Photography

[deleon]

Hello all...wasnt sure where to post this...so here it is. I am a photography student at Amarillo College. My wifes best friend is getting married on very tight budget this october, and asked if I would do the photographer. I told her that I didnt think it would be a good idea to let someone that has never done this try to capture a very special day. I did take their engagement prtraites and they were great, but wedding photography is completely dif. She has said that if I wouldnt do it, they were not going to have a photographer at all. Should I go ahead and do this and hope for the best? If I do decide to do this, any ideas on poses, shot I MUST get ect.? Thanks for any imput.

[reecey]

Hello all...wasnt sure where to post this...so here it is. I am a photography student at Amarillo College. My wifes best friend is getting married on very tight budget this october, and asked if I would do the photographer. I told her that I didnt think it would be a good idea to let someone that has never done this try to capture a very special day. I did take their engagement prtraites and they were great, but wedding photography is completely dif. She has said that if I wouldnt do it, they were not going to have a photographer at all. Should I go ahead and do this and hope for the best? If I do decide to do this, any ideas on poses, shot I MUST get ect.? Thanks for any imput.


I would go ahead and do it - you'd rather them have some great shots and some not-so-great shots than none at all, wouldn't you? Either way, your presence and giving of your time and talents will be a wonderful gift to them. There are many lists of "must haves" that you can reference.

http://www.wednet.com/inspire/photo2.asp

http://www.gastongazette.com/weddings/photolist.htm

http://my.bridestuff.com/checklist/photo_checklist.asp

That should start you off - and to really get some great pics, make sure you have a couple of rolls of black and white film - or even better, another ***era dedicated to black and white :)

[SOM Z28]

I'd definately do it. Just be sure you talk with her and express your concern about the importance of the event and that you don't want her to be disappointed if the photos don't turn out the best. I'm sure she understands the chance she is taking in asking an untested photographer shoot her wedding.

Ask her for a list of 'must-have' shots. Many magazines and websites offer lists, so maybe she could put some thought into that. You could do this also, but I'd give her that key. Another thing to consider is whether she wants posed or candids or both. If she likes the posed photos better, then you might do well with that, especially if the bridal potraits turned out well. If she prefers the candids, then this is a good opportunity to learn more about your style.

Either way, take A LOT of film so that you can increase your chances of getting the great shots every bride wants. Also be sure to take extra equipment, such as ***eras, flashes, etc.

Good luck!

[nle5]

Hello all...wasnt sure where to post this...so here it is. I am a photography student at Amarillo College. My wifes best friend is getting married on very tight budget this october, and asked if I would do the photographer. I told her that I didnt think it would be a good idea to let someone that has never done this try to capture a very special day. I did take their engagement prtraites and they were great, but wedding photography is completely dif. She has said that if I wouldnt do it, they were not going to have a photographer at all. Should I go ahead and do this and hope for the best? If I do decide to do this, any ideas on poses, shot I MUST get ect.? Thanks for any imput.

Do you feel you take good pictures? You said that their engagement pictures turned out great. I think this would be a wonderful experience for you and it will also give you something to place in your portfolio to show other respective clients.

Wedding photography is not really any different then taking photographs of anything else. You just need to know what poses the couple would like for you to take. Show them the list of poses and have them mark which ones you will need to take. In addition to the list have them list any pictures which they would like but are not on the list. For instance, I have two daughters and I want my photographer to get a picture of me with them before the wedding. I am sure a lot of the pictures you take will turn out great. The more common pictures to take at a wedding include:

Before the Ceremony
Bride getting ready
Mother adjusting bride's veil
Bride in dress
Bride looking in mirror
Bridesmaids in dressing room
Putting on the garter
Putting the penny in the shoe
Bride with mother
Bride with father
Bride with both parents
Bride with siblings
Bride with honor attendant(s)
Bride with bridesmaids
Bride leaving for ceremony
Bride and father getting into the car
Groom getting ready
Groom alone
Groom with mother
Groom with father
Groom with both parents
Groom with siblings
Groom with best man
Groom with ushers/ groomsmen
Men putting on boutonnieres
Groom leaving for ceremony
The wedding party

The Ceremony

View of ceremony site
The altar
Decorations
Bride and father arriving
Guests arriving
Guests signing guest book
Ushers escorting guests
Groom's parents being seated
Bride's mother being seated
Bridesmaids procession
Bride's procession
Groom's expression
Father giving away bride
Groom meeting bride
Exchanging vows
Lighting the unity candle
Ring exchange
The kiss
Recessional
Receiving line
Signing the marriage license
Bride and groom getting into the car
Bride and groom in back seat

Posed Shots

Shots taken before ceremony
Shots taken after ceremony
Bride alone
Groom alone
Bride and groom together
Bride with honor attendant(s)
Bride with all bridesmaids
Bride with each bridesmaid
Bride with ushers
Bride with her parents
Bride with her grandparents
Groom with best man
Groom with all ushers
Groom with each usher
Groom with bridesmaids
Groom with his parents
Groom with grandparents
Bride and groom with wedding party
Bride and groom with her family
Bride and groom with his family
Bride and groom with all parents
Bride and groom with grandparents
Bride and groom with children
Bride and groom with officiant
Bride and groom's hands with rings
Both families together

