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Amateur Wedding Photography
Amateur Wedding Photography
I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
advance for any 'light' you can shed.
I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
advance for any 'light' you can shed.
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
On 5/13/08 10:29 AM, in article
e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com , "Barb"
<sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
Most churches will not allow such lighting equipment. Pro photogs use
available. Tell her to bring a tripod since the exposure can be lengthily.
On 5/13/08 10:29 AM, in article
e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com , "Barb"
<sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
Most churches will not allow such lighting equipment. Pro photogs use
available. Tell her to bring a tripod since the exposure can be lengthily.
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
Barb wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
There was a very long thread on this about a year ago. You might check
Google Groups and see if you can find it.
Allen
Barb wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
There was a very long thread on this about a year ago. You might check
Google Groups and see if you can find it.
Allen
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
>I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
You can use google to find many guides to wedding photography tips and
tricks. But one cannot expect to absorb all the tips and tricks just by
reading them. It takes practices.
Whenever I'm asked to shoot a wedding, I always tell the couple I'm not a
pro and they *need* to get at least one other photographer, amateur or pro.
The last thing I want is to ruin a friendship because I screw up, got sick,
or my equipment fail on the day.
If there is a wedding rehearsal at about the same time of day, it would be a
good practice opportunity.
The photographer needs to know her equipment very well because there is no
time to think when shooting a wedding. If she rents studio strobes, she may
not even have time to set them up. She needs to have on-camera flash ready
at all times (probably need a flash bracket and an external battery pack).
An assistant to carry stuff, set up lighting, locate missing relatives, tear
down lighting, watch her gear, ... is very very useful.
Do the couple want posed group shots or posed couple shots? Posing people in
a pleasing manner is a whole new topic and something most amateur
photographers have trouble with. Some photographers skirt the issue by
declaring themselves photojournalist-style wedding photographers :)
>I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
You can use google to find many guides to wedding photography tips and
tricks. But one cannot expect to absorb all the tips and tricks just by
reading them. It takes practices.
Whenever I'm asked to shoot a wedding, I always tell the couple I'm not a
pro and they *need* to get at least one other photographer, amateur or pro.
The last thing I want is to ruin a friendship because I screw up, got sick,
or my equipment fail on the day.
If there is a wedding rehearsal at about the same time of day, it would be a
good practice opportunity.
The photographer needs to know her equipment very well because there is no
time to think when shooting a wedding. If she rents studio strobes, she may
not even have time to set them up. She needs to have on-camera flash ready
at all times (probably need a flash bracket and an external battery pack).
An assistant to carry stuff, set up lighting, locate missing relatives, tear
down lighting, watch her gear, ... is very very useful.
Do the couple want posed group shots or posed couple shots? Posing people in
a pleasing manner is a whole new topic and something most amateur
photographers have trouble with. Some photographers skirt the issue by
declaring themselves photojournalist-style wedding photographers :)
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
peter wrote:
> If there is a wedding rehearsal at about the same time of day, it would be a
> good practice opportunity.
Superb tip!
BugBear
peter wrote:
> If there is a wedding rehearsal at about the same time of day, it would be a
> good practice opportunity.
Superb tip!
BugBear
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
There are a lot of tricks to the trade. For example, no matter how good
your equipment is, it can and will fail right at the worse moment. No real
professional is going to try and do a wedding with just one camera or flash
etc.
I worked at a photo studio and even with experienced professionals we
had some real problems. I also worked at a large Department Store. I was
in the photo retail end, not the studio at the time. The President's
daughter's wedding was being done by the store. Guess what... That *&$%
professional decided to do that wedding drunk. No photos. The Mother of
the bride knew me and asked what I might do. In that case it did not turn
out totally bad. We got the negatives (this was 40 years ago) that anyone
attending the wedding had. From those we ended up with a good, memorable,
if not traditional, album.
However don't send your sister away. She has something that no
professional has. She know the people there. Like those photos in the
album from all those guest, she will have photos that not professional would
know to take. For example, if Uncle Fred is seen dancing with his cousin
Alma who he has not spoken to since that time 20 years ago when she ...
Well that would be a tremendous photo. She also can back up that
professional just encase he does the same thing that happened 40 years ago.
"Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
news:e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com ...
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia 's Muire duit
In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
There are a lot of tricks to the trade. For example, no matter how good
your equipment is, it can and will fail right at the worse moment. No real
professional is going to try and do a wedding with just one camera or flash
etc.
