A friend getting wed.

[Muffin Princess]

I was asked by an old school friend to go and shoot her wedding. She had an "official" photographer there as well; me and my boyfriend didn't make friends with him, he was just critising our technique ALL the time. "why are you doing that" "You're not doing that right are you?" We said to him it depends what style you're going for and he says "No, not really, there's no compromise in photography" ...yeah, whatever. He was the same photographer my parents used 35 years ago and looked like he was still using the same kit; he only had one lens as well and had to stand about 3 miles back to take a group shot!

Anyway, here is my attempt. I've never done a wedding before but I'm quite pleased with what I got! :) (Yes it's the same wedding Incomplete Pete just posted his photos from too!)

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867340-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867352-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867360-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867368-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867370-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22867374-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22871493-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22871546-M.jpg

http://eclipseimages.smugmug.com/photos/22871479-M.jpg

[Vetteography]

Very nice! I love the "carriage" :D

[Skip Souza]

"No, not really, there's no compromise in photography" ...


What kid of BS is that! Photography is all about compromises. I am a barely adequate picture taker but I am aware of the compromises all the time. F/stop, shutter speed, focal length, ISO, white balance to name a few must all be adjusted, manipulated to arrive at the desired compromise to create the desired effect in any given photo. No compromise in photography my a**. Someone needs to take his camera away from him before he hurts someone with it.
Princess I think you did a fine job. They are excellent captures of a wonderful event.

[Airedale1]

You did just fine. I really like the cropping of the bouquet shot.

[Muffin Princess]

Thank you! Nice to know I'm on the right lines. And Skip Souza, thanks for that, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that, I mean, who am I to question a pro who's been at it for 35 years! lol

[nitsch]

Good work Muffin, I think they are great. I particularly like the 3rd shot down. I'm sure the the B&G will be over the moon with the pics.

[Muffin Princess]

We got blasted on another forum for posting these pics, I can't believe some people! Read this:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/228804

[Wazza]

Some cool shots there. I'm sure they'll enjoy them. And I really hope they're better than the arogant hired photographer. :p

As for the "other" forum, I'm not registered, so can't view, but I hear stuff like that often. Sometimes they're just trying to be too old fashioned, and brutal critique. Just hang around here, you're most welcome. :)

[Muffin Princess]

Basically we were told that we shouldn't have taken any photos because we were infringing the pro's copyright and stealing print sales from him. Thanks for the comment by the way! It keeps me going when I hear positive stuff about my work :D

[MAD DOG]

I think you should be really pleased with what you have acheived. Well done.

[nitsch]

Basically we were told that we shouldn't have taken any photos because we were infringing the pro's copyright and stealing print sales from him.

Wow, seems a little extreme! :eek: Surely it's a foregone conclusion that virtually every guest at a wedding brings along a camera - whats the pro going to do? Ban them all?!

[smittymike19]

just a weird thing. why exacly are you charging the guests? your friend asked you to take pictures and you turn it into a money making scheme? if it were me i would have taken the shots for my friend and turned over the files for the guests to do as they see fit. It just doesnt seem right to charge guests at a wedding. its like you are at walt disney world and are paying for the photographers to take your pics. it wasnt a big commercial deal, it was a friends wedding.

I guess this is because i dont rely on photography for income. My wife and I make a very healthy income, so i can afford the luxury of giving away the pics. If you are scraping by and need the income, then i guess its ok to charge, it just seems a little odd. :)

[Muffin Princess]

We're giving the bride and groom an album as a gift and if the guests want prints then they have to pay for them. You're right, I am scraping by. I'm trying to turn pro but it's tough in this world so, at the moment, I work in Jessops on £5 an hour, not exactly rolling in it! I've never made any money from photography and this was more an experiment to see if people would be willing to pay me for my work. So far; nothing, not even a query from a guest :(

[smittymike19]

Because we can't exactly give away prints for free! We're providing the B&G with a mini wedding album of our shots for free and giving the guests an option to get copies.

exactly. if you are just charging to cover for the cost of printing, it is very reasonable. if your are charging to make a profit, well thats different.:) i would assume that since you put watermarks on the photos, you are trying to make some money out of the deal.

[Muffin Princess]

exactly. if you are just charging to cover for the cost of printing, it is very reasonable. if your are charging to make a profit, well thats different.:) i would assume that since you put watermarks on the photos, you are trying to make some money out of the deal.

(By the way, my boyfriend posted that comment you quoted, he forgot he was signed in as me!) We put watermarks on the photos because we spent a lot of money on kit and travel, took time off work and spent a whole day basically working for free instead of enjoying the wedding and it's not really fair if all and sundry can just lift off our images after all the money, time and effort spent by us.

