My first photography job - help!

Sandy Hancock · 08-24-2013, 01:45 AM

Did they ask you because they thought they could save money, or because they love your photography?

Make sure the couple's expectations are realistic. If they are not, RUN!

If you do decide to take it on, check out the venue(s) in advance, and ideally attend a rehearsal if the couple are having one.
If the wedding in question is not too soon, try to find a tame local professional wedding photographer and offer to work as an assistant for free.
Plan carefully what sort of shots you will need to get, and practice taking similar shots to be confident you can nail it when needed.
I would suggest you get a better second body. A second hand K-5, a run-out K-30 or even a K-01 would be a great compliment to your K-5 II.
At least one faster lens would be worth having. A 50/1.4 can be had quite cheaply. Faster zooms would be great, but will cost you quite a bit.
Make sure you have a good swivel/bounce head flash and you are fully familiar with how to get good results from it.
Make sure you have spare batteries, spare SD cards, etc.

GibbyTheMole · 08-24-2013, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by adwb

Politely decline and save face , if you screw up you could join the dozens who get sued every year for thousands when the only charged hundreds or in some really stupid cases tens .

Annnnnnnnnd there ya go. Precisely why I wouldn't shoot any wedding under any circumstances, unless it was a freebie for a family member. There are an awful lot of litigious dirtbags out there, and basically, I don't trust people as far as I could throw my house. Not worth the risk, IMO...

MPrince · 08-24-2013, 11:46 AM

Honestly, you need to do two things:

1) Tell the happy couple you are not qualified to shoot a wedding.

2) Apprentice yourself to a wedding photographer (assuming wedding photography interests you) so that you can learn the wedding photography business. That way, the next time a happy couple asks you to shoot their wedding, you can tell them you would be delighted to do so.

Wedding photography is serious business, and even if you don't want to pursue it as a business, you should know how to do so if you are going to be the official photographer at a wedding.

narual · 09-29-2013, 08:37 PM

Originally posted by gabro822

Hi Neville!
In my opinion, you don't need anything else in your kit (except a flash, very important).

Really? You don't see anything missing from there? Like maybe a second (reasonably up to date) camera in case his first one fails for some reason? You don't get do-overs. Don't mess around with people's weddings.

Last edited by narual; 09-29-2013 at 08:48 PM.

dcBear78 · 10-05-2013, 11:49 PM

What I learnt from my first one (casual freebie for family) was to be assertive and make sure the bridal party know to listen to you. There is a heap of family trying to get their photos, make sure the bridal party know you are the one who is taking the photos and to look at you for the posed shots, not everyone else.

Having a 2nd helps. Recruit someone from local photography club/facebook group. I did this and it helped me out as we had different styles. I was better at the candid portraits, she nailed the set shots and macro (style) shots of flowers etc.

Have 2 bodies with different lens on you at all times. I was using a DA35 and FA77 and it was a pain in the ass to be switching lenses over.

The tip mentioned about the background is important. I learnt this too late.

My old hockey coach told me once, "their are unlimited shots in hockey." Same applies here. Keep pressing that button.

KGH · 12-03-2013, 05:00 PM

Just wondering how Neville made out on the wedding shoot...

Neville · 12-03-2013, 07:57 PM

Originally posted by KGH

Just wondering how Neville made out on the wedding shoot...

I eventually decided not to do it.

adwb · 12-04-2013, 01:05 AM

Well done Neville, best decision to have made even if you now think I wish I had done it.
13 years since I left SA looking at google maps there's been some major changes to Durbs.

Wired · 12-19-2013, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by Neville

I eventually decided not to do it.

Can you at least still goto the wedding and bring your camera?

What I've done for a few weddings where I was not hired but I know I wanted to learn was:

- find the hired photographer, introduce yourself, and ask him/her if they wouldn't mind if you took a few photos yourself
- if the hired photographer agrees, let me know that if they find you are getting in the way that they can ask you to put your camera away
- make sure you always stay out of the hired photographers way. I always make sure he/she is in front of me, or that there is no possible way I'm in the frame if I'm doing this
- bring a zoom lens, because there is going to be little to no way your going to make use of a normal. I usually did this with my 50-135mm
- when she poses the couples, make sure your listen and watch the photographer interact with them, but also pay attention to how it changes the image. There are so many posing techniques that I've learned that make you sound more personable than "turn your left shoulder towards me"

if you can do that a few times you may run into the same photographer more than once, build a relationship, network, and maybe get on as a second shooter. Thats how I've done it. I've only taken a handful solo jobs, but I've done about a dozen second shooter jobs and the experience I've gained has been unreal.

