first wedding and first pics posted on POTN

[rmdavis]

Hey guys, I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding a couple of weeks ago and thought I would post a few here to get some opinions. Please comment and critique them. thanks

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4398626058_7ebd795202_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4397817993_01ecfce51a.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4398584478_3f465eecff_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4397817325_1f2d38f05d_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4397816879_2b7c15c40e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4397816311_259eae63ce_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2720/4398582488_65b5678cda_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4397814661_512c513507_b.jpg

[rmdavis]

alright I give... what am I doing wrong with posting these?

[W1ck3D]

alright I give... what am I doing wrong with posting these?

You took the code that is used to put pictures on websites.
However this is a forum and you need another code.
Don't use the <img...> code but use the [IMG]... code

Go for it. Looking forward to the pictures.

[rmdavis]

ok.. now there are pictures to be seen and critiqued.

[funkdaddyfresh]

alright, ill give a crack at it. ill go picture by picture. Please do not take anything as personal, or a diss on your photography, this is merely constructive criticism.

You had the right idea with most people taking this picture, holding hands showing off the rings and what not. but, the problem is that you did it against the brides dress with a direct flash, the problem with that is that it completely blows the picture out, and its out of focus. I can see that you wanted to include the dress, the flowers and the rings/hands. but its too much.

I would suggest pulling back the hands from something, do get a DOF going so it brings the hands/rings out and makes them stand out. perhaps in some natural light.

the second shot is to low, and the chick in the background looks like a demon. out of focus.

cant really tell whats going on in the next shot. the kids are perhaps giving the bride a drink?

the demon is making sandwiches, out of focus

[Red Tie Photography]

Do what ever you can to not use direct flash. Quite a few of them are under exposed, but the biggest problem is the flash. Also, the balance between flash and ambient is too off, try to drag the shutter to get more ambient light in the shot.

[sctbiggs]

the demon is making sandwiches, out of focus

.LOL.

i rarely... type lol and actually mean it literally... that time, i did.

these remind me of the wedding photos I was highly upset with from my wedding.

I honestly can't critique them. You were unprepared for a wedding.

[bluefox9er]

were you a paid shooter or a guest with a camera?

[Saphire]

When you edited these were they done on a calibrated monitor because they are all very dark on my monitor which is calibrated.

[Aaagogo]

they look underexposed to me as well.

[rmdavis]

thanks everyone for all the input. A little background on how I wound up taking these... My friend called me a little less than 2 hours before the wedding and said the wedding photographer had cancelled ( I still don't know why) and she was desperate to find someone. I explained to her that I really didn't have the epuipment or experience to shoot a wedding yet but knowing all that she still chose to have me shoot it, mainly because she didn't have anyone else. I considered it a learning experience and eye opener and she did wind up with some shots she was happy with.

As for the "demon" in the background that was actually the preacher and the shot with the bread and the one with the bride and groom kneeling down was due to them having communion during the ceremony (first time I had ever seen this done).

I will check on my monitor's calibration, It could be off because I actually darkened down/lowered the exposure on several of the pictures because I thought they were over exposed.

Thanks again for looking everyone and for the criticism, how else do we learn. One more question/ other than the exposure, direct flash what do ya'll think of the subject matter here? good concepts that just need the skill to pull off?


Robert

[sctbiggs]

other than exposure, direct flash and slow shutter speed, the only two that were composed by a photographer are the first and last. I believe somebody already commented on the first's composition.

the last one... i can't really see much of the background. But, it doesn't look like it was an ideal spot to take that picture. Do, you have the RAW file for that one?

[rmdavis]

sctbiggs, I do have the raw file. It is on my comp at the house so can get to it tomorrow.

[Nicole Faith]

I agree with all the above, they are under exposed and look to just be snap shots from a quest. As far as composition - the few you set up are cropped too tight, have a bad angle and the background doesn't add to the image. The statue coming out of their backs isn't the best choice. I would suggest looking at tons of images and reading up on exposure and flash settings if you plan to get into weddings. Even second shoot for some time.

[bluefox9er]

credit to the Op, it's not easy at such short notice and no amout of people saying how difficult shooting a wedding can be than the experience of doing a wedding by yourself.

there are a lot of good examples and compostion styles everywhere on the web for inspiration, but doing the basics and understanding the basics like exposure, composition and using flash take practice,practice,practice..and also, know your gear inside out, too...this isn't the arena to make errors.

in many ways you were very lucky because you were hired at very short notice and expectations probably not as high, but I really hope you get a chance to shoot another wedding real soon.

[RPCrowe]

However, as you were doing this as a favor at a very short notice, I would not feel badly at the general quality of the imagery. However, I certainly would not claim it as a success and a stepping stone to future paid wedding gigs.

I am guessing that the scheduled paid photographer might not have produced much better results. I am basing this guess on the fact that the paid photographer cancelled at the last minute which is completely unprofessional.

When I shot professionally, I would have let virtually nothing prevent me from fulfilling my contract oblications. Luckily I never was in the hospital for an emergency surgery nor lost a close family member right before a wedding. Off the bat, those would have been the only things that might have prevented me from shooting...

If you desire to shoot weddings in the future, here's what I would do. Get a hotshoe flash and a diffuser reflector and learn how to shoot with bounced flash. Be the "official photographer" at every birthday party or family gathering until I could say with certainty that my flash work looked natural and was exposed correctly. A lot of party photo experience is transferrable to the wedding venue.

Study sites such as this one and also study wedding photography books and wedding magazines. Look at the photos in the wedding magazines and try to learn how they were accomplished.

Have a written script of shots for documenting a wedding and discuss the course of the wedding with the bride and family as well as the person officiating the wedding. I have shot a lot of weddings and have never seen a loaf of bread being broken in the air like that. I hate like heck to be surprised at a wedding.

[rmdavis]

Thanks everyone for the input, it is very helpful and this was definitely an eye opening experience, but it did intrigue me and I do think that after I am ready I would like to do some more weddings. But, only after I get the equipment and experience. THanks again eeryone.
Robert