I worked at a photo studio and even with experienced professionals we
had some real problems. I also worked at a large Department Store. I was
in the photo retail end, not the studio at the time. The President's
daughter's wedding was being done by the store. Guess what... That *&$%
professional decided to do that wedding drunk. No photos. The Mother of
the bride knew me and asked what I might do. In that case it did not turn
out totally bad. We got the negatives (this was 40 years ago) that anyone
attending the wedding had. From those we ended up with a good, memorable,
if not traditional, album.
However don't send your sister away. She has something that no
professional has. She know the people there. Like those photos in the
album from all those guest, she will have photos that not professional would
know to take. For example, if Uncle Fred is seen dancing with his cousin
Alma who he has not spoken to since that time 20 years ago when she ...
Well that would be a tremendous photo. She also can back up that
professional just encase he does the same thing that happened 40 years ago.
"Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
news:e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com ...
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia 's Muire duit
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
Good post. I agree.
I think that good wedding photography is very under-estimated. To do it
well is quite specialist and although you need decent equipment, there is so
much more to it that this. Pressing the button is the easy part.
"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail,com > wrote in message
news:4829f515$0$12962$4c368faf@roadrunner,com ...
> In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first
> time, unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family
> member. There are a lot of tricks to the trade. For example, no matter
> how good your equipment is, it can and will fail right at the worse
> moment. No real professional is going to try and do a wedding with just
> one camera or flash etc.
>
> I worked at a photo studio and even with experienced professionals we
> had some real problems. I also worked at a large Department Store. I
> was in the photo retail end, not the studio at the time. The President's
> daughter's wedding was being done by the store. Guess what... That *&$%
> professional decided to do that wedding drunk. No photos. The Mother of
> the bride knew me and asked what I might do. In that case it did not turn
> out totally bad. We got the negatives (this was 40 years ago) that anyone
> attending the wedding had. From those we ended up with a good, memorable,
> if not traditional, album.
>
> However don't send your sister away. She has something that no
> professional has. She know the people there. Like those photos in the
> album from all those guest, she will have photos that not professional
> would know to take. For example, if Uncle Fred is seen dancing with his
> cousin Alma who he has not spoken to since that time 20 years ago when she
> ... Well that would be a tremendous photo. She also can back up that
> professional just encase he does the same thing that happened 40 years
> ago.
>
>
> "Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
> news:e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com ...
>> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
>> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
>> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
>> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
>> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
>> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
>> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
>> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
>> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
>> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
>> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
>> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
>> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
>> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
>
>
> --
> Joseph Meehan
>
> Dia 's Muire duit
>
>
>
Good post. I agree.
I think that good wedding photography is very under-estimated. To do it
well is quite specialist and although you need decent equipment, there is so
much more to it that this. Pressing the button is the easy part.
"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail,com > wrote in message
news:4829f515$0$12962$4c368faf@roadrunner,com ...
> In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first
> time, unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family
> member. There are a lot of tricks to the trade. For example, no matter
> how good your equipment is, it can and will fail right at the worse
> moment. No real professional is going to try and do a wedding with just
> one camera or flash etc.
>
> I worked at a photo studio and even with experienced professionals we
> had some real problems. I also worked at a large Department Store. I
> was in the photo retail end, not the studio at the time. The President's
> daughter's wedding was being done by the store. Guess what... That *&$%
> professional decided to do that wedding drunk. No photos. The Mother of
> the bride knew me and asked what I might do. In that case it did not turn
> out totally bad. We got the negatives (this was 40 years ago) that anyone
> attending the wedding had. From those we ended up with a good, memorable,
> if not traditional, album.
>
> However don't send your sister away. She has something that no
> professional has. She know the people there. Like those photos in the
> album from all those guest, she will have photos that not professional
> would know to take. For example, if Uncle Fred is seen dancing with his
> cousin Alma who he has not spoken to since that time 20 years ago when she
> ... Well that would be a tremendous photo. She also can back up that
> professional just encase he does the same thing that happened 40 years
> ago.
>
>
> "Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
> news:e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com ...
>> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
>> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
>> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
>> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
>> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
>> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
>> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
>> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
>> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
>> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
>> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
>> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
>> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
>> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
>
>
> --
> Joseph Meehan
>
> Dia 's Muire duit
>
>
>
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
Ali wrote:
> Pressing the button is the easy part.