lesiamert · 12-22-2013, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by Neville

I've been asked to be the official photographer at a wedding, and I am both excited and terrified!
What should I do? I have no idea how to prepare for something like this and I am scared that I might botch it up and ruin the bridal couple's special day. On the other hand, I feel honoured and excited to take on the challenge.
I've been asked to give them a quote, but I have no idea how much I should charge, if at all.
I've made it clear that I have not done anything like this before.
Any tips or advice to this novice?
You can check out my modest kit on my profile.

I think the photographers normally get these kind of problems and the client always only need their photographs looks stunning and if the photographs are good they really appreciate it and they don't care about other things.

photographyguy74 · 12-24-2013, 10:51 PM - **1 Like**

I do not want to saying anything negative but shooting a wedding is a lot of work. I'm trying to get into weddings. I have shot one wedding and I definitely made several mistakes. I was never even a second shooter at a wedding before I tackled one. My advice would be to respectfully decline. However, if you cannot decline or if you have already agreed to shoot the wedding, I would try to research wedding photography as much as possible between now and the wedding. I also would not charge very much. I might even offer to shoot if for free if you will be giving the clients a disc of your images. I know that you want to make money but I think that gaining experience from shooting your first wedding and learning from your mistakes may be more valuable than earning money for your first wedding. I am not trying to bring you down but you will more than likely make mistakes if you have never been a second second shooter at a wedding or if you have never assisted a wedding photographer before. I am speaking from experience. I am not in any way inferring that you are a bad photographer or anything like that. Even though you may (and probably will) make some mistakes shooting your first wedding, the experience you will get will be very valuable. Try to do the best job you can but considerate it as a learning experience because it is definitely that.

lesiamert · 12-25-2013, 05:07 AM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

I do not want to saying anything negative but shooting a wedding is a lot of work. I'm trying to get into weddings. I have shot one wedding and I definitely made several mistakes. I was never even a second shooter at a wedding before I tackled one. My advice would be to respectfully decline. However, if you cannot decline or if you have already agreed to shoot the wedding, I would try to research wedding photography as much as possible between now and the wedding. I also would not charge very much. I might even offer to shoot if for free if you will be giving the clients a disc of your images. I know that you want to make money but I think that gaining experience from shooting your first wedding and learning from your mistakes may be more valuable than earning money for your first wedding. I am not trying to bring you down but you will more than likely make mistakes if you have never been a second second shooter at a wedding or if you have never assisted a wedding photographer before. I am speaking from experience. I am not in any way inferring that you are a bad photographer or anything like that. Even though you may (and probably will) make some mistakes shooting your first wedding, the experience you will get will be very valuable. Try to do the best job you can but considerate it as a learning experience because it is definitely that.

You are right at first wedding shoot the photographer will definately made mistakes, but he can learn from those mistakes but that does not mean you shoot free you can charge them less, but i think free shoot is not a good idea

photographyguy74 · 12-25-2013, 07:42 AM

Originally posted by lesiamert

You are right at first wedding shoot the photographer will definately made mistakes, but he can learn from those mistakes but that does not mean you shoot free you can charge them less, but i think free shoot is not a good idea

Well, to be honest, I'm not certain that shooting a wedding for free would be a good idea either. I know that I'd like to get paid. It was a suggestion and it was made after some hesitation.

Wheatfield · 12-29-2013, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by seventhdr

If you want to set a fee start at US$5,000, but don't go less than US$3,000. That is a good price for a "professional" photographer to charge. (A "Mum and Pop" amateur will charge less but their end product will also be of a much lower quality.)

For the record, I have seen some "Mum and Pop" work that would put that of many professionals to shame.

AquaDome · 01-05-2014, 11:17 PM

You chose wisely. I shot my sister's outdoor wedding with a K1000 and a flash. At the end I handed her husband the rolls of film and said "Congratulations". I have since seen copies of the prints in an album my parents have. They're good, but it looks more like a picnic or county fair than a wedding album. I haven't heard from my sister since. That was in 1997.