[DocFrankenstein]

What kid of BS is that! Photography is all about compromises. I am a barely adequate picture taker but I am aware of the compromises all the time. F/stop, shutter speed, focal length, ISO, white balance to name a few must all be adjusted, manipulated to arrive at the desired compromise to create the desired effect in any given photo. No compromise in photography my a**. Someone needs to take his camera away from him before he hurts someone with it.
Remind me not to disagree with you on tuesday mornings :lol:

[Skip Souza]

Remind me not to disagree with you on tuesday mornings :lol:
At least wait until I'm well into my second cup of coffee :p :rolleyes: :p

I firmly believe that many professional photographers feel threatened by the proliferation of high quality digital cameras and attendant equipment. The "Old Pros" are no longer the sole keepers of the knowledge of the alchemy of photography. Anyone can do it, some better than others, and the marginal pros feel especially threatened.
Times are changing. Pro photographers will not go the way of the buggy whip but the field is bound to become more crowded. Just look at POTN and the intrest here.
"Old Pros" that are not willing to change to meet the challenges of the new realities will fail wondering what happened. It can not always be "business as usual".
Watch out for any movement to ban cameras in mor places just to protect the pros. Such an attempt will fail in the long run but it could make life for the ammature photographer unpleasant for a while.

O.K. I'm done.

I just hope no one feels threatened by me and my camera. I can just barely remember which way to point it. :confused:

[smittymike19]

(By the way, my boyfriend posted that comment you quoted, he forgot he was signed in as me!) We put watermarks on the photos because we spent a lot of money on kit and travel, took time off work and spent a whole day basically working for free instead of enjoying the wedding and it's not really fair if all and sundry can just lift off our images after all the money, time and effort spent by us.
i am confused. did you take on the wedding for profit or were you doing a friend a favor? that still hasnt been answered. how much are you charging?

[eminaddiesmom]

I do have to say that your friend should have asked the hired photog for permission before asking you to take pics. I would be very angry as a photog if someone else was taking my posed pics and my sales. after all, this is how i make a living.
even if you're not making a profit, she's getting it from you and not the hired, paid photog. Just my 2 cents
Erika

[smittymike19]

I do have to say that your friend should have asked the hired photog for permission before asking you to take pics. I would be very angry as a photog if someone else was taking my posed pics and my sales. after all, this is how i make a living.
even if you're not making a profit, she's getting it from you and not the hired, paid photog. Just my 2 cents
Erika

amen

[exposingmyself]

i'm not criticizing you or your photos at all but if i were asked to pay for pictures for a wedding i just spent money on for a gift, dress outfit, cost of getting there and time of being there i'd be a little disturbed. but i guess it's like posting pictures in ofoto.com or something where you post pics for your family and friends to see and if they want to buy a print they can order their own.

anyway, i'm glad you paid no mind to that other arrogant photog and continued to do your thing. i hope you had fun at the wedding. you're a nice friend for taking those extra pictures of them.

beautiful bride!!! :D

all the best.

[Muffin Princess]

Erm, did no one read my post? I did say that the photos of the bride and groom I was making into an album as a GIFT for the two of them, I'm NOT charging for these.

The portrait photos of the guests, however, the pro didn't take ANY pictures like this so I don't see how I'm doing any harm in selling them to the guests. I'm not going to give my prints away for free to the guests. I don't know most of them and I can't afford to be handing things out like this, posting them all over the country and what-not. If the guests want any pictures of themselves or the B&G then they have to pay for them! As I said, if the pro wanted to sell pics of the guests, then he should have taken some, but he didn't, I'm the only one who did, therefore I'm not taking his print sales away from him in this way.

[lostdoggy]

Ok, on any future wedding, make sure all invitation states clearly, no camera unless contracted!!!

[Skip Souza]

Ok, on any future wedding, make sure all invitation states clearly, no camera unless contracted!!!
That should shorten the guest list.
It would be tacky to be an invited guest and use the opportunity as a commercial enterprise. On the other hand I do not see where one would be obliged to provide free photographs to other guests.
A fine line, what? I guess the difference is whether the other guests seek you out or you advertise or promote the sale of the pictures.
It has become common for the B&G to provide disposable cameras for guests to snap pix. The Pro probably woudn't feel threatened by them. When the guests bring high zoot cameras things get sticky.
IMNHO the pro either gets a "no cameras" contract or learns to live with it.

[smittymike19]

how much money are you talking? if you say 4$ for a 8x10 its one thing if you say 40$ its another. i mean really it wouldnt cost much to email pics out, if you weren't trying to cash in on the wedding. it seems as though you arent willing to admit that you are trying to profit off of this venture, when clearly you are. Its ok, we all need and want money, i personnally would feel tacky doing it, but thats just me. :)