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View Full Version : We all have days that test us! (long story)


wardie
9th of September 2007 (Sun), 10:06
On Saturday I was reminded in a big way how things can get out of control quickly and this time the 6P's (Prior Planning Prevent P!ss Poor Performance) couldn't help.

I was asked by my wifes family to shoot her cousins wedding as they had heard that I was starting to shoot weddings again.

I had to meet the bride at her parents place (rural area) @11am to shoot the bridal prep, then @2.30pm drive 1 hour north to shoot the groom's party meeting and greeting the guests at the Catholic cathedral prior to the start of their Nuptial Mass @4pm.

Sounds easy, right?

Car packed everything checked @9am, ready to go @10am. Nothing missed.

On the way to the initial appointment my car dies. Dead fuel pump - not a road side fix. I call my wife to pick me up - she's at the hairdressers and has left her phone at home. Call the Brides parents place - no one home. Eventually at midday I get hold of the bride (my wife is still un-contactable). The Bride and her party are still at the hairdressers and will be for another 40 min or more. Luckily she has the limo at the salon so sends it to rescue me.

We all get to the house and as it's late it's a mad scramble for everyone to get ready. It's an Italian family and everyone forgets that I don't speak Italian. Chaos! Some older family members don't speak any English so we're all lost.

Still can't get hold of my wife to come and get me so I can get back on track (she's already left for the church as she doesn't know how to get there - without her phone of course). I now become part of the Bridal entourage.

As we are all outside for the group shots, the heavens open before one shot can be set-up. I eventually shot the bride on the front door step whilst I was standing out in the rain. We then usher everyone into the 5 cars and head off for the church.

I jump out as we arrive so I can get the limo arriving and promptly fall over hard on the wet grass. Luckily I protect my camera but not my knees. As the Limo pulls in it's found that he cannot swing in front of the entrance as the driveway is too narrow and bush lined so the Bride has to get out in the side lane just as it starts to rain again.

Another rush for the church entrance and it all starts. No real poses outside the church- we'll get them later (yeah - right).

5 min into the ceremony my flash starts to play up (rain in the battery pack), so I switch over to ISO 1600 for the rest of the ceremony. Luckily the Catheral is quite well lit.

To be cont.

Presenting - Jordan & Carla Townsend

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/wardie_j/JMB%20Photography/Jordan%20and%20Carla%20Wedding/_MG_7189_web.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/wardie_j/JMB%20Photography/Jordan%20and%20Carla%20Wedding/_MG_7176_web.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/wardie_j/JMB%20Photography/Jordan%20and%20Carla%20Wedding/_MG_7321_web.jpg

Atmosperic location shot
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/wardie_j/JMB%20Photography/Jordan%20and%20Carla%20Wedding/_MG_7345_web.jpg

Wardie

Grace
9th of September 2007 (Sun), 12:16
guhh! what a day. I still looks like you managed some great shots though :(

picturecrazy
9th of September 2007 (Sun), 13:58
Sounds like a terrible day. Car trouble is the one thing that scares me... I hope to never have to deal with that. Could you not call a cab to pick you up where you were broken down?

Glad you eventually got to the wedding. The shots look way overprocessed though... like way too much noise reduction.

Visual Bride
9th of September 2007 (Sun), 15:34
Oh dear,
I have had bad days with video. It knocks you for the whole day. I have to have a sense of inner calm when I shoot. I have never (hopefully never will) had a day like yours.

Looks like you rescued it! ISO 1600 looks fine.

Not keen on your framing in these.

1. No feet. Its a full body shot but with no feet.
2. Just cut off the dress. May be worth cloning out the air vent on the step. Needs cropping. To much clutter. ie. Plasma screen
3. Dress at the bottom just needs a little more breathing space.
4. I like this one.

Think these are easily made even better by a little more cropping to improve the composition. Just me being nit picky.

I look forward to reading the rest of your story. Don't forget to finish it! And give us more pics.

wardie
9th of September 2007 (Sun), 17:45
Thanks guys.

Grace - I wish that these were really great but adequate is how I see them at this time.

picturecrazy - Cabs don't come out into rural areas much, once you're out of the city they really start to become rare. Usually if you can get one out you have to pay it's trip both ways. This time it was too far for them.

These have only been passed through Noise Ninja with default settings to see how they looked, I will have to be adjusting the final cut a lot more closely.


Visual Bride - You caught me! I was so intent on the noise and WB when processing these that I have not really paid attention to the cropping. Thanks for reminding me.

I'm surprised that Y'all never commented on the orange cast in the park bench shot. They are sitting under a tree that's lit by a big ol' orange floodlight. They liked the ambiance it created.

Wardie

Kyl3
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 06:40
Same church I shot at a month ago, freaky :D

Good shots mate, did well!

wardie
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 06:52
Thanks Kyl3.

It's large and fairly well lit for a church isn't it.

Wardie

Kyl3
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 07:14
I absolutely loved it!! So much chaacter! I was able to shoot ambient at around iso500 on my 1d for the ceremony

BEWITCHED
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 07:30
hi have to say Hello nice to see some newcastle photos ... Not many Ausies in the forum
Sorry to hear you had a terrible day Nice photo at Civik Park ... see you latter

wardie
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 07:33
If it had been sunny outside ISO500 would have been attainable easy. All my shots are just using the internal lighting which is why I went ISO1600 to keep the shutter speed up.

Wardie

Jonny
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 08:21
Jeez man, with all the good advice that is posted you should have known that wedding photographers always pack a second car!

wardie
10th of September 2007 (Mon), 09:11
^^LOL - I'll have to buy a mini as a spare. Don't know how to explain that expense to the tax man - wouldn't even try to explain it to the wife.

Thanks BEWITCHED - it wasn't a terrible day as the B&G let nothing faze them which was great but I was frazzled. A terrible day it would have been if the B&G day went to pieces because of my bad day.

Wardie

wardie
29th of October 2007 (Mon), 23:17
Well after all that troubles on the day things turned out OK.

The Bride and Groom say they love the photo's (I'm still not sure if that's because they are family). I see quite a few that definitely will not print over 5 x 7 due to noise but are OK for things like the DVD slide show. They did ask me how I think things would have went if the weather would have been better and I had a car available.

One that I like.
http://www.jmbphotography.com.au/g2_webshare/d/22-1/_MG_7152.jpg

One that had the B&G is stitches.
http://www.jmbphotography.com.au/g2_webshare/d/26-1/_MG_7153.jpg
(they thought it was funny to have Freedom just across the road but a NO EXIT sign between them and it)

Wardie