12-22-2013, 09:26 AM	#25
lesiamert Banned Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Punjab, Lahore Posts: 3	photographers normally get problems Originally posted by Neville I've been asked to be the official photographer at a wedding, and I am both excited and terrified! What should I do? I have no idea how to prepare for something like this and I am scared that I might botch it up and ruin the bridal couple's special day. On the other hand, I feel honoured and excited to take on the challenge. I've been asked to give them a quote, but I have no idea how much I should charge, if at all. I've made it clear that I have not done anything like this before. Any tips or advice to this novice? You can check out my modest kit on my profile. I think the photographers normally get these kind of problems and the client always only need their photographs looks stunning and if the photographs are good they really appreciate it and they don't care about other things.

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08-24-2013, 01:45 AM	#16
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Did they ask you because they thought they could save money, or because they love your photography? Make sure the couple's expectations are realistic. If they are not, RUN! If you do decide to take it on, check out the venue(s) in advance, and ideally attend a rehearsal if the couple are having one. If the wedding in question is not too soon, try to find a tame local professional wedding photographer and offer to work as an assistant for free. Plan carefully what sort of shots you will need to get, and practice taking similar shots to be confident you can nail it when needed. I would suggest you get a better second body. A second hand K-5, a run-out K-30 or even a K-01 would be a great compliment to your K-5 II. At least one faster lens would be worth having. A 50/1.4 can be had quite cheaply. Faster zooms would be great, but will cost you quite a bit. Make sure you have a good swivel/bounce head flash and you are fully familiar with how to get good results from it. Make sure you have spare batteries, spare SD cards, etc.

08-24-2013, 08:13 AM	#17
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by adwb Politely decline and save face , if you screw up you could join the dozens who get sued every year for thousands when the only charged hundreds or in some really stupid cases tens . Annnnnnnnnd there ya go. Precisely why I wouldn't shoot any wedding under any circumstances, unless it was a freebie for a family member. There are an awful lot of litigious dirtbags out there, and basically, I don't trust people as far as I could throw my house. Not worth the risk, IMO...

08-24-2013, 11:46 AM	#18
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Honestly, you need to do two things: 1) Tell the happy couple you are not qualified to shoot a wedding. 2) Apprentice yourself to a wedding photographer (assuming wedding photography interests you) so that you can learn the wedding photography business. That way, the next time a happy couple asks you to shoot their wedding, you can tell them you would be delighted to do so. Wedding photography is serious business, and even if you don't want to pursue it as a business, you should know how to do so if you are going to be the official photographer at a wedding.

09-29-2013, 08:37 PM	#19
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Originally posted by gabro822 Hi Neville! In my opinion, you don't need anything else in your kit (except a flash, very important). Really? You don't see anything missing from there? Like maybe a second (reasonably up to date) camera in case his first one fails for some reason? You don't get do-overs. Don't mess around with people's weddings. Last edited by narual; 09-29-2013 at 08:48 PM.

10-05-2013, 11:49 PM	#20
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	What I learnt from my first one (casual freebie for family) was to be assertive and make sure the bridal party know to listen to you. There is a heap of family trying to get their photos, make sure the bridal party know you are the one who is taking the photos and to look at you for the posed shots, not everyone else. Having a 2nd helps. Recruit someone from local photography club/facebook group. I did this and it helped me out as we had different styles. I was better at the candid portraits, she nailed the set shots and macro (style) shots of flowers etc. Have 2 bodies with different lens on you at all times. I was using a DA35 and FA77 and it was a pain in the ass to be switching lenses over. The tip mentioned about the background is important. I learnt this too late. My old hockey coach told me once, "their are unlimited shots in hockey." Same applies here. Keep pressing that button.

12-03-2013, 05:00 PM	#21
KGH Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 102	Just wondering how Neville made out on the wedding shoot...

12-03-2013, 07:57 PM	#22
Neville Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Durban, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 561 Original Poster	Originally posted by KGH Just wondering how Neville made out on the wedding shoot... I eventually decided not to do it.

12-04-2013, 01:05 AM	#23
adwb Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bristol UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,636	Well done Neville, best decision to have made even if you now think I wish I had done it. 13 years since I left SA looking at google maps there's been some major changes to Durbs.