At the Reception

Bride and groom's arrival
Receiving line
Bride and groom's grand entrance
Bride's table
Parents' table(s)
Guests' tables
Buffet tables
Cake table
Gift table
Bride and groom's first dance
Bride dancing with her father
Bride dancing with her father-in-law
Groom dancing with his mother
Groom dancing with mother-in-law
Parents dancing
Bridesmaids and ushers dancing
Guests dancing
Musicians
Best man giving toast
Cake cutting ceremony
Feeding each other cake
Bride and groom toasting
Bride tossing bouquet
Groom removing garter
Groom tossing garter
Decorated getaway car
Guest throwing rice
Bride and groom waving good-bye
Back of car as it is leaving

[maybride]

Do it, but be very prepared. In addition to having must-have poses and shots (the ones listed were great!) you must have a schedule of who, where and what order. The way our photographer did it, he started with my complete family. Anyone in attendance, even aunts and uncles. Then he dwindled down to immediate family members only, then just my parents. To that, we added my husband's parents. Then excluded my parents and built up on his side of the family in reverse of what we did with mine. Parents, immediate family, then extended family. After that, most of the family was able to wander off and that just left the wedding party. Bridesmaids with bride then with b & g, then groomsmen with b, then with b & g, then with groom. You get the picture. Just make it so that you get the most pics in as short amount to time as possible and be sure to have one person designated to round everyone up for pics if they should happen to wander off. Let the future b & g know that they need to inform everyone of where they are supposed to be and at what time and for how long you will need them to get all the shots you need. Good luck to you and I think it's a great thing what you are doing for them! :)

[Rev_Hansen]

In addition to what's been said now.. as a pastor it's not uncommon to do a photo shoot of the ceremony esentials like the rings... and group shot at the alter immediately after the wedding is done. Or prior if there's time and nobody is around. This ensures you get the shots from a good angle, and get a close up of anything special.

Take a day out and walk the grounds, looking for pose spots that work well. Both interior and exterior.

You may want to bring more than one ***era and at least 20 rolls of film - nothing worse than running out in mid stream - by having a backup ***era, you'll be able to swing it up and still get the shot.

some things to remember... what not to do...
don't set your tripod in the center of the isle you'll want to be centered, yourself so you can duck back into the pew out of the way as they come by.

once they are set, then you can exit to the rear, and reposition yourself as needed. Be sure to be there for the rehersal walk thru and reherse your shots with the coridnator, and the parties.

Find a spot that works as she walks down the center.. put a piece of **** on the carpet or mark the pew some how.. have her pause with dad, and allow you a clean shot of her entry. Each person should pause at this same spot so your shots are uniform.

Hope this helps.

[Charo]

The photography is so important in the wedding. I would urge this bride to get an experienced photographer and worry about how to pay for it later.

[nle5]

The photography is so important in the wedding. I would urge this bride to get an experienced photographer and worry about how to pay for it later.

A lot of times, college students who are studying for a degree in photography are awesome. They have lower prices and take really good pictures. Many brides who have a low budget can use a college student with a degree in photography for a lot less then they would pay for a normal photographer.

By having this friend do the wedding for her she is going to help get him a portfolio started. He can make an agreement with the bride that any pictures he takes he can use for his portfolio to use once he tries to get a job or start his own business. It is a wonderful experience opportunity and he should take the bride up on her offer to do the pictures.

[reecey]

The photography is so important in the wedding. I would urge this bride to get an experienced photographer and worry about how to pay for it later.


Different things might be of a higher priority to this bride. Also, trying to figure out how to pay for something later isn't always a good thing - people have set budgets sometimes and really can't go over them without really hurting themselves financially for a long period of time. If it is possible, then yes, get a professional, but if the bride feels confident that her friend can do the photography, and the friend is willing to do it, I don't see a problem with it at all.
My dad was confused as to why I was hiring a photographer at all since everyone in my family has a very high quality digital ***era. I explained to him that I wanted actual portraits taken, etc. (dad's like mine don't always understand the detail parts of things) anyway - Either way, she's going to have some wonderful wedding photos to look back on.

[Lilly]

If she wasn't going to have one at all, it's better to have something rather than nothing. And as you know and others have said photography is very important. I've done a fair share of wedding photography.
Make sure you have everything you need, and being a photography student you should have a good ***era, an external flash and and idea of how to pose them. That's half the battle, posing the party right.
Look at photos online, etc.
Do you have adobe photoshop? That's a great program for enhancing the pictures to makethem look even better.

Mara
www.marasevents.com

[Marsha]

make sure you are aware of the light and shadows. (but i know u know this) if people are squinting in all the picks or u cant see there eyes from shadows it can ruin things also.

my photographer was excellent, i didnt even know he was there he just quietly snappped everything, and when i was ready for my close up he was willing to show me what to do.