My first paid wedding!!

Here are few pics.. It was fun shooting and being in charge (i've been the second shooter until now) I learned alot from this wedding, I also learned that I need more practice. Couple got their pics and are happy with them so that is all that matters at the end.
Please CC as I'm learning from my mistakes and trying to get better.
Thanks everyone!
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Love that they sat in the snow!!!! #8 is a little to gritty for me

1. I like the expression and the kid. The centered composition isn't doing much for me, and the folding chairs and stuff on the table are really distracting. I realized you may have had just a fraction of a second to shotgun this, but it's not a "marquee" image.

2. Weird, weird color going on around here. Everything looks a sickly kind of orange. My guess would be ungelled flash in front and tungsten in back but I don't see you using flash anywhere else.

3. What's the point of this photo? "This is us trudging through the snow so our photographer could take outdoor portraits." Also, the white balance looks a tad cool in all the outdoor snow shots.

4. Very nice. A quick brush of the snow off the bench might be in order, though. Also would have prevented the groom from wet trousers. I don't know if I'm liking all those dead leaves in the background. Yes, I know it's winter and leaves are generally dead, but this seems a bit much.

5. Also very nice. My fave, but the leaves are still distracting. (Although less than in the previous shot.)

6. You lost some of the detail in his tuxedo, but no one ever actually cares about that.

7. Also nice, but I think you've got a little bit of tonal merger going on between the dress and the snow. Again, this is tough to do and I think you've nailed it in the other shots. I'd also wipe the snow off his foot, and get rid some of those twigs and junk around them.

8. The desaturation makes everyone look sick. The grain gives it that "old-time" look, but there's nothing in the photo itself to suggest that such a thing is appropriate.

I like every image but 5 and 7
5- that's an extremely awkward expression to capture, not a very appealing one either

8- The grain-out of focus desaturation thing just doesn't look very good at all..though I think this can be recovered by cropping out the guy who's making the grimmance expression along with the girl looking over her shoulder, on the very right. Crop it atThe litte blonde girl with the skirt about her leggings and you will do fine.

No offense to Jay; but you'd best ignore about 80 % of his advice, it's a bit too critical and most of the shots you're not directing from a first person standpoint but more of a background man.

Good job on your first wedding !

I like how your photos came out but 6 and 8 are not my cup of tea. I think for 8 ISO looks pretty high. What lenses did you use for this wedding?

hi .. well done with doing your first wedding in charge .. its not easy at the best of times especially the first time. i agree with Kajuah .. no offense to Jay, but i think that some people forget that everyone has to start somewhere and as long as the bride and groom where happy like you said thats all that matters. and everything is a bit of a learning curv .. i think its good that you made a few 'mistakes' because if you didnt how would you better yourself? so once again, good on you and i think your pics are nice. keep doing what your doing and remember practice makes perfect

Congrats on your first wedding!!
I think you did a lovely job. I do agree, though, about the 'graniness' on the last one. Like the effect, but it doesn't seem to work with the image.
5 & 7 are my favs.
The only thing about 7 (and you had no control over this), is the groom's sock is noticeable, but, at least it's a black sock.

Good luck on your future weddings!

Kajuah wrote in post #7160976
No offense to Jay;

Why do people insist on saying this before they're about to offend someone?

Since I'm always willing to learn, please point out where my advice is 80% incorrect. By that measure, my critiques of either 6 or 7 of them should be entirely wrong, and I look forward to your instruction.

jessika wrote in post #7161990
no offense to Jay,

See above.

Absolutely! And, after starting somewhere, they should then proceed to go somewhere. Which is why, when I feel the inclination, and people specifically ask for it, I offer my critique. It's worth every cent that was paid for it, and you're free to reject it if you like. But the argument that it shouldn't be offered because "everyone has to start somewhere" is the opposite of true.

That's important, certainly, but not all that matters. Just on a practical level, I think the OP would be delighted if he learned from this experience, improved his work, and with his improved work was able to get future brides and grooms to pay him lots and lots of money.

and everything is a bit of a learning curv .. i think its good that you made a few 'mistakes' because if you didnt how would you better yourself? so once again, good on you and i think your pics are nice. keep doing what your doing and remember practice makes perfect

Agreed.

Thanks Jay, I really like your points of view. You notice things that I would have never notices, but now I'll pay attantion to it.

Kajuah wrote in post #7160976
I like every image but 5 and 7
5- that's an extremely awkward expression to capture, not a very appealing one either

8- The grain-out of focus desaturation thing just doesn't look very good at all..though I think this can be recovered by cropping out the guy who's making the grimmance expression along with the girl looking over her shoulder, on the very right. Crop it atThe litte blonde girl with the skirt about her leggings and you will do fine.

