Quick, Battery Help!

I'm shooting a wedding in 4.5 hours and just found out that one of my BP-511's will no longer take a charge AND The additional one that I ordered, NEVER SHIPPED OUT. So, I'm stuck with 2 batteries.

The one that won't charge, shows EMPTY when in the camera, but when I put it on the charger, the charger indicates that it is fully charged. Is this battery just done or is there some trick that may shock it back into taking a charge?

Thanks, I know its a long shot, but otherwise I'm going to have to have someone charging one battery for me while I shoot with the other during the day today.

thanks,
daniel

Don't know if I'm too late?
Try to identify the + and - terminals on the battery.
Give it a 5 to 10 second zap with a 12 volt car battery charger.
If the batt has dropped below its critical voltage for a recharge, this might just shock it back into life.
It worked for me on a over discharged camcorder battery.
TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK...COULD CAUSE BATTERY TO EXPOLDE.

mmm no reply ... I wonder what happened to him...

Maybe he exploded...

I noticed the other day my battery is not taking a full charge anymore. It showed fully charged on the charger (I let it sit for a while to peak too), and showed a full charge when put in the camera, but only for a short time. I can't imagine I took more than about 100 shots before the battery only showed 1 bar remaining, and not many more before it started flashing. I have two that are about 1.5 years old, and have had a lot of use, so it is probably just time to get some new ones.

...no explosions.. no luck with the 12V trick either.. Oh well.
thanks though,
daniel

Also yell out CODE BLUE and start the CPR procedure

You could call the bride and groom and talk them into postponing the ceremony until you can get your battery situation figured out.

---Bob Gross---

....I'm sorry, did you say something Robert? Nevermind.. Anyway...

Actually, I just got back from the wedding with amazing results... I got hired for 2 more weddings during the reception and that was just from guests & bridal party looking at my LCD screen... Battery wasn't an issue.

Thanks for the suggestions.
-daniel

Congratulations

U know what a good investment would be? A notebook with an projector.

This way you can show the pictures to them right after the ceremony and have your contact into in there too

You'd get waaay more than 2 offers

I'm not so sure about the notebook and projector.

Most brides and grooms do NOT want extra sidelines entertainment going on at the reception, especially by a paid photographer. To a great extent, they are paying for the photography, and they expect the results turned over to them in the agreed-upon format, prints, albums, negs, disks, etc.

Besides, most of the people present at the reception just sat through the ceremony, so what is gained by watching the instant replay?

Once in a while, the photographer gets to slip in his commercial plug at the reception. For example, sometimes at a reception, there is a table for wedding gifts. To the side of that, the photographer sets up a large easel with a large framed engagement photo of the couple that the photographer shot months earlier. Then, down at the bottom, it says something like "Engagement -- Mary and John ----Photography by Joe Smith Photography". Below that is a small container with your choice of business cards or else 4x6 photos of the same engagement shot and with your contact information on the rear.

---Bob Gross---

....or you can just be a nice guy, interact with all the guests, make them laugh and shoot interesting photos. They'll want to interact back and find out more about your photography and see some samples... I fully expect another 1 or 2 to become interested once I'm done with processing and the bride/groom has their proofs. I don't think that advertising next to the gift table is a very tasteful thing to do. I'd like to think that the advertising comes from word-of-mouth afterwards, if your stuff is good. (Of course, this was my first wedding and I know very little about the business). I'm also, not trying to make my living do this.. I'm a teacher at heart.

The projector thing would be cool, but yeah, I can't imagine any bride thinking that was ok. I do have a projector though and an interactive smartboard to go with it...(thats a white screen that is also a touch-screen, so the computer is controlled just by touching the screen like a PDA)....

-daniel

IMHO, the business end of wedding photography is the most difficult part.

---Bob Gross---

.... agreed; the business end of any art is the most difficult part, at least for the artist.

-daniel

Just look at a different type of artist. Take a movie star, for example. They pay their agent 10-15% of their income.

Let's see a show of hands. How many photographers here are willing to pay an agent 10-15% for all of your photo business?

---Bob Gross---

I would. My "acting agent" gets me 500 to 1000 bucks a week. If I can get more through photography, then by all means yes I am ready.