Wedding Pictures.....

[Babyblue5290]

I was asked to take the wedding pictures for a friend who just got engaged. She said both her and her fiancee talked about it and they wanted me to take them. She said the pics I took of her kids and her were wonderful.

My problem, I'm not good at photography. Not good enough to be taking wedding pics!!

One of the main reasons they want me to take them is because they probably don't have enough money to get a real photographer and I'm the best photographer she knows. Which is sad, cause I suck.

The wedding won't be until spring sometimes next year, but I'm not a good photographer at all. I have too much crap going on. I don't know if I'll be able to do this and take any good shots! I don't want to take pictures and then have none of them good quality for her.

It sucks. At least I have some time to practice though.

 

[Aussie Red]

whoa I thought you meant you went and did it and said nothing .......lol

I would tell her that and that this is too special a day for any mistakes to be made. It could damage a friendship. I would never do it other then to get pics that a photographer did not.

 

[Babyblue5290]

whoa I thought you meant you went and did it and said nothing .......lol

I would tell her that and that this is too special a day for any mistakes to be made. It could damage a friendship. I would never do it other then to get pics that a photographer did not.

I'm not worried about our friendship. It's really not much of a friendship. It's more like acquaintances. She's more a friend of a friend who I hang out with when I'm with my friend, cause she's my friends best friend. So she's a friend, just not real close friend.

I told her I wasn't a good photographer, and she's seen my pics, but especially for this. She's pretty insistent that I do this. I just didn't feel good enough, or in a good enough mood, to tell her no today. So I said I'd think about it.

And she's not going to be able to afford a photographer no matter what. They just can't afford it.

 

[RedHotDobe]

If they won't be able to afford a real photographer, I'm sure the memories captured would mean more to them than the quality of the photo. Having a friend take pictures would be better than having no photographer at all.

I wouldn't feel comfortable photographing someone's wedding either, but if you are their only option, and saying no will leave them with no wedding photos and no way of hiring a photographer, I'd give it my best shot. Get some tips for taking wedding photos, explain to them that you are not a professional and the photos may reflect that, and go there and give it your best.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Barb04]

My neighbor took pics for us. Maybe they all weren't perfect, but I have the memories I want and that's what counts the most. It's also special to me that our friend took them for us.

 

[Brattina88]

Maybe just take a gazillion pics, so you can delete the really bad ones?

I agree with the others, quality is not always important, if the memories are captured... that's what really counts
I don't envy your situation! Let us know how it goes...

 

[arishaun]

One of my best friends asked me to do this for his wedding in June. He and his fiancee had seen my fashion work and wanted that kind of look. However, I'm not that great when it comes to photographing events, so I said no. I didn't want to take the risk of coming out with crap and having his fiancee (who is normally a nice girl, but turned into major Bridezilla) upset.

Worse comes to worse, perhaps you can do the "formal" posed shots of them together all dressed up and with their families? It would be better than nothing without the added pressure of capturing every single detail of the event.

 

[arishaun]

Another suggestion:

If there are any colleges in your area, perhaps you might want to post an ad with their photo department looking for a student willing to do it for cheap? I know my colleagues at Art Center do weddings on the side all the time to help with living and school expenses.

 

[jjsmom]

If they won't be able to afford a real photographer, I'm sure the memories captured would mean more to them than the quality of the photo. Having a friend take pictures would be better than having no photographer at all.

