Scared to just go for it...

Just like there is no single camera that does everything, I don't think there is any singular way of shooting that is perfect for every situation.

There are wedding receptions where depending on the orientation of the room I can set up my off-camera flash once and expose every shot the same for a 4hr reception. There are other receptions with enormous variation where AV+TTL is a huge life-saver in post and going full manual would be much harder.

The absolute #1 thing you must do is learn to recognize what situations demand and how to get your camera to adapt to them. For this, playing with your camera in manual for a long time is probably the easiest way to learn.

Below are comments you've made in this thread. Any one of them could serve as a case for you not taking paid work yet. Together, they certainly do speak for themselves.

What you do have going for you, though, is the fact that you realize you have shortcomings and are seeking out advice. A lot of people, sadly, simply decide they've got what it takes, hang out a shingle and open up shop.

This is my view on shooting weddings: You need to nail it. Every. Single. Time. There's no room for error, and there's no room for nervousness or apprehension. You need to think on your feet and make the right choice every time. And, if you screw something up, the couple will hate you forever.

I've shot one wedding in my life, and I had the assistance of a guest who was a wedding coordinator (the bride's aunt) to help me with posing, etc. It went well, and the couple was extremely happy, but I have absolutely no desire to ever do it again...

Firstly, I would echo the comments about flash and exposure, particularly the blown highlights, but that has been covered so I won't elaborate. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the composition and framing of your shots. The first one is a good shot of the couple that is killed (in my opinion) by the background. The couple are looking at each other and that gives a feeling of the love they have for each other, but you have placed them so that there is a sodding great dividing line between them. That upright wooden beam slices right between their faces and visually puts up a barrier between them. The same problem is in the third image with the wood panels. The second image has removed the barrier but it now grows out of his head.

The other problem with that second image is how it is framed. It looks as though you focused on their faces, with the centre focusing point and didn't bother to recompose, so their heads are in the middle of the image, with a large amount of uninteresting wood panelling above them, and the bottom of the wedding dress missed out. that shot would have been so much better with the camera lowered to eliminate the panelling above and show the whole dress, with their heads up towards the top of the frame.

the good thing about that image is that it is really good of the couple themselves, and I mean really good. As it stands the attention is drawn away by the dead space and the seat, however cropping in closer so that you cut out most of the area above them, and the lower part of the dress (I would crop the bottom about in line with the wood spar to the left, so that you keep in the fancy floral (?) detail) will solve that issue. Bring in the sides of the frame to be close to the couple and that should make a really nice tight portrait shot. With a little extra editing such as bringing down the highlight on the dress, clone out the wooden spar growing out of his head, etc. and that will be a really good image that I am sure the couple will treasure.

I hope that this hasn't come across as too negative, i just feel that you need to think about the background more, and how it relates to the subject, as well as your framing. it is very easy to forget composition when focusing and end up with the subject centred because you used the centre AF point. You can use an outer point, or focus and recompose, to improve the shot significantly.

saea501 wrote in post #17951609
I understood what you said.

You have insinuated that because someone has 'non professional equipment and little experience' they cannot do a good job at shooting a wedding.

My point is simply that may not necessarily be the case. I'm quite sure there a great number of people in this world shooting excellent weddings and events without using 'professional' equipment and don't have years of experience.

You need to stop guessing on what I am saying. I never insinuated this at all. I said people are out there doing it with little experience and lesser equipment, BUT it isn't the recommended way of going about it. I gave an example of someone I had met that is out there doing exactly what the OP wants to do.

I am a newbie. I have a Canon and every time I use live view my shutter speed is super slow and I get a crappy, bright and out of focus photo.

Nailed the second one!

I don't think any of us can determine whether or not you are a candidate to do paid work...that's what clients do.

There is alot of talented individuals here than can provide you with feedback as to what has made them successful (or in some cases, unsuccessful).

I agree with the main theme regarding understanding exposure. That's probably the biggest technical challenge of a wedding...making adjustments quickly. I'll give you benefit of the doubt that you know how exposure works, but during a wedding day you need to understand it well enough that you can make the needed adjustment within 1 or 2 shots....not fumble around 10-15 shots until you happen to land on something that will work.

And since it was a relaxed and low-key wedding...you probably haven't experienced what (in my opinion) is the most challenging aspects of wedding photography - crowd control, time management, and crisis intervention. These are the reasons so many wedding photographers feel you need to be able to crush it from a technical aspect - you're going to get overwhelmed with everything else going on if you are still unsure of how to get exposure right.

