experience with flash. I am a complete flash newb, and I had a few shots destroyed by my ineptitude with the flash despite P-TTL supposedly being a 'fire and forget' type of system. I've read that there are a lot of issues with bouncing the flash and Pentax's firmware not doing it right. I don't know, but I know it was very inconsistent for me, but I am fully prepared to chock that up to not knowing how to use it properly.

MY ROLE? + PHILOSOPHY

The first time you ever do something, it's quite obvious that the lack in experience is displayed by timidity, a lack of assertiveness, etc. I 'know' photographers are supposed to direct people - "OK, stand here." "Grandpa, step to your left a bit." "Grandma, c'mon, let me get a picture of you and your beautiful granddaughter!"

I just didn't have it in me to act that way and be as directing as I've seen other wedding photographers. Whether it was my own timidity in that role I don't know, but it felt...."wrong." Here's an example of a photo in which I probably should have posed it, but I felt uncomfortable doing so: "Hey Sylvia can I take a picture of you?" "Sure!" "Ok, turn around." "Huh...? o.O "

But from a distance, I was able to get it and make it look like I was taking test shots. The "corset" shot - one of the shots I knew in my mind I wanted to get.

2) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



Perhaps it was from my military photojournalism where I was used to observing and capturing as opposed to posing, but I found myself far more comfortable just observing quietly and going after the candids. Which brings me to my next point...

I remember reading several years ago a wedding photographer's blog. I can't remember the name, but there was a quote that always stuck out in my mind - "I am always the second shooter." At first, I thought that was ridiculous, because second shooters are hired help. Assistants. Not the pro. And then his explanation of always looking for the candid shot over the "professional posed one" made perfect sense. This may have been my first wedding since reading that several years ago, but it never faded from my mind and it was especially at the forefront during this wedding. I was speaking to a friend recently and she was commenting on how a lot of my photos felt 'natural'. "That's my sister's biggest complain about her recent wedding photos - they are all technically great, but they just feel...forced. Posed."

I was aware of that phenomenon myself and I did everything I could to avoid it. Here's an example where I tossed the posed version. A unanimous favorite by everyone that attended as well:

3) Pentax K-30, DA* 16-50mm, Metz 50 AF-1 Flash Bounced Ceiling



BRING OUT THE GOOFINESS

The thing about Rob is that he is a huge goof ball, as well as his friends. I made it my mission to capture that as best I could. I understand it seems a bit front focused on the bouquet, and while I was worried about it too, in print it looks perfect. Don't know why, but trust that it looks great

4) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



And like I said, his friends (soldiers that were once in my platoon) are as well. Here they couldn't be outdone by the bride and groom during their shared champagne sips:

5) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



6) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited

This was a fun shot. They were on a small bridge, and Sylvia actually pointed to me to shoot through the leaves. And then it hit me. "You guys have seen Titanic, right?" One of my favorite shots



LOOK AROUND

Another great piece of advice that I read was "don't just focus on the bride and groom." Bigger (and longer) weddings you can find sleeping flower girls sometimes, especially towards the evenings. Of course that wouldn't happen here, but I still looked around as best I could. I noticed on the floor a bunch of flower petals that were apparently dropped by flower girls of weddings earlier that morning. Looking closer, I noticed they were emblazoned with gold lettering on each one. "I can definitely make this work - sweet!"

I ended up cropping it severely in the book I gave them to fit the layout of a page (more details at the end of this post).

7) Pentax K-5 IIs, DFA 100mm Macro



POST PROCESSING

This is where the meat of the work was. I am not even exaggerating when I say that I must have clocked in over 35 hours outside of shooting the wedding just on the computer. Between the two cameras, I took over 500 images (which I realize is not a lot compared to larger weddings) and I culled it down to exactly 50 keepers. At the very end, I told Rob and Sylvia that "I got absolutely sick of looking at your faces."

I used a combination of four programs. First, every single photo was run through Adobe Lightroom 4. Then, if it required it, Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. I must say, that this was my first venture into PSE (I had just gotten it), and I never really knew how to use it. My fiance, Jenny, studied graphic design so she is familiar with PS, and she taught me some basic things, as well as YouTube. I noticed on Rob's jacket lapel there was a couple spots, and I confirmed this to be true for every image. As such, it was a quick fix, but one I needed to attend to throughout the album. Another was teeth whitening, which I did pf my own volition - they never asked for it. In fact, they never asked for anything

But the spot and the teeth whitening were all done in LR. PSE didn't play too much of a part except for a couple of poles being removed from growing out of a person's head. Two photos that received the heaviest treatments were first this one, in which I removed a porta potty from the background, as it dominated the bokeh above his right shoulder:

8) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



This next photo, however, I spent at least 4 hours on, because nothing says beauty like good old-fashioned scaffolding and tarps. I know there are some gurus out there that could do it in 5 min, but I was learning the program for the first time myself, and I must say - it was absolutely painful, especially since I am a perfectionist and any little issue would constitute starting over/editing it again, etc. But when I was done, I can't tell you how proud of it I was.

9) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



Aside from LR and PSE, I have come to *L*O*V*E* Topaz Labs' DeNoise and Clarity. I had DeNoise for quite some time because I do a lot of low light shooting and I recently bought Clarity when it was on special for $29. After using both, I would pay $150 for Clarity alone. It has officially provided that 'pop' to a lot of my photographs that I felt were lacking. Here's an example, and it is also my favorite portrait of the entire wedding:

10) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



Ethically, I wouldn't go beyond some minor teeth whitening or spot removals from clothing. I know some retouchers that remove freckles, moles, etc. I think that may just be why I could never be a professional glamour photographer - I don't like the inherent requirement for severe amounts of retouching. That is just me, and I know many will differ.

Also, I made it my personal mission to never blow out the highlights, which I have noticed (now that I am paying attention) a lot of friends' have on their wedding photos. One friend is so bad that everytime I see them on my Facebook feed I am tempted to ask him to ask for the RAW's from the photographer and I will edit them for him. Of course I wouldn't do that, but the praise that is associated with the album from all the friends, specifically mentioning such great photos, actually offends me as a photographer. It shouldn't, but it does.

TIMELINESS

One of the most important things to do is finish the job (i.e. process and deliver the photos) in a timely manner. The day of the wedding we were traveling to Austria, Rome, and Venice for 7 days, so I was inherently behind on the photos. In all it took me about 3-4 weeks before they were finished and posted online. Working 14+ hours a day in my actual job and having my family over for the summer didn't help matters either. Regardless, I want to be the first to say that I was (and still am) professionally embarrassed by my tardiness. If I ever become a professional photographer, I vow to deliver not just quality, but in the shortest time possible. Rob and Sylvia were excellent sports about it and didn't get upset, but that didn't detract from how I failed them as their photographer. I take full responsibility for that.

OTHER PHOTOS

11) Pentax K-30, DA* 16-50mm




12) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




13)Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



14) The first time signing her married name...
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




15) A tad bit of motion blur, but it was the only one of her crying. She didn't complain though, so that's what matters
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




16) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited





17) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




18) The officiator of their marriage ceremony
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




19) The rings...
Pentax K-5 IIs, DFA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR




20) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




21) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



22) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited



23) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited





24) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited






25) Pentax K-5 IIs, DA* 16-50, Metz 50 AF-1 Flash
Yes, I realize that they were too close to the backdrop (a large painting) because of the flash shadows. Lesson learned.






26) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited







27) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited








28) Another goofy photo - the guy on the left had recently injured his leg (torn ACL), so he was in crutches. Here Rob is feeding him because he needed to hold onto the crutches just to stand.
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited









29) Another of my favorites
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm Limited




30) One of the flower girls. Not going to lie, she was incredibly difficult to get to smile
Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm




31) Pentax K-5 IIs, FA 77mm




As you can see, I love that K-5 IIs/77mm combo. It might just be the best thing since sliced bread

When I was done, I knew I wasn't going to win with doing the wedding for free as Robert insisted and I caved in after the processing was all done and I realized what I had actually gotten myself into. So I got them a wedding present instead. You can view the book here, which I presented to them a couple of weeks ago. I must say - the quality of the book is just fantastic. I spent about 3-4 hours on that book as well in terms of layout and picture preference, and I am extremely proud of it. I plan to order another copy of it for myself to display to future clients (should any arise).

Thanks for staying with me this far - this was a long post! I hope you enjoyed, and I welcome any and all C&C. Most importantly, I hope that this was beneficial to someone out there as the thought of your first wedding is nothing short of daunting

Very Respectfully,
Heie

P.S. yes I do realize that I live in a stunningly beautiful town. Every photo and all the surrounding architecture are within 10min walking from my apartment. If any of you are ever traveling through Southern Germany, don't hesitate to pm me for a tour and a beer

---

Last edited by Heie; 08-05-2013 at 01:59 AM. Reason: typo

[LaurenOE]

That's right. I did it. I have officially been a wedding photographer. I know some will shrug that off: "pfft...I stopped counting after 100," but it is an important crucible in my photographic 'career'. Also, it was not in the same "manner" as what is usually thought of because it was far smaller than your typical (ahem...American) wedding with only about 25 (30?) guests, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless and I wanted to share that experience with you here. Both as a 'diary' of it for myself as well as hopefully a lessons learned for anyone who is about to venture in on one for their first time.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! You. DID. NOT. Shoot a wedding!!!!!
Tell me this is just a dream sequence from my favorite military/adventurer photographer!!!! There is no amount of soap (or Penicillin) that can wash (or cure) away something like that!