Hereby nominated as rec.photo.digital quote of the week.
BugBear
Ali wrote:
> Pressing the button is the easy part.
Hereby nominated as rec.photo.digital quote of the week.
BugBear
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail,com > wrote:
> In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
>unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
>really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
wedding this one is.
If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
every shot you took and every shot you missed.
However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
the amateur photographer will win hands down.
It should just be _very_ clear to everyone upfront what the individual
expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
advice from experienced photographers.
jue
"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail,com > wrote:
> In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
>unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
>really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
wedding this one is.
If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
every shot you took and every shot you missed.
However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
the amateur photographer will win hands down.
It should just be _very_ clear to everyone upfront what the individual
expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
advice from experienced photographers.
jue
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
well.
I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
time and interest! Barb
On May 13, 4:54 pm, Jürgen Exner <jurge...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAM...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> > In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
> >unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> > There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> >really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
>
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be very clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
well.
I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
time and interest! Barb
On May 13, 4:54 pm, Jürgen Exner <jurge...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAM...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> > In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
> >unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> > There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> >really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family member.
>
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be very clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
"Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
news:a52ab621-1377-46a6-bfd2-7360c408d487@d77g2000hsb.googlegroups,com ...
It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
well.
I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
time and interest! Barb
On May 13, 4:54 pm, Jürgen Exner <jurge...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAM...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> > In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
> >unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> > There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> >really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family
> >member.
>
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be _very_ clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
To digest a couple of the suggestions made here, get someone to help the
photographer, especially in the church, someone who knows everyone involved
is probably best, they will act as a runner and to herd the wedding party
for the formal shots, finding uncle Herb out the back etc as well as also
carry a bag of spare gear.
On the spare gear front, borrow or rent a second camera complete with
lenses, one the same as the photographer already has, so it will already be
familiar to use, don't go changing lenses all the time, change cameras and
have a different lens on each, also if one of the cameras fails, there is a
backup. spare batteries are a must as well as spare memory cards, the more
the better (this is why you need an assistant, someone has to carry all the
gear while the photographer is taking shots.) Get a decent tripod for the
Church shots, as has already been said, most Churches don't allow flash or
extra lighting so the tripod will assist when long exposures are called for
(avoid high ISO shots if possible as even from the best Professional class
cameras, they can be noisy)
It might also help the photographer to practice posing groups of people for
shots, (use friends and family) that way you can get an idea of what does
and doesn't work. go the wedding rehearsal and look for places to take good
shots, create a list of expected shots and then make sure they get ticked
off, things like Bride and Groom signing the wedding register, first kiss at
the alter, exchanging rings etc. etc. Talk to the priest, he has seen a lot
of weddings and may be able to assist with good locations, and by asking,
you will get the priest on side and having the person actually running the
ceremony as a friend can only be good :-)
While I may not be an experienced wedding photographer per se, I was married
to one for a while and acted as the gopher at most of the ones she shot ;-)
hopefully some more tips may be forthcoming
good luck :-)
--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg
"Barb" <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote in message
news:a52ab621-1377-46a6-bfd2-7360c408d487@d77g2000hsb.googlegroups,com ...
It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
well.
I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
time and interest! Barb
On May 13, 4:54 pm, Jürgen Exner <jurge...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAM...@hotmail,com > wrote:
> > In all due respect, no one is really prepared to do this the first time,
> >unless they have been trained by a professional at real weddings.
>
> > There are so many things that can and do go wrong. The last person you
> >really want to have this happen to would be a close friend or family
> >member.
>
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be _very_ clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
To digest a couple of the suggestions made here, get someone to help the
photographer, especially in the church, someone who knows everyone involved
is probably best, they will act as a runner and to herd the wedding party
for the formal shots, finding uncle Herb out the back etc as well as also
carry a bag of spare gear.
