My First Wedding - 9/10/11

A few samples from my first, feeble attempt at shooting a wedding... C&C requested and appreciated!

An outtake during the formals...

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Your WB looks all over the place, some shots the walls are cream, then others are white. Did you use direct flash for the formals?

Thanks, I'm not sure how to combat the cream colored walls in the formals.

Formals were taken with flash through diffuser, whereas the photos during the ceremony (white walls) were taken from back of church w/no flash.

This was my first wedding experience and I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for future attempts (if I make any)...

Generally speaking, these looks a tad on the snap-shot side of things. That said, I think it's a nice attempt. You just need to get better at using the flash...and perhaps begin by getting rid of the Tupperware modifier!

Here's my take:

#1. I realize this is just an outtake, but I wouldn't really show it. It's amateurish at best. The lady on the right side is half cut off. The girl on the bottom right is distracting as is the light fixture on the upper right.

#2. Looks a little crooked. Groom doesn't seem to be looking at the camera. One guy is blinking. A few people look unhappy. Cross is going right through the bride's head and the lighting is uneven.

3. This one's better but again, the cross is going right through the bride's head. The bench on the right side is also distracinting as is the door.

4. I think this is a good moment captured. However it looks a little underexposed and the woman's head on the lower left is a distraction as is the part of the cross.

5. Again, a good moment captured but generally the same comments as #4.

6. Same comments as #4 & #5.

7. Standard issue cake cutting shot. He looks slightly OOF and the lighting is flat and boring.

8. Decent photo, except the guy in the background.

in the formals... never.. never shoot the bride with shoulders and hips square to the camera. especially with + size very unflattering. if her shoulder was tucked behind his she would look way better

Need some noise reduction on the kiss.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions! I greatly appreciate any little tips and tricks, even though I doubt I will attempt another wedding. This was a freebie for my cousin (the bride) and my grandad (a long retired portrait photographer) did the posing for the formals, looking back, I should've done it myself; however I'm still not sure how I could've removed the cross from someone's head.

First hurdle... The groom's family were not smiling for anything... They were some of the least smiling people I have ever seen. HUGE comment coming from a guy who NEVER smiles.

Next hurdle... The guy in the background of #8 was ALWAYS in the way, he was apparently "VERY into photography" with his Sony a100 & kit lens shooting every shot with pop-up flash. He actually shoved me at one point, because I was where he wanted to be during the cake cutting. (He was a friend of a friend, not hired, not even asked to take extra photos)

Technically challenging hurdle... The back wall and the steps weren't parallel! I'm not sure how this happened, pretty sure the stage was an add-on that wasn't very well done. When the back wall was straight, the steps were cock-eyed and vice versa. This made straightening in post a living nightmare. I had to choose one or the other. I cropped out the front step when I could to avoid working with this all-together, but other times I had to pick one or the other. I usually chose to straighten the step. To me, the step being closer to the edge of the frame was more much obviously crooked and distracting (IMO).

Lastly... My nerves got the best of me. I know when my stuff isn't up to snuff. I know that I am not a professional wedding photographer and knew my work would show it. This is one of my biggest issues with shooting things like this... I love shooting kids/animals/cars, but really let my nerves get the best of me when shooting formal shots.

Dasweb wrote in post #13090157
Need some noise reduction on the kiss.

Yeah... there were a few shots that got left out of the noise treatment... Will be treating those this evening and re-uploading.

the first hurdle.... the smiles dont bother me, the posing and lighting do. dont worry about the smiling the bride wont blame you for their family but will about lighting and posing

the second hurdle... this is what i call an "I P" or independent shooter. and they are a problem, if people are looking at him instead of u your pics are not going to be good. it is your responsibility to politely let him know that you are the hired photographer and NEED to ge the correct pic. and if you are feeling nice you can let him shoot after you get the shot.

as far as the nerves thing yes weddings are stressful. this is why i try to shoot with a partner to compare exposures bounce ideas and 2x coverage just incase (like card failure.. has happened).
i realize the budget didnt allow for that. weddings are fast paced lousy light and long.

Bryan Grant Photography wrote in post #13090299
the first hurdle.... the smiles dont bother me, the posing and lighting do. dont worry about the smiling the bride wont blame you for their family but will about lighting and posing

I clearly need a lot of practice with lighting... I can honestly say that I don't normally shoot with flash.

That being said, what is the norm for shooting formals like this? Direct flash?

What is the best way to combat harsh shadows caused by direct flash?

nrowensby wrote in post #13090365
I clearly need a lot of practice with lighting... I can honestly say that I don't normally shoot with flash.

That being said, what is the norm for shooting formals like this? Direct flash?

What is the best way to combat harsh shadows caused by direct flash?

Off camera flash would probably be your best bet.

the wedding i shot this sat. was in a dark church like this. we set up 2 umbrellas with speed lights in the corners for the formals.

but in a pinch and if you dont really know lighting on camera is probably going to be your best bet. the shadows in your pics ar not that bad, you just need a little more light

one last thing. what color is the wall behind them. in the formals its peach in the close ups its white. my guess its some where in between. also look at her dress it looks a little magenta. you can adjust WB to even these out

nicksan, by OCF, do you mean stands and umbrellas? ...or like a flash bracket raised above the camera?

Bryan, The wall is white-ish...

nrowensby wrote in post #13090448
nicksan, by OCF, do you mean stands and umbrellas? ...or like a flash bracket raised above the camera?

Bryan, The wall is white-ish...

he means stands.. flash bracket mainly prevents red eye

Thanks! I appreciate it... Even if I don't shoot another wedding, I will try to use what you guys have shared!

I will offer a couple of things to what's already been written. For your first attempt, this is good. It's always harder than it looks to shoot a wedding.

Some of the WB issues can be helped with some post processing in Lightroom or ACR. Not completely, but improved.

For formals, make sure you don't cut off any part of the dress. Also, fluff that trane just before taking the shot. The square pose comment is right on. Also, I would pose this bride with her inside shoulder behind the grooms inside shoulder, to give a slimmer appearance.

Keep shooting.