Post processing for Pictures

hi all,

sorry this is a continuation of the ever popular topic... wedding photography...

after not having any idea what i was getting myself into, i had agreed to "help" a friend of my with his friend's wedding. since i'm still quite an ammature, i did not draft up a contract or anything when i sat down with the bride/groom the day before the wedding. my friend had agreed to help be the "main photographer" & he was going to give the couple the pictures for Free as a wedding present. i did not meet the couple until the day before the wedding... as a favor to my friend, i agreed to help out/ be the 2nd photographer for free and i guess as a trade off, they saved us spot at their reception.

so here is my dilemma... i did not charge them for my time (having to wake up @ 6am on a saturday and staying until 3pm when it was 113F outside). everyone around me now has been telling me that i should charge the couple for my images because of the post processing that is also involved. they proposed that i should give them a DVD of uneditted/watermarked images and the ones they want i can charge them to edit/print. another option they suggested if i can't figure out how to charge them, is to just not give them my images and just save them for my portfolio.

what do you guys think? suggestions? thanks!

PS- i totally agree with RinkRat on his post " My hat goes off to you wedding photographers": https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=523594
i don't think i will ever want to shoot a wedding for free ever again...
on second thought... i may choose to NEVER to a wedding again...
especially having to deal with the arrogant guests and their attitudes of thinking that they were so much better than my friend & i because we weren't paid for our gig.

You can't decide to charge them after the event. Given the quality that most beginners produce doing it for free with written permission to use them in your portfolio is a good deal for everyone.

hhmmm.... you're in a sticky situation there. But maybe not having a contract will actually work for you here.

If your friend is giving them the pictures as a gift, did that include the pictures you took (if so, charge the friend something for helping and make him do the post stuff)? That may have been left out of the discussion between you, him, and the couple, and they may be expecting every picture taken by the both of you.

If not, then I agree that you should definitely try to sell some pictures by giving them a DVD with watermarks. But I do think you should do some minor editing, if the pictures need it. They may get edited stuff from your friend and compare them to the dvd you give them, and they may not want any, especially if they have to pay for them. Since you don't have a contract, then you're not obligated to give them your pics for free.

I wouldn't base this experience on your decision to NEVER do another wedding. When things are laid out properly - the couple's expectations of you and a contract - then the wedding isn't so bad. You're always going to have that guest or wedding party member that thinks they're God's gift to photography, I've had at least one at every wedding I've done. You just have to lay down the line that you were hired to do a job, they were invited to enjoy the event, and tell them if they want some prints that they can order them from you. I've even offered that person a discount just to leave me alone!!

If you decide to do another wedding, then I would have a set number of hours you'll be there. Be reasonable when you set you time limit, though. Sometimes it's hard to get every portrait plus a wedding ceremony and prep time for the bride and groom before hand in 4 hours. I say I'll photograph for the whole day, but 8 hours is my limit. I don't go to the hair appointment, because that gets old really quick. I show up about 2 hours before the ceremony to get a bulk of the portraits done and the prep shots, and I stay at the reception until the end of the traditional stuff. Roughly 6 to 8 hours.

Everyone has a bad wedding every once in a while, the first one is usually the worst because it may make or break you. Your nerves get the best of you and you don't know how to handle people. Don't let this one break you unless the images just aren't good, but I'm sure they are or your friend wouldn't have asked you to help in the first place. Just be confident in yourself and your talent, and that's enough to get you by.

I think it's a little late to discuss payment. Not only will it earn you a reputation for being underhanded, it won't help your friend's rep either. This is why you get a contract in writing beforehand, EVEN IF IT'S FAMILY OR FRIENDS.

Weddings aren't for the meek, I can tell you that. It requires you to have the ability to handle people, but in a way that doesn't make you seem like an arse. You have to have a good business sense in this industry to be successful too.

Don't let one bad experience turn you off! It's ONE experience, and who knows, maybe your next wedding will be fantastic and everyone will co-operate with you.

I agree with Adriane as well. Get it in writing how many hours you'll be there - My threshold is at 7-8 hours, and I agree with her that the hair appointments get old fast lol. If the wedding party agrees with you, you can get a lot of formals out of the way prior to the wedding so you don't have to deal with the guests and the odd family member who thinks he's hot stuff with his point and shoot camera. I'm getting more B&G's who are less traditional and don't mind seeing each other prior to the wedding, just to get that part out of the way, and it's really a situation you should take advantage of.

after having read your guy's advice, i'll use this as a learning experience to reflect upon what i could have done better. i am going to do some minor edits on the pictures and then just give them to the B&G for free, since my photos complement the ones my friend took & w/o them it wouldn't make sense.

thanks for all your feedback & encouragement!