LOL.

Great shots Alex. Some of the best wedding shots I have seen.
Just don't call yourself a "Wedding Photographer". I might not be able to hang out with you! Yeah, that's it. You are a photographer that just happened to be walking around one day, and shot a wedding. Pure chance. Coincidence.

Yep. That should be your story!

[adpo]

Great job and awesome photos! I have to commend you on delivering a book, a very good job there

[Madaboutpix]

Hey Alex

Remember shooting my sister-in-law's wedding in 2011, which was quite an exciting experience, too. I happened to be just an inofficial backup photog, while some pro with her FF 5D Mark II (?) and some serious L series zoom and external flash was doing the real job. However, it turned out later that, just having brought along my trusty old K-7 with the DA 18-55mm WR kit lens, using a bit of observation, and applying careful PP in Lightroom, I seemed to have nailed some more telling and intimate moments than the lady photographer whose gear outclassed mine by such a great margin and who earned 300 (?) euros for her services. Admittedly, my indoor shots showed more high-ISO noise and the pop-up flash wasn't always flattering, but her (generally not overly compelling) shots at times were clearly overexposed and/or out of focus and otherwise looked like taken straight from the camera. And unlike her, I had taken more interest in some of the lower-profile details, which she simply ignored.

I don't care to back up my ranting with examples from that shooting, for which I would have to ask the couple's permission anyway, and because my shots are so much inferior to yours, nor am I saying this to bash all the professional wedding photographers out there doing such wonderful work, yet often struggling to make ends meet. What I'm trying to say is: Even as an amateur, don't hesitate to help capture such a special day (as long as you don't get into people's way), since it is such a rewarding experience and will sure advance your photography! And don't forget that knowing the couple you shoot may, in a sense, put you at a considerable advantage ...

But all this shouldn't distract from your pro quality photographs and your gripping comment, Alex! Thank you so much for sharing!

Regards

---

Last edited by Madaboutpix; 08-04-2013 at 05:12 PM. Reason: Unwanted doubling, correction of typos

[TheOtherRob]

Alex,

Great write up. So much of what you said resonated with my first wedding experience. In many way's I could write up mine and do a point-for-point summary stating "If you don't use Alex's tip, this will happen"!

I was roped in for a mate's wedding. Photography is not my day job, either, so it was still intimidating and I thought I should prepare as though it were the "real thing". I half did, doing a walk around of the site and writing down a list of key shots all wedding photographers should take. But, in the end it nearly turned into a debacle because of a silly assumption on my part. It was supposed to be a quiet affair, a few guests at the registry followed by steaks. It turned out to be sixty guests and a booked out restaurant. I failed to take my mate's tendency for understatement into account, and wonder if someone with a military background would have paid a bit more attention to this important bit of intel?! Well, thank goodness for the prep, and with a little innovation it all went down a treat.

The biggest thing that resonated was your emphasis on preparation. I do the same deal with my gear. I have a table on which I lay out all of my gear and then pack it all individually. I never leave a bag packed; this means I always have to pack every time, so must make a visual check of everything going in. Yes, this takes a bit more time, but the key is storing everything properly so packing is less laborious and it's not as though I often get called out on shoots at a second's notice. Lucky I did in this instance, because it meant I consciously packed an extra flash, memory card and lens that I normally wouldn't take in a light kit. I didn't take my extra body (which was nearly fatal), though I did pack my Q (which was an enormous boon). At the wedding, the extra flash was invaluable setting up some impromptu backdrops, and for an assistant if I had had the second body I could have given it to another friend I know can shoot. As it was, I grabbed a young bloke with the right attitude and a half decent Canon round his neck and co-opted him as my spotter. I told him to shoot everything interesting that I missed, and at least we had another angle on all of the big moments. Plus, in the end he took the two best shots of the night!

So prep can save the day (it did), and failing to plan is certainly planning to fail (true in this case, but for some good fortune!). Oh, and don't believe your mate when he says his wedding will be a small one; get the right intel... speak to the fiance!

But great write up, and congrats on a good job!

Rob

[Tako Kichi]

Great shots and a great story.

