Amauter wedding photographer - first wedding

[Meegio]

Hey yall

Did my first wedding 3 weeks ago and now i am being brave enough to post them up for c&c :eek:

[Smorter]

Wow you did this for them for free? Very lucky couple

I like the first collage especially. 3 looks a bit too messy to me and 2. I don't like the two heads in the sky type of thing you have going on..seems out of place

You had a tough time with such harsh sunlight. Not possible in the second shot but try position subjects with back to sun, and then fill in their faces with flash or a reflector, or just take it up in Post Processing if its not too dark. The trick to avoid hotspots on the faces is to ensure their faces are under even lighting, and back of head to sun helps with this

[Meegio]

Hey Smorter

Definately didn't do these for free (not sure where you got that impression *scratches head*). But mind you didnt get paid anywhere near enough either.

The collage was a huge hit with the bride (the groom in typical man fashion had little to say). The two heads in the sky was a massive hit with the bride also. She wouldnt stop staring at it.

The sunlight was hard in the second shot. If i put them with their backs to the sun i wouldnt of had the water as the background. Instead it would of been a background of part grass, part fence part water. Not very flattering.

My biggest struggle on the day was shaddows on one of their faces (usually the groom). Combined with panic, inexperience and a bride that felt sick all the time made for a very difficult first experience but i think i made it out alive :-)

[MistieWatters]

If I was the bride I would have nearly wet myself with such awesome photos :)

Out of curiosity (I might be photographing a wedding in similar lighting early next year) what equipment were you using?

[Meegio]

Thankyou very much Misstie, what a awesome compliment!

I used a 400d, 24-105mm f4 L series IS USM lens and a speedlite flash i think it's the 580ex. That sounds pretty poor that i dont know what flash unit i use :( I'll let you know if i told you the wrong one. I should know what i use like the back of my hand *blushes*

[MistieWatters]

Well I know what I am buying if I win a prize in the EOS Photo5 competition! I use a 400D, so if you can get shots like that with a 400D and a nice piece of glass, then I will definitely be content :D

[findonsa]

I must say WOW! It's too good for the first one and I think you've got off with a brilliant start. Well done and congrats!

[Meegio]

Yep Mistie just a simple 400d and a decent lens. That's what make me wonder why people need a $10,000 camera for? There must be a reason but not one that will convince me to spend that kind of money.


Findonsa- thankyou very much for your kind words. Im stoked with the repsonse so far :) Im pretty proud of what i achieved and considering neither the bride or groom had ever seen a single photo i had ever taken before their wedding they were probly surprised by the result.

[umajo]

i like the collage not too keen on faces in the sky but if bride loves it thats all that matters

[MistieWatters]

Yep Mistie just a simple 400d and a decent lens. That's what make me wonder why people need a $10,000 camera for? There must be a reason but not one that will convince me to spend that kind of money.


Some do it for show, others do it for the full frame camera (but I am now used to my cropped frame and love it that way) and others for the larger sensors or extra quality and reliability (although sometimes that too is questionable). Some find it more fit for their purpose (eg. Rob Smith - he uses a 1d and probably needs it for the style of photography he does)

[Smorter]

Hey Smorter

Definately didn't do these for free (not sure where you got that impression *scratches head*). But mind you didnt get paid anywhere near enough either.


Oh cause I saw you wrote amateur but you aren't an amateur anymore, welcome to the world of being a Pro :)

[Meegio]

Oh cause I saw you wrote amateur but you aren't an amateur anymore, welcome to the world of being a Pro :)

Whoa...im a pro...thats so cool! It took for you to say it for me to realise i can be called a pro now :D I achieved my goal!!!!

[jessika]

hi there, how did you do your collage? very nice i like it, was it done in photoshop???

[Meegio]

Collage was done in photoshop. Pretty easy to do. Re-sized the images that i wanted to be posed over the large image to something like 4x3 (or similar) then put a frame around them. Then it was a matter of copying the image and pasting it onto the large picture that was being used as the main image.

Very simple but very effective. Hope that helped.

[jessika]

i thought it might have been done in photoshop. i love it, very simple but so very effective. well done :)

[dn-photographs]

have you assisted at weddings before this one?..

im looking at getting into wedding photography, but not 100% sure how to get into it,

ive done big events before, so im used to the crounds and stuff like that.

[Photogenic]

Hi Meegio

Great photos - I think the second image might be more of a hit with the ladies than the guys - I really like the effect. Especially because you can do a full length shot of the couple and not necessarily see their facial expressions clearly but you get around that with the face shot in the sky - maybe offer the full length with and without the shot in the sky.

Now that you've done the first one the next one should be easier (I would like to say a breeze but you never know what will happen).

Linda

[DG77]

Some do it for show, others do it for the full frame camera (but I am now used to my cropped frame and love it that way) and others for the larger sensors or extra quality and reliability (although sometimes that too is questionable). Some find it more fit for their purpose (eg. Rob Smith - he uses a 1d and probably needs it for the style of photography he does)

A 1d is not FF or $10,000.
I paid $6500 for my 1d3 when they first started shipping to Australia, but they're heaps cheaper now. The 1d series is a 1.3 crop sensor.

The $10,000 FF body you speak of is the 1ds line.
The current 1ds body is the 1ds3. It is essentialy the same as the 1d3, except that it shoots at 5 fps (compared to the 1d3 shooting at 10 fps) and it has a 21mp sensor compared to the 10mp of the 1d3.

The 1ds line is aimed at people who need the file size of a medium format digital back, (like a Hasselblad) but with the versatility of a 35mm format, and at a fraction of the cost. A `blad' can cost anything from $30,000 - $50,000.

There are certainly many advantages with the 1 series bodies over the less expensive ones, but they still won't make a shite photographer any better. :)

Meegio's images prove my point that a talented photographer does not need mega expensive equipment (although decent lenses will always help) to produce decent work.
I'm always offended when people look at some of my work and say "wow, you must have a really good camera" almost as if I stick it in auto and aim and shoot or something.

[trigger]

I really like the 1st mono one. You did a good job of converting it to BW.

Not sure about the 2nd and 3rd one. The 2nd one reminds me of a funeral photo where they float up into the sky :(
Your had the right idea for the 3rd one. however i think its a just a bit too far cropped in.

And about wondering why you need to invest in $$$ equipment. you might not know yet. But once your clients start to ask for poster size prints you will understand why camera resolution matters :)
Other reasons include

1. 400D shutter speed is 3fps? and prove to break down more often when doing alot of shoots.
2. Better/more setings at your finger tips
3. Camera life, weather sealing, battery life.
4. Double CF card slots, Better ISO. better DOF with FF

and on and on..... :)





That's what make me wonder why people need a $10,000 camera for? There must be a reason but not one that will convince me to spend that kind of money.


Findonsa- thankyou very much for your kind words. Im stoked with the repsonse so far :) Im pretty proud of what i achieved and considering neither the bride or groom had ever seen a single photo i had ever taken before their wedding they were probly surprised by the result.

[Mouskie]

I've done plenty of weddings on a Canon 400d and now a 50d, so congrat's on your good work for a first timer. It's hard work but rewarding too.