On the spare gear front, borrow or rent a second camera complete with
lenses, one the same as the photographer already has, so it will already be
familiar to use, don't go changing lenses all the time, change cameras and
have a different lens on each, also if one of the cameras fails, there is a
backup. spare batteries are a must as well as spare memory cards, the more
the better (this is why you need an assistant, someone has to carry all the
gear while the photographer is taking shots.) Get a decent tripod for the
Church shots, as has already been said, most Churches don't allow flash or
extra lighting so the tripod will assist when long exposures are called for
(avoid high ISO shots if possible as even from the best Professional class
cameras, they can be noisy)
It might also help the photographer to practice posing groups of people for
shots, (use friends and family) that way you can get an idea of what does
and doesn't work. go the wedding rehearsal and look for places to take good
shots, create a list of expected shots and then make sure they get ticked
off, things like Bride and Groom signing the wedding register, first kiss at
the alter, exchanging rings etc. etc. Talk to the priest, he has seen a lot
of weddings and may be able to assist with good locations, and by asking,
you will get the priest on side and having the person actually running the
ceremony as a friend can only be good :-)
While I may not be an experienced wedding photographer per se, I was married
to one for a while and acted as the gopher at most of the ones she shot ;-)
hopefully some more tips may be forthcoming
good luck :-)
--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
On Tue, 13 May 2008 15:46:45 -0700 (PDT), Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
: It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
: suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
: nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
: probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
: She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
: shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
: gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
: that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
: and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
: at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
: well.
In the overall context of things, failure to capture the ceremony may not be
all that big a deal. Some churches don't allow photography during the ceremony
anyway, or place such restrictions on it that good pictures are often hard to
get, even for an experienced professional. If your sister gets good pictures
after the ceremony and at the reception, that may be all that's required. (And
as someone suggested, she should go to the rehearsal if possible. She may get
some good pictures there, and at least it will be good practice.)
: I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
: 'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
: mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
: looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
: my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
: equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
: except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
: you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
: time and interest! Barb
I have an interesting situation coming up in a couple of weeks. Back when I
was in college, one of my cousins got married. I had recently bought my first
Nikon, and through some process I don't quite remember, I was designated the
official photographer of the event. I did the best I could, shooting in B&W
and making the prints myself. As I recall, they were adequate, although
nothing to really brag about. The bride and groom liked them well enough, and
I'm told they still have them.
Now a bit of time has passed, and my cousin and his wife are about to
celebrate their 50th anniversary. My wife and I will be driving from Boston to
Chicago for the occasion, hauling along our Canons and our collection of
lenses. I expect the whole weekend to be a grand photo shoot, wherein I'll be
competing, in a way, with the original wedding photographer, which was me. If
my pictures of the anniversary parties, taken with modern digital equipment,
aren't an order of magnitude better than those I took 50 years ago, I'll feel
like a dope.
So tell your sister that if she does too good a job, she may just be providing
retroactive competition for herself in the future!
Bob
On Tue, 13 May 2008 15:46:45 -0700 (PDT), Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
: It's me again, the original poster. Everyone has given some wonderful
: suggestions, and I appreciate them. I think my sister has things
: nailed as far as the composition goes, an "eye" for a great shot, and
: probably a lot of the innate qualities that make a photographer great.
: She has an amazing knack for capturing the moment. What is making her
: shake is the actual wedding ceremony itself, and just making sure she
: gets some decent shots of some of the special moments, in lighting
: that may not be as favorable as what she is used to. As for the bride
: and groom - they are totally non-fussy, even tho the reception will be
: at a Country Club, and my sister and her family are laid back as
: well.
In the overall context of things, failure to capture the ceremony may not be
all that big a deal. Some churches don't allow photography during the ceremony
anyway, or place such restrictions on it that good pictures are often hard to
get, even for an experienced professional. If your sister gets good pictures
after the ceremony and at the reception, that may be all that's required. (And
as someone suggested, she should go to the rehearsal if possible. She may get
some good pictures there, and at least it will be good practice.)
: I had a fiasco at my own wedding a hundred years ago with a
: 'professional' photographer that took 47 photos of a good friend of
: mine who looked like Farah Faucett (who btw used to be pretty good
: looking!) and exactly one of my grandmother. So the amateur status of
: my sis doesn't bother me much, either, and I think if she had
: equipment failure or any other catastrophe, no one would be too upset
: except her. That said, any helpful hints that have worked for any of
: you would surely be taken to heart. Thanks again in advance for your
: time and interest! Barb
I have an interesting situation coming up in a couple of weeks. Back when I
was in college, one of my cousins got married. I had recently bought my first
Nikon, and through some process I don't quite remember, I was designated the
official photographer of the event. I did the best I could, shooting in B&W
and making the prints myself. As I recall, they were adequate, although
nothing to really brag about. The bride and groom liked them well enough, and
I'm told they still have them.