I've been asked by friends/neighbours/relatives several times over the years to shoot their wedding and I've always said no. I don't mind being there as a guest and shooting photos (I seemed to have an ability to capture great candids which is what most people liked) but I never wanted to take on the responsibility of being the prime shooter. I couldn't stand it if I goofed up and blew the bride's big day by getting a film jam or losing an entire roll due to a light leak etc. (this was in pre-digital days).

[Kozlok]

This is very artistically done. I've not seen better, I can tell you that.

[carrrlangas]

Alex you are getting really good! Congratulations on your work. On a personal note: Why not drop the watermark?, or make it smaller (much smaller!)

[hps3]

Alex, you did a wonderful job here. I think these photos definitely look professional. I would have been too nervous to go through with it. Congrats on a great job.

[EarlVonTapia]

Great job, and great write-up. You really put that FA 77 to work! Now I want one, thanks a lot.

[psychdoc]

Maybe you should start a new thread "Post your first-time wedding shots'.

Some of us have been roped in unwillingly or otherwise. And for a lot of us it was a once and done...but we do have combat photos to share!!!

[hps3]

Hey Alex, were all of your interior shots using bounce flash. I'm just curious to know if you use TTL or manual. I'm using a Sigma 610 super on my K-5IIs and when bouncing I find it easier to use manual flash if the interior lighting doesn't change much.

Thanks
Harry

[Heie]

Wow, thank you all!

Great shots Alex. Some of the best wedding shots I have seen.

Lauren, think of me as your adventure wedding photographer. Think there's a market for that? You know, proposals while skydiving (key word "while" - none of this after hitting the ground nonsense), wedding ceremonies where the wedding invitation has nothing but grid coordinates and the wedding guests have to navigate through rough terrain to get there. That kind of thing

But thank you, that is a great compliment.

Great job and awesome photos! I have to commend you on delivering a book, a very good job there

Thank you! I am very proud of that, and I always felt that photos in person, actually having a tangible copy of them, were so much more worthwhile than just a CD of the images (which was delivered as well with the book). It seemed like the right touch, especially considering everything Rob and I have been through.

Hey Alex

Remember shooting my sister-in-law's wedding in 2011, which was quite an exciting experience, too. I happened to be just an inofficial backup photog, while some pro with her FF 5D Mark II (?) and some serious L series zoom and external flash was doing the real job. However, it turned out later that, just having brought along my trusty old K-7 with the DA 18-55mm WR kit lens, using a bit of observation, and applying careful PP in Lightroom, I seemed to have nailed some more telling and intimate moments than the lady photographer whose gear outclassed mine by such a great margin and who earned 300 (?) euros for her services. Admittedly, my indoor shots showed more high-ISO noise and the pop-up flash wasn't always flattering, but her (generally not overly compelling) shots at times were clearly overexposed and/or out of focus and otherwise looked like taken straight from the camera. And unlike her, I had taken more interest in some of the lower-profile details, which she simply ignored.

I don't care to back up my ranting with examples from that shooting, for which I would have to ask the couple's permission anyway, and because my shots are so much inferior to yours, nor am I saying this to bash all the professional wedding photographers out there doing such wonderful work, yet often struggling to make ends meet. What I'm trying to say is: Even as an amateur, don't hesitate to help capture such a special day (as long as you don't get into people's way), since it is such a rewarding experience and will sure advance your photography! And don't forget that knowing the couple you shoot may, in a sense, put you at a considerable advantage ...

But all this shouldn't distract from your pro quality photographs and your gripping comment, Alex! Thank you so much for sharing!

Regards

The cliche continues to prove true that it isn't the gear, it's the photographer, as your family witnessed with your humble Pentax and kit lens. And not to mention, as the 'second shooter' you absolutely would have had more attention focused on those emotional candids. It also helps that you know your family, so anticipating some things were absolutely in your favor versus the photographer whom doesn't know them personally. I had the same with Robert and Sylvia.

But thank you for your compliments. I really appreciate them.

Alex,

Great write up. So much of what you said resonated with my first wedding experience. In many way's I could write up mine and do a point-for-point summary stating "If you don't use Alex's tip, this will happen"!

I was roped in for a mate's wedding. Photography is not my day job, either, so it was still intimidating and I thought I should prepare as though it were the "real thing". I half did, doing a walk around of the site and writing down a list of key shots all wedding photographers should take. But, in the end it nearly turned into a debacle because of a silly assumption on my part. It was supposed to be a quiet affair, a few guests at the registry followed by steaks. It turned out to be sixty guests and a booked out restaurant. I failed to take my mate's tendency for understatement into account, and wonder if someone with a military background would have paid a bit more attention to this important bit of intel?! Well, thank goodness for the prep, and with a little innovation it all went down a treat.