12-19-2013, 06:40 PM	#24
Wired Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Edmonton, AB Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,519	Originally posted by Neville I eventually decided not to do it. Can you at least still goto the wedding and bring your camera? What I've done for a few weddings where I was not hired but I know I wanted to learn was: - find the hired photographer, introduce yourself, and ask him/her if they wouldn't mind if you took a few photos yourself - if the hired photographer agrees, let me know that if they find you are getting in the way that they can ask you to put your camera away - make sure you always stay out of the hired photographers way. I always make sure he/she is in front of me, or that there is no possible way I'm in the frame if I'm doing this - bring a zoom lens, because there is going to be little to no way your going to make use of a normal. I usually did this with my 50-135mm - when she poses the couples, make sure your listen and watch the photographer interact with them, but also pay attention to how it changes the image. There are so many posing techniques that I've learned that make you sound more personable than "turn your left shoulder towards me" if you can do that a few times you may run into the same photographer more than once, build a relationship, network, and maybe get on as a second shooter. Thats how I've done it. I've only taken a handful solo jobs, but I've done about a dozen second shooter jobs and the experience I've gained has been unreal.

12-24-2013, 10:51 PM - 1 Like	#26
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331	I do not want to saying anything negative but shooting a wedding is a lot of work. I'm trying to get into weddings. I have shot one wedding and I definitely made several mistakes. I was never even a second shooter at a wedding before I tackled one. My advice would be to respectfully decline. However, if you cannot decline or if you have already agreed to shoot the wedding, I would try to research wedding photography as much as possible between now and the wedding. I also would not charge very much. I might even offer to shoot if for free if you will be giving the clients a disc of your images. I know that you want to make money but I think that gaining experience from shooting your first wedding and learning from your mistakes may be more valuable than earning money for your first wedding. I am not trying to bring you down but you will more than likely make mistakes if you have never been a second second shooter at a wedding or if you have never assisted a wedding photographer before. I am speaking from experience. I am not in any way inferring that you are a bad photographer or anything like that. Even though you may (and probably will) make some mistakes shooting your first wedding, the experience you will get will be very valuable. Try to do the best job you can but considerate it as a learning experience because it is definitely that.

12-25-2013, 05:07 AM	#27
lesiamert Banned Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Punjab, Lahore Posts: 3	Originally posted by photographyguy74 I do not want to saying anything negative but shooting a wedding is a lot of work. I'm trying to get into weddings. I have shot one wedding and I definitely made several mistakes. I was never even a second shooter at a wedding before I tackled one. My advice would be to respectfully decline. However, if you cannot decline or if you have already agreed to shoot the wedding, I would try to research wedding photography as much as possible between now and the wedding. I also would not charge very much. I might even offer to shoot if for free if you will be giving the clients a disc of your images. I know that you want to make money but I think that gaining experience from shooting your first wedding and learning from your mistakes may be more valuable than earning money for your first wedding. I am not trying to bring you down but you will more than likely make mistakes if you have never been a second second shooter at a wedding or if you have never assisted a wedding photographer before. I am speaking from experience. I am not in any way inferring that you are a bad photographer or anything like that. Even though you may (and probably will) make some mistakes shooting your first wedding, the experience you will get will be very valuable. Try to do the best job you can but considerate it as a learning experience because it is definitely that. You are right at first wedding shoot the photographer will definately made mistakes, but he can learn from those mistakes but that does not mean you shoot free you can charge them less, but i think free shoot is not a good idea

12-25-2013, 07:42 AM	#28
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331	Originally posted by lesiamert You are right at first wedding shoot the photographer will definately made mistakes, but he can learn from those mistakes but that does not mean you shoot free you can charge them less, but i think free shoot is not a good idea Well, to be honest, I'm not certain that shooting a wedding for free would be a good idea either. I know that I'd like to get paid. It was a suggestion and it was made after some hesitation.

12-29-2013, 11:26 AM	#29
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by seventhdr If you want to set a fee start at US$5,000, but don't go less than US$3,000. That is a good price for a "professional" photographer to charge. (A "Mum and Pop" amateur will charge less but their end product will also be of a much lower quality.) For the record, I have seen some "Mum and Pop" work that would put that of many professionals to shame.

01-05-2014, 11:17 PM	#30
AquaDome Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New Carlisle, IN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,475	You chose wisely. I shot my sister's outdoor wedding with a K1000 and a flash. At the end I handed her husband the rolls of film and said "Congratulations". I have since seen copies of the prints in an album my parents have. They're good, but it looks more like a picnic or county fair than a wedding album. I haven't heard from my sister since. That was in 1997.