Yup. The photography should be the easy part. It should be the bit you just don't have to think about on the day.

Ok. Huge Kudos to you for putting some shots out there for critique. I remember the first time I did, cringeworthy it was too, but I learned.

Critique is truly the only way to get better fast, and develop the eye you need.

1. How do you know when exposure is correct? do you have a method other than does it look good on the back of the screen? Target Card? Grey Card etc...?

2. Do you know and understand white balance? How to get the right white balance? that getting exposure first and then setting white balance is important in camera?

3. Can you make the camera do what you see as 'the shot' in your mind?

4.Do you know and understand short, broad, loop and rembrant lighting?

5. Can use natural, and flash lighting?

6. understand depth of field?

7 know when manual is best? shutter priority? aperture priority? What ISO to pick and why?


Seting the camera to auto and take pictures is absolutely one way, but a pro will know how to control all of the above, and have years of experience so that is second nature, have back ups or alternative ways of doing something in case of equipment failure, so they are focusing on the moments to capture, and the pictures to create.

I think one of the biggest things to what sets a pro from an amateur apart is the pro can create great pictures In Camera, where the amateur takes snapshots and tries to make them great with filters and effects after the fact.

I remember my first wedding.. and I was soo inadequate I didn't know better. In your case, they have pictures they wouldn't otherwise have, and there IS value in that. But. Are you happy with that level or is there a thirst to get better and do more? What the pictures show above, no , I wouldnt' be comfortable charging for that output.. but if the desire is there, then quality will improve and you'll know when you are ready. JMHO.

You have a lot to learn. Some great suggestions posted for you. Good luck

Ok...so Just an update, found out today that I have had my Nikon D3300 for just under a year (Best Buy care 1yr ends nest month). That means that I have been doing this hobby for just under a year. I have went from one camera to four and a hole lot more gear. I have a passion for capturing moments and really just having fun with photography... Now back to the making money part. I watched a lot more videos this week and found out that some wedding photographers make over 5-15k a shoot.... Yea never in my life time, well maybe... I meant asking for $20-100 for my time if I am say shooting photos for a local rapper that is about to drop and album and wants a few photos for the cover and to advertise, or things like that? Is it Alright at this stage to get payed for my time and what little skill I have?

So long as you advertise with a body of work which is consistent with what you will produce. And the buyer has seen to work beforehand, and has clear expectations and agrees with the price... you can charge whatever you want.

There is a market for all levels of quality and price out there just like in the restaurant / cafe industry.

ThomasDidymus wrote in post #17956401
I meant asking for $20-100 for my time if I am say shooting photos for a local rapper that is about to drop and album and wants a few photos for the cover and to advertise, or things like that?

When I shot my last album cover I was paid $2,200.00. I do promo shots (for club bulletin boards, etc) for $175.00...

That depends what you want to be known for.

If you lack skill, that's going to be evident in the photos you take. There's just no escaping that. If you want to be known as the guy who charges dirt cheap prices, and has little skill, go for it. But understand one thing: You'll only ever be paid rock bottom prices...

I agree - that harsh shadow just sticks out so much. Nothing wrong with the shot, but that shadow is so defined. And if you can step them away from the wall a little and shoot at a lower f-stop it will help.

Also in #1 the dress looks spread out - if you could have got wider perhaps to show the floor as well, cutting off at the ankles maybe not the right crop there. Understand you may note have been able to get back further with that lens.

Loving my D610's as well

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #17949721
It is perfectly feasible to use P, AV and S (TV) modes and get results... HOWEVER... you have to understand what the camera is doing when you use them and that their limitations are.

This is the point I think here (and well said, Peter) - without a solid understanding of what you are doing, and why, you are pretty much stabbing/shooting in the dark

Unfortunately, if you don't understand what those settings are and what they mean, you still need to do a bunch of either learning on the job, or hard study. As Alveric mentioned, wedding photography isn't for everyone. So much of the day (photographically) is spent reading the situation and the people as much as the photography - you need to react constantly to what's happening and have a range of solutions to a range of problems, choosing one that's a good fit ....

Let's face it, no matter who we are, in turth we don't always get it right, sometimes you can fix it in post, but as someome above said the more you can get it right in camera the better it (and you) will be, and the learning process never ends