Now a bit of time has passed, and my cousin and his wife are about to
celebrate their 50th anniversary. My wife and I will be driving from Boston to
Chicago for the occasion, hauling along our Canons and our collection of
lenses. I expect the whole weekend to be a grand photo shoot, wherein I'll be
competing, in a way, with the original wedding photographer, which was me. If
my pictures of the anniversary parties, taken with modern digital equipment,
aren't an order of magnitude better than those I took 50 years ago, I'll feel
like a dope.
So tell your sister that if she does too good a job, she may just be providing
retroactive competition for herself in the future!
Bob
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
Another good post.
One point in particular that really hit the nail on the head, is that
marriage is all about the love between two people. If people are unable to
afford a GOOD professional photographer, then it isn't important, it really
isn't. It's the marriage that's important.
If you can afford it, then these are the photos that will be shown to your
children, grand children, great grand children, etc.
One thing to bear in mind though is that most people can drive a car and
most think that they are a good driver. How would they do competing against
a WRC, WTCC or F1 driver?
"Jürgen Exner" <jurgenex@hotmail,com > wrote in message
news:co2k249jbjki7m8l6k5hdhca3jn2qi0gok@4ax,com ...
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be very clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
Another good post.
One point in particular that really hit the nail on the head, is that
marriage is all about the love between two people. If people are unable to
afford a GOOD professional photographer, then it isn't important, it really
isn't. It's the marriage that's important.
If you can afford it, then these are the photos that will be shown to your
children, grand children, great grand children, etc.
One thing to bear in mind though is that most people can drive a car and
most think that they are a good driver. How would they do competing against
a WRC, WTCC or F1 driver?
"Jürgen Exner" <jurgenex@hotmail,com > wrote in message
news:co2k249jbjki7m8l6k5hdhca3jn2qi0gok@4ax,com ...
> With all due respect, but doesn't that also depend upon how much value
> the bride/groom attaches to the formalities? What is more important: the
> love between the two newlyweds or the 4-tier wedding cake, the gown, the
> tuxedo, and the perfect pictures? The last wedding I attended as best
> man I had to choose one of my older sport jackets to not outdress the
> groom. Yes, those weddings exist, too, and we don't know which style
> wedding this one is.
> If someone does place so much emphasis on the outward formalities, then
> yes, by all means, hire a professional photographer. And for the
> amateur: stay away as far as possible because you will be blamed for
> every shot you took and every shot you missed.
>
> However if the choice is between photos taken with cell phone cameras
> and an amateur photographer with a somewhat decend camera, then I hope
> the amateur photographer will win hands down.
> It should just be very clear to everyone upfront what the individual
> expectations are. And if there is any mismatch then don't do it.
>
> In this context I can't find anything wrong with asking for additional
> advice from experienced photographers.
>
> jue
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
In article
<e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com >,
Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
My advise. Don't do it! A professional photographer will get much better
results. Your sister needs to realize she is offering to undertake a
real job with a lot of responsibility and it is a hell of a lot of work.
The bulk of the work occurs after the photo shooting is done, when she
has to sit down at her computer and post-process the photos she wants to
give the newlyweds.
I did this for my sister, and all I can say is, never again. Doing
wedding photography when you are also attending the wedding as a guest
is a real drudge. My sister loved the results, as did my parents and her
in-laws, but I spent at least 200 hours AFTER the wedding working on the
wedding album. I also didn't get to enjoy the wedding festivities at all
because I was working.
If your sister must do this, she needs the help of at least one other
photographer who has a good camera because there is no way one person
can get all the shots that a wedding typically involves. Your sister
also needs to rent lighting, and she needs to see the wedding venue
before the wedding takes place and make a list of the photos the bride
and groom want. There are numerous books on wedding photography. Your
sister should read at least one of them.
In article
<e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com >,
Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
My advise. Don't do it! A professional photographer will get much better
results. Your sister needs to realize she is offering to undertake a
real job with a lot of responsibility and it is a hell of a lot of work.
The bulk of the work occurs after the photo shooting is done, when she
has to sit down at her computer and post-process the photos she wants to
give the newlyweds.