The biggest thing that resonated was your emphasis on preparation. I do the same deal with my gear. I have a table on which I lay out all of my gear and then pack it all individually. I never leave a bag packed; this means I always have to pack every time, so must make a visual check of everything going in. Yes, this takes a bit more time, but the key is storing everything properly so packing is less laborious and it's not as though I often get called out on shoots at a second's notice. Lucky I did in this instance, because it meant I consciously packed an extra flash, memory card and lens that I normally wouldn't take in a light kit. I didn't take my extra body (which was nearly fatal), though I did pack my Q (which was an enormous boon). At the wedding, the extra flash was invaluable setting up some impromptu backdrops, and for an assistant if I had had the second body I could have given it to another friend I know can shoot.
As it was, I grabbed a young bloke with the right attitude and a half decent Canon round his neck and co-opted him as my spotter. I told him to shoot everything interesting that I missed, and at least we had another angle on all of the big moments. Plus, in the end he took the two best shots of the night!

So prep can save the day (it did), and failing to plan is certainly planning to fail (true in this case, but for some good fortune!). Oh, and don't believe your mate when he says his wedding will be a small one; get the right intel... speak to the fiance!

But great write up, and congrats on a good job!

Rob

Rob, I'm glad that you were able to agree with me as opposed to "nope...nope..........nope...."

I am also glad that I prepared so thoroughly. Like I said, if you fail to plan...

Thank you!

I've been asked by friends/neighbours/relatives several times over the years to shoot their wedding and I've always said no.

It might just be your photographic breakthrough. I know for me it has given me a better understanding and empathy of wedding photographers, not to mention it has given me tremendous confidence toward my photographic capabilities.

This is very artistically done. I've not seen better, I can tell you that.

Thank you - that is tremendous

Alex you are getting really good! Congratulations on your work. On a personal note: Why not drop the watermark?, or make it smaller (much smaller!)

Hmm....I see you had someone like your comment as well. I was under the impression it was a very inobtrusive watermark. Small, but large enough that you didn't have to squint to read it, or worse, decipher calligraphy to understand it. I can't really say I agree with you (respectfully of course), however I'm not closed to suggestions. I have each one subdued as well so it minimizes the contrast of a black or white watermark against the photo.

But regardless, thank you for the kind words!

Great job, and great write-up. You really put that FA 77 to work! Now I want one, thanks a lot.

That lens is just beautiful both physically and optically

Maybe you should start a new thread "Post your first-time wedding shots'.
Some of us have been roped in unwillingly or otherwise. And for a lot of us it was a once and done...but we do have combat photos to share!!!

That would be really interesting! And I'm not going to lie, when you said "combat photos to share!" the first thing that popped into my mind was photos of brides and mothers-in-law engaged in combat! Now that I want to see

Hey Alex, were all of your interior shots using bounce flash. I'm just curious to know if you use TTL or manual. I'm using a Sigma 610 super on my K-5IIs and when bouncing I find it easier to use manual flash if the interior lighting doesn't change much.

Thanks

Harry

I have never explored manual on the flash when bouncing, however it is something I should probably play with. I will add that to the list of things to explore. If that's the case and turns out to work better, I might just sell the Metz 50 and get another Yongnuo 560 II. Thanks for the protip!

Everyone - thank you so much for your kind words, and I apologize for not getting back to this thread and your comments sooner. Things just kept popping up that prevented me from addressing them all in full. But better late than never, eh?

Again, thank you - like I told Rob, this will most likely remain one of my greatest photographic endeavors of my ‘career.’To which he responded, "Sir, if the whole Army thing doesn't work out for you, you have a future as a photographer." Worth more than any paycheck

-Heie

[Deedee]

Hi,

I have been a fan of yours since the time I saw your crazy video where you showered the Pentaxes somewhere in Afghanistan.

Today I officially add you to the list of my Gurus who I can learn from.

I am sure this is a mission accomplished for you. For the amount of details you covered in your post is INSANE. Ofcourse your military background / or upbringing helps I am sure that is the case.

One hell of a job executing and one hell of a task documenting it. Thank you and much respect. I have bookmarked this post - In future I ever plan to do something similar I will use this page as 10 commandments

Cheers!

[MSL]

Alex - great storytelling - I'll admit I only scanned through it for now. My favorite photos - #6 and #12. Love what you did on the bridge with their inspiration. I also like the spontaneity of #12 where only half the couple is posing for the camera.