Shot First Wedding! Critique WANTED

First wedding/job that i got. soo tips, opinions etc. is wanted!

It was a casual backyard wedding, and i shot it with a friend of mine. these are my pics. Gear list: Xti, 17-40L and Niffty Fifty! I also have a 480ex that i hardly used. Used the 17-40 for most of my shots. Here are some pics, let me know what you guys think!

Hi,

My favourite photo was number 4... however the only criticism I have with the pic (which also applies to other pics in the series) is the huge amount of wasted space above the people's heads... unless there was something about the ceiling which makes the photo more interesting I'd recommend framing the subjects so they fill the frame better.

Other than that, good job!

The lighting choice for image #3 was, to put it politely, less than ideal.

Lighting your subjects from underneath is a great technique for halloween, but for most other shots you do not want to create the ghoulish look.

In the first picture, everyone has a greenish cast. There is definitely a color balance probelm here that could have been avoided by doing a Custom White Balance. I realize that you have your hands full in a situation like this, but color balance is easier to get right than most people think, if you just do it.

#2 has me wondering why they are so intent on their drinks. I guess they were waiting for you to say "Cheese".

#3 is absolutely ghoulish. Has no one ever told you to never shine your light up from below their faces? Look at where this places the shadows!

#4 is not a bad shot were it not for the sunglasses. Worse yet is that the sunglasses aren't even nice looking glasses.

#5 - I like the flowers. Best shot of the 5.

Don't give up! Now you know why a good wedding photographer gets the big $$.

The flower shot is the best one IMO too. None of the others catches me.

The flower shot has a lot of the subject of interest in focus with the background blurred. Looks like a warm day with the orange cast, and the contrast inside the roses makes the red color stand out. In fact, this photo looks like it's shot by a different photographer than the other photos in your series; to me, the difference is stark.

With respect to image 1, it appears that you shot in dappled shade, but pointing into the sun, causing a lens flare that streaks from the top of the frame down to the bride's right shoulder. Use a lens hood or a hat or your hand to shade the lens if you need to shoot into the sun. Either that, or it is a happy ray of sunshine ... still distracting however.

It also appears that you shot looking down on the seated bride and groom. Packing the wedding party closer together and shooting from a more neutral position (like squatting down or adjusting your tripod to be at the face or shoulder level of the bride and groom would provide a more pleasing shot, and a tighter packed group would permit you to back up and use a longer focal length to minimize the wide angle distortion going on, especially in the woman at frame right. This would also get the entire group in the shot without cutting off some of their feet. Also, using a fill flash, pointed at a 45° angle vertically, will give just enough juice to the shadows to help with exposure, and maybe with a bounce card, some catchlights in the eyes. You may also want to consider a little more shallow DOF to blur some of the foliage and the yellow wall in the background.

You are a brave person for taking on wedding photography. Keep it up!

Kirk