I did this for my sister, and all I can say is, never again. Doing
wedding photography when you are also attending the wedding as a guest
is a real drudge. My sister loved the results, as did my parents and her
in-laws, but I spent at least 200 hours AFTER the wedding working on the
wedding album. I also didn't get to enjoy the wedding festivities at all
because I was working.
If your sister must do this, she needs the help of at least one other
photographer who has a good camera because there is no way one person
can get all the shots that a wedding typically involves. Your sister
also needs to rent lighting, and she needs to see the wedding venue
before the wedding takes place and make a list of the photos the bride
and groom want. There are numerous books on wedding photography. Your
sister should read at least one of them.
Re: Amateur Wedding Photography
Why am I the ONLY one who gave her real advice? The rest of you have gotten
into a mindless dissertation.
On 5/13/08 8:01 PM, in article
srhi-B8304F.21012313052008@newsgroups,com cast,net , "Shawn Hirn"
<srhi@comcast,net > wrote:
> In article
> <e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com >,
> Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
>
>> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
>> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
>> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
>> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
>> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
>> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
>> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
>> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
>> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
>> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
>> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
>> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
>> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
>> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
>
> My advise. Don't do it! A professional photographer will get much better
> results. Your sister needs to realize she is offering to undertake a
> real job with a lot of responsibility and it is a hell of a lot of work.
> The bulk of the work occurs after the photo shooting is done, when she
> has to sit down at her computer and post-process the photos she wants to
> give the newlyweds.
>
> I did this for my sister, and all I can say is, never again. Doing
> wedding photography when you are also attending the wedding as a guest
> is a real drudge. My sister loved the results, as did my parents and her
> in-laws, but I spent at least 200 hours AFTER the wedding working on the
> wedding album. I also didn't get to enjoy the wedding festivities at all
> because I was working.
>
> If your sister must do this, she needs the help of at least one other
> photographer who has a good camera because there is no way one person
> can get all the shots that a wedding typically involves. Your sister
> also needs to rent lighting, and she needs to see the wedding venue
> before the wedding takes place and make a list of the photos the bride
> and groom want. There are numerous books on wedding photography. Your
> sister should read at least one of them.
Why am I the ONLY one who gave her real advice? The rest of you have gotten
into a mindless dissertation.
On 5/13/08 8:01 PM, in article
srhi-B8304F.21012313052008@newsgroups,com cast,net , "Shawn Hirn"
<srhi@comcast,net > wrote:
> In article
> <e9d3ddaa-a75e-4ebc-bbb3-4f8bec9b11f2@24g2000hsh.googlegroups,com >,
> Barb <sleibo@corecomm,net > wrote:
>
>> I am writing this message for my sister, who has volunteered to
>> photograph our niece's wedding. She is a marvelous amateur
>> photographer, uses a Canon Digital Rebel and gets amazing shots. The
>> niece is paying for the wedding herself and is on a tight budget, so
>> my sister was glad to offer her services free of charge. She feels
>> confident she can photograph all the outdoor shots, reception, etc.,
>> but is a little nervous about the actual church photography, largely
>> because the wedding will be at 6PM and so the church lighting has her
>> a little concerned. She is open to renting or borrowing or purchasing
>> any lighting equipment she may need. I guess she could use any
>> helpful words of advice from seasoned photographers. I am writing
>> this message in earnest, and surely would appreciate sincere
>> responses, as I have no wish to start any flame wars, etc. Thanks in
>> advance for any 'light' you can shed.
>
> My advise. Don't do it! A professional photographer will get much better
> results. Your sister needs to realize she is offering to undertake a
> real job with a lot of responsibility and it is a hell of a lot of work.
> The bulk of the work occurs after the photo shooting is done, when she
> has to sit down at her computer and post-process the photos she wants to
> give the newlyweds.
>
> I did this for my sister, and all I can say is, never again. Doing
> wedding photography when you are also attending the wedding as a guest
> is a real drudge. My sister loved the results, as did my parents and her
> in-laws, but I spent at least 200 hours AFTER the wedding working on the
> wedding album. I also didn't get to enjoy the wedding festivities at all
> because I was working.
>
> If your sister must do this, she needs the help of at least one other
> photographer who has a good camera because there is no way one person
> can get all the shots that a wedding typically involves. Your sister
> also needs to rent lighting, and she needs to see the wedding venue
> before the wedding takes place and make a list of the photos the bride
> and groom want. There are numerous books on wedding photography. Your
> sister should read at least one of them.
