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09-21-2010, 12:55 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by r0ckstarr Quote
Would I do it again after collecting a few more lenses for the job? For friends / family, sure. For anyone else, maybe. I know dealing with family / friends can be quite different than dealing with stressed out people you don't know, and that's where my maybe comes from.
After my first wedding for family, I'm in the same boat. And that was a good idea about just talking to them and getting them to ignore the camera, wish I had thought of that.

QuoteOriginally posted by Peter Zack Quote
Ash is very diplomatic. If you look at his and my post counts here, we're here a lot to read, learn and ask questions. Sometimes we share stuff but, speaking for myself, I've gained more understanding from the members here than I could ever give back. The reason is to be the best you possibly can be.
Before I took the dive into the wedding scene, most of the use full information I found invaluable about shooting a wedding came from you guys. It still doesn't take the worry out about stuffing it up out, but it sure helped me from not stuffing it up

But I can completely understand why people would say no, had it not been family asking me, I'm sure the first time round I would have said no, even to a friend. But for me it was challenge to expand my skill set.

09-22-2010, 11:15 PM   #47
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I agree that you 100% have to use the best equipment possible and know it inside and out. And of course RAW won't fix everything, I would hope if someone was going to shoot a wedding they would know that but, I should know better than to say that in the digital age.

I was very young, 19 when I started in the photography business. I was working at a portrait studio and I had just come into work when my boss was helping a woman who was in a terrible car accident, pretty much her entire body was in a cast. Nearly everyone in her family died. She wanted reprints of photos from a huge family portrait we had shot a few months earlier. (thank god we had them, I think we only kept them on file for 6 months) I didn't shoot it, sell it and this was my first time seeing it. Sadly the images looked like they did not come out that well. They had to do a lot of creative cropping (120 film days) and since it was a group shot of about 20 people there was a lot of shots with different people blinking or kids not cooperating.

That has always stuck with me, that any job like that, especially a wedding or large family portrait is pricelessly important. This is also why I only shoot small weddings and people know what they are getting. They won't be getting high fashion modeling bridal party shots, and a lot of people do not want that. They just want a good photo. Properly exposed, cropped and people posed nicely. It is also a lot less pressure when its a small wedding and I have less people to take photos of, more time (not really, but its worse the more people that are involved, it always means someone is late) and I'm a lot more relaxed!

to each their own, I just prefer to take on smaller jobs and keep the stress to a minimum, the stresses of a large extravagant expensive wedding is not worth the monetary pros to the health consequences cons....
09-24-2010, 08:51 AM   #48
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Having done both Wedding Photography and Combat Photography ..... I'd sooner be in Combat than do another wedding at any price!
I still shoot some commercial stuff and product/catalogue work, but NO WEDDINGS for reasons everyone else has stated
09-25-2010, 09:28 PM   #49
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This seems fitting for the topic, a good laugh and oh so accurate, lol.

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hpJ1iPD5RQ[/YT]

09-25-2010, 09:54 PM   #50
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I'm with you. I'll do second shooting but I just don't want to be the main shooter. Even if the couple doesn't care about the pictures, I wouldn't let myself do anything but try to capture the emotions of that day in the best way possible, and that requires a lot of planning and stress.
05-07-2011, 01:43 PM   #51
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Oh come on! Weddings are not that bad?!?

I enjoy the challenge and the pressure on the day. Bring it on I say!
05-07-2011, 01:53 PM   #52
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I always just say no politely, (it's just not my thing) besides I could be called off at any time to do my day job (photojournalist) and it wouldn't look good disappearing off at the critical moment during the proceedings.

That always gives me the perfect excuse, without being or appearing confrontational.

05-07-2011, 02:17 PM   #53
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QuoteOriginally posted by gostwick Quote
Oh come on! Weddings are not that bad?!?
Have you been shooting wedding lately?

Wake up at 4AM. Be there at the bride at 4:30, then the other house at 7:00, church at 9:30, mas at 10, family shooting at 11:30-13:30, back home to parents couple at 14:00, portraits with parents, be at restaurant at 15, prepare and shoot interior before anyone arrive, first guest at 16, you know the rest... and not finish until 3-4AM...

Unless a family member having a wedding, or very very close friend that I can't say no...
;-)
05-07-2011, 04:13 PM   #54
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Yes, weddings are whirlwind events, and you have to be alert and on your guard for extended periods of time, but thankfully (at least in western cultures) it's a one day event. You can recover thereafter - until the next weekend or whenever the next booking is.

Personally I consider it an 'enjoyable stress', particularly because everyone's usually in good spirits and generally try to make your job manageable (not necessarily easy ).

It also depends on the agreement with the couple - some brides/grooms are late risers and don't want to be photographed until they're looking at least a little respectable in front of the camera - that has been as late as 10am for me. Then most reception photos are done by 9-10pm, before those who consume alcohol start becoming roudy and lose their good posing ability.
05-07-2011, 04:32 PM   #55
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The wedding I did last was 12hrs for me, started shooting the bride at 10am, and finished the reception by 10pm.
05-07-2011, 05:06 PM   #56
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This is a very interesting read! Especially since I will be shooting my first wedding in a couple of months.
I've shot many events, starting back in the days of manual focus / film. For a long time I would get completely stressed out before the event started. Until I realized that I knew my equipment inside and out. What each lens could and couldn't do, the quirks and possible failings (especially with the flash). That's when I began to relax, and become part of the event instead of just the photographer.

But I love the idea of being the "second" photographer. Maybe I'll have my fiance do all the formal shots while I mingle with the shots I love taking!
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