Reflections on my first wedding

[angryhampster]

Yesterday was my first time being the #1 shooter at a wedding. The lucky couple are old friends of mine from college.

Things that went well:
- The weather. Low 70s and sunny with a gentle breeze all day..perfect weather.
- Off-camera lighting. I compensated for the harsh midday lighting with a 580EX mounted on a light stand. Worked brilliantly for subjects within ~10ft of it.
- The rest of my gear. Every piece of equipment functioned perfectly all day. I was never disappointed.
- My histograms. I've only got a handful of midday outdoor portraits with blown out highlights on the subjects. Balancing a black tux and a huge white dress is quite difficult.
- The bride and groom were wonderful to photograph. They were both laid-back and open to suggestions and creative ideas all day.


Things that went not-so-well:
- Some of my posings for formals. This was my first time ever shooting large groups of people. My shots of 2-5 people mostly turned out great. Any groups larger had faces shadowed or partially covered. Unfortunate, but I can't do anything about it now.
- I was trigger-happy too early. I filled up my 11GB of storage about half-way through the reception. Unfortunately, this meant that I missed the bouquet and garter tosses. Both were uneventful, so I dodged a bullet there.
- My clothes. I'm notoriously cheap on buying clothes. The shoes that I wore were $20 from Target, and my feet reflect that today.
- Free booze. :lol: Who can resist drinking with old friends though?


Things that I will do differently in the future:
- Take more lights. Having a second flash on a stand would have been great at some points.
- Have an assistant.
- Bring more CF cards. A couple more 4GB cards would have been ideal.
- For my next gig I will be buying quality shoes and a more breathable shirt.
- Next time I'll remain a bit more professional at the end of the night.
- Loosen up. When the guests started arriving at the ceremony, I got really tense and timid.


All in all though, I had a great time at a beautiful wedding, and I know the B&G will be very happy with the product that I have to offer them. Below is a sample, I'll make a big post in the photo sharing section when I process more and get my film back.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/www.lexaphoto.com/www/images/lauter_wm01.jpghttp://photography-on-the.net/forum/www.lexaphoto.com/images/lauter_wm01.jpghttp://www.lexaphoto.com/images/lauter_wm01.jpg
http://www.lexaphoto.com/lautner_wm01.jpg

[tim]

Good shoes, plenty of memory, and a professional image (ie not drinking) are important. This is why I say no to friends who want me to photograph their wedding - you can't relax, you don't get given the respect that strangers give you, and it's a massive amount of work especially if they expect you to do it for free.

[PMCphotography]

The image you posted looks great!

I do a debrief after every wedding I do. It's a good habit to be in, i think.

I will occasionally have a drink at the reception after i'm basically done for the night. By that time, i'm hopefully not "just" a photographer who happens to be there, but more of a friend. And if that's the case, I will have a drink and a bit of a dance before I go. Not EVERY time, but sometimes.

All in all, well done, Hamster!