No offense to Jay; but you'd best ignore about 80 % of his advice, it's a bit too critical and most of the shots you're not directing from a first person standpoint but more of a background man.

Good job on your first wedding !

Thanks! I actually like and listen to about 80-90% of what Jay has to say.

Cali Agent wrote in post #7161002
I like how your photos came out but 6 and 8 are not my cup of tea. I think for 8 ISO looks pretty high. What lenses did you use for this wedding?

I was using my 17-55 on 40d for most of these. ISO was not really high, I think 1000 but all the grain and noise is from PP, which no one likes!

babuszka wrote in post #7162511
Congrats on your first wedding!!
I think you did a lovely job. I do agree, though, about the 'graniness' on the last one. Like the effect, but it doesn't seem to work with the image.
5 & 7 are my favs.
The only thing about 7 (and you had no control over this), is the groom's sock is noticeable, but, at least it's a black sock.

Good luck on your future weddings!

Thank you!

This thread is good, and let me simply point out one glowing, obvious fact.

Are you ready? It's this: psst. no one learns from praise.

So, congrats to Jay for taking the time to critique images. Yes, you may not always agree with him or any other critiquer, but just please. Take the good and leave the bad. I really appreciate how he takes the time to say something about every photo. Keep it up, Jay.

My apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread temporarily. As to your photos, they are wonderful for a first time wedding.

#1 is cute. Agree that the composition could use some help and you may be able to crop it post.
#2 doesn't do anything for me. WB is off, but mainly just two unengaged subjects. With each other or with the camera. This would be a culled shot for me.
#3 may work as a segway shot in the album but isn't a stunner...
#4 is almost there. Either include all of the couple or crop them tighter. Don't crop people off at their calves.
#5 is a simple straightforward shot of a bride. Keep those bouquets dropped a little...
#6 is good! Feeling in this shot! Use a wider aperture on this one to soften the distracting bg.
#7 is good. I do like the interaction with the couple. The bush is a bit distracting. You may be able to improve this shot in post...
#8 is ok. I'm not sure I like the desat either...

BUT, having said all of the above, I do think you did a great job on your first wedding!!! Mine was awful. Just awful. So, good for you!

jayspec wrote in post #7162911
Why do people insist on saying this before they're about to offend someone?

.

People say that because they don't mean to give offense to the person they refer to. If the person they refer to feels offended, that's something he's brought on himself because offense wasn't met. Don't be offended, because offense wasn't meant. Though if you are offended, then ...well too bad for you nothing I can do about that, something you need to work on correcting in yourself.

Kajuah, I'm sorry but when you state that everyone should ignore 80% of his advice, that's offensive. Saying you don't mean to doesn't excuse the rudeness. What WOULD excuse the rudeness is to explain why his comments need to be ignored. Which is what he asked you for and you haven't yet answered that?

If you don't agree with him, that' not only fine, but welcomed in a forum like this. However, you simply need to state WHY you disagree with him. Don't mail it in with a simple remark like you did. Tell me why. I'm willing to listen and he could be wrong about a lot of things but unless you explain, I'll never know...

I agree with pretty much all of the specific comments above - I'd add that I think these images would have a bit more impact if you were using a shallower DOF, especially 3 and 4. I'm finding the background too distracting there.

collierportraits wrote in post #7171865
Kajuah, I'm sorry but when you state that everyone should ignore 80% of his advice, that's offensive. Saying you don't mean to doesn't excuse the rudeness. What WOULD excuse the rudeness is to explain why his comments need to be ignored. Which is what he asked you for and you haven't yet answered that?

If you don't agree with him, that' not only fine, but welcomed in a forum like this. However, you simply need to state WHY you disagree with him. Don't mail it in with a simple remark like you did. Tell me why. I'm willing to listen and he could be wrong about a lot of things but unless you explain, I'll never know...

I never said ignore 80 % of his advice because he's wrong, I said it because he was being too critical.. I said why his comments should be ignored.

People like you tend to be annoying as they try to start or prolong arguments where there is no disagreement in the first place, I'll do us both a favor and ignore you in future.

Personally, I'm pretty much on board with the critique as it stands. Isn't that the whole point. Great thigs may be learned right here. I grow far more as an photographer when someone takes the time to actually LOOK at my work and tell me where I can improve. If I wanted the ol' "Great shots!", I'd ask my wife.