I wouldn't feel comfortable photographing someone's wedding either, but if you are their only option, and saying no will leave them with no wedding photos and no way of hiring a photographer, I'd give it my best shot. Get some tips for taking wedding photos, explain to them that you are not a professional and the photos may reflect that, and go there and give it your best.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I completely agree with this. If you are their only option, then they will be thrilled to have you do this and it would mean a lot to them and they won’t care about quality as much.
There are some excellent books and resources out there on how to shoot weddings. There are whole books just on that subject and many books at least have small sections on wedding shoots. One book I particularly like has about 25 pages worth of excellent info on weddings including where and where NOT to crop your pics, lighting, backgrounds, unusual vantage points, and how to make the bride look her best. I would recommend starting with this one at the very minimum before the wedding. It is called “The Digital Photography Book†by Scott Kelby

 

[Babyblue5290]

I'm actually in college right now ^_^ so yes there's a college nearby! lol

I completely agree with this. If you are their only option, then they will be thrilled to have you do this and it would mean a lot to them and they won’t care about quality as much.
There are some excellent books and resources out there on how to shoot weddings. There are whole books just on that subject and many books at least have small sections on wedding shoots. One book I particularly like has about 25 pages worth of excellent info on weddings including where and where NOT to crop your pics, lighting, backgrounds, unusual vantage points, and how to make the bride look her best. I would recommend starting with this one at the very minimum before the wedding. It is called “The Digital Photography Book†by Scott Kelby

Thanks! I'll read it! I'll also suggest posting a flier at my college and if worse comes to worse and they don't find anyone I'll do it.

 

[MaxsMom]

You could also suggest that she have some disposable cameras on hand and just have guests take some random shots. Sometimes that way you get some really great pics that would have been missed otherwise.

 

[juliefurry]

You could also suggest that she have some disposable cameras on hand and just have guests take some random shots. Sometimes that way you get some really great pics that would have been missed otherwise.

yeah that's what I was going to say have 2 disposable cameras at each table during the reception and have the guests snap shots as well. AND MAKE SURE SHE GETS VIDEO OF THE CEREMONY!!!!! Me and Mark don't have a wedding video and I wish we did so bad and it's the only thing that I really regret is I don't have the video to remember it by.

 

[Saje]

photo.net is a great site for learning tricks of the trade and they have a whole forum for weddings and social events. http://photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=2021

There are a lot of pros there and you can look for articles by them. Also go through their galleries to look for different poses you might want to try. If you really want to put some effort in you could go and scope out places to take pictures if the b&g don't have anything in mind. Or go to their place and consider lighting and angles. Then fill your memory card!

 

[gradyupmybutt]

Oh! No pressure there! I was volunteered by my mom to do the brides hair. I was so frikking nervous. Anywho, it turned out well.

I would suggest just taking a LOT of pictures. There are bound to be good ones just by volume. At least that's what some professionals do. The book JJsmom suggested sounds awesome but you can't really miss by taking a ton of pictures. Fill your card & charge your batteries & have fun.

 

[zoe08]

I definitely would hate to be in that situation and I am a photographer, but I haven't decided whether or not I am going to shoot weddings.

What kind of camera do you have?

#1- You must have at least 2 - 1gb memory cards, maybe more.
#2 - On camera flash is the worst thing you can use. I thought I read somewhere you had a Nikon D40? If that is what you have you should be able to get an SB-600 or SB-800, have a friend hold it off camera for you.
#3 - if you will be shooting outside, you should have a reflector, even a white piece of posterboard will help.
#4 - I don't know if she is getting married in a church, but most churches don't allow flash, and even if they do most photographers won't use flash during the ceremony. Make sure in that case you have a tripod and use a higher ISO setting. But make sure when you go back to a higher light area to change your ISO back.

If you have any questions, let me know and I will happily do my best at answering them.

 

[DreamDoby]

If you really don't want to do it, I really would suggest directing her to the school. A friend of mine was married and could not afford a professional photographer. Instead they used a student that was getting ready to graduate. They were charged $200 for the whole day and given rights to all work. Granted each person will be different, but it is an alternative if price is the factor.

I personally would not go with the disposable cameras. The guests alone would take who knows what pictures during the reception, depending upon how much they have been drinking of course. The cost of developing the film might be up there also if this is a larger crowd. It is not always a safe way to attempt to get memories. Chances are half will be floor and ceiling shots.