wedding photography.

Same here

Although Jack has make it up for it though, maybe some great material for a book indeed
The Mamiya was quite dear to you it seems, great it has found a good home.

Nice one (or two) Jack.

Weddings really are all about people - it's a great skill.

Mike

Stefen my buyer for the Mamiya lives in Granada and I met her in Malaga yesterday to deliver it, she is a delightful 23 year old Italian girl who only uses Film in a Canon A1 and she had some Ilford 120 film with her, she was delighted with the Camera and went to the English cemetery to take some photos so there you go

Jack.

Only cake story I have is one time it never arrived in time for the reception, it was sent by taxi and arrived as the guests were leaving, so I did get a couple of shots and the day was saved.

I'm not going presume to advise for or against, but I thought the OP might be interested to hear my similar escapade.

My Dad and I shot my Uncles wedding this time last year, we didn't charge and simply gave the album as our wedding gift.

Dad and I are both keen amateurs but not pros by any standard, at least not pro wedding 'togs anyway.

Point 1: There were two of us, I would not have considered doing it on my own. This way we were able to spot mistakes the other made, take the same shots from two different angles at once, etc. An extra pair of lungs for crowd control during the set piece photos was particularly essential.

Point 2: Equipment. I'm not sure what you have or are thinking of getting, we used (between us):

3x DSLRs (2x DL2, 1xK10D) with 2x K1000 film bodies for emergency backup (come rain, wind or wrath of God we were taking photos!)
18-55, 16-45, 50-200 and 50mm F1.4 lenses
2x flash guns with diffusers (the smaller Metz PTTL bounce/swivel and a Sigma 530)
a big sturdy tripod
more memory cards and spare batteries than you can shake a stick at
a laptop set up at the venue in case we ran out of cards (we didn't, quite)

for processing we used two laptops to get proofs done quickly, then final processing was done on my desktop with a calibrated HP 1955 display to get the colours right (you don't want the brides dress looking green!)

we took well over 1000 frames between the two of us. The one thing I really underestimated was the length of time it takes just to weed them down to the short list you show to the happy couple. It took an evening just to get rid of the ones which were out of focus, improperly exposed or where the composition was poor.


It worked out well, the couple loved the album. By my reckoning, it went well for the following reasons:

we managed their expectations well. From the very first we made it absolutely clear that we are not professionals and would not be able to guarantee a pro grade result. The key is never to promise anything you are not 100% sure you can deliver, no matter what else goes wrong.

we spent about 6 months on and off planning how it would be done and buying equipment to bring our kit up to the bear minimum we considered necessary (a 50-135 would have been nice in the service, but the budget did not allow and my 50-200 had to serve). For example the 50mm F1.4 and both flashguns were bought to prepare for the wedding.

we were supremely lucky with the weather, to the extent that the family calls the weather we got that day my late great grandfathers wedding present. In mid October we had glorious sunshine all day.


Despite a great deal of preparation and good luck, it was easily the most stressful days photography I've ever had. Would I do it again? yes, but only in the same circumstances ("please Joe we can't afford a photographer, it's you or nothing"). I wouldn't dream of charging and as far as a career goes you Pros can keep it!

Mongoose, thanks for bringing up the equipment.

You have to have a spare camera body and a spare flash, they dont have to be your best kit but you need to have something to fall back on. Lenswise, I wouldn't be at all concerned about using just the 18-55 and my 50mm 1.7 F. A tripod is essential if only just somewhere to park the camera while you sort out dresses and flowers.

In the MF film days you'd be frowned at by the boss for using more than four rolls (60 or 48 frames) because of the processing and printing time and someone getting back to the reception to plunder lubricated wallets. Every picture had to be of album quality.

In that recent court case I would like to think that there were enough pictures to make a decent album. I see guys advertising '700 pictures on dvd', I'd like to see them all

Ken I can't believe how many images are promised and I can't see the point of it. I am probably old fashioned but I would rather have 12 or 24 very good quality formal shots as the basis for the album and then plunder friends and family for the informal ones.

Who has time to go through 400 shots of debatable quality in many cases (I'm thinking of my nephew's wedding) to find the gems. There was a second photographer there working for nothing/experience and I don't think anyone ever saw any of those.

Mike

I'll go along with Ken only I was allowed 7 rolls of 120 film usually ASA (ISO) 160 special for skin tones. Also hand held light meter for light falling on the subject not reflecting off of it. (Which I may still use 2 weeks from now) Black suit & white Dress plays havoc with the cameras metering. I did almost a whole year with a pro. and only took photos in the last 3 months as well as doing a short course with the Fugi Professionals. As I said before only one lens Medium Format 75mm Manual Focus (I used Standard & Leaf Shutter). I carried a 35mm camera as backup with the same film type also in both 120 & 35mm film I carried ISO 400 for bad outdoor lighting. Plus 2 AF400T hammer head guns with full battery packs. A Cromatek bellows lens hood & a large wallet full of filters. Not forgetting the all important tripod. Depending on the venue I also took a small step ladder. The list can go on & on & the stories like the Royal Marine in full dress uniform and a temperature of 30+degrees who fainted. Enough reminiscing. Just get out ther and enjoy yourself. CHEERS Vic.

I'm not bragging here just giving you a few facts but after my 100th odd wedding you get a bit complacent and it starts to get a bit boring same same every time, but it is a very lucrative business it paid for my MGB and there are a lot more benefits but you will have to work at it, nothing is for free.

Jack.

I couldn't agree more, that was part of what took so long with my post-processing. Of ~1100 initial frames, I think we showed the happy couple ~150 from which they picked 40 for the final album.

Mike I agree with what you say, my wedding packages came in 12-24-or 36 album packages with extra albums of the same photos for parents albums plus a few extras, I would usually take 24-48 or 72 photos and dump the bad ones usually shut eyes, but now today you can open there eyes with software, one thing I will say always take a deposit to cover your costs, you would be surprised at the number of couples who never came back for their photos, I better stop this otherwise I could go on all night,

Jack.
I'll just add the gear I used was my Mamiya for the wedding photos and my Pentax MX-ME and Program A over the 5 years I had my studio.

Never came back for the photos?

Does this mean that like one of my former landlords - they went on honeymoon and came back separated?

As far as I'm concerned Jack (and others) can keep going! I love these personal stories from a world I've never been part of.

There must be a lot to be said for keeping it dead simple and having the 24 essential shot buttoned down, knowing who is in, what camera/lens you will use and the approximate composition so you can just get in there and do it.

I guess now the genie is out of the bottle everyone has to play the numbers game.

Mike

Well Mike it is true, I think over the 5 years there were about 6 couples that never came back because my rule was if they didn't pay the full amount due on the wedding day I did not develop the film and the film sat in my office until they did, but they never came back so who knows what happened.

Jack.

well well, all of your advice is outstanding, going back onto the topic of wedding togs' and jobs in that sector. I need one but lack the exp as most newbbies do but my images are getting better by the day comp and lighting and almost everything have a look at my latest one and you'll see the difference.

Where on earth and who on earth is going to employ me to be a tog ??? I've looked and applied and applied and only 1 reply out of many others ?????? I've posted situation wanted for un-paid work to be a tog and that doesn't even get me noticed..... I'll do it for free as long as i know i can get the exp and half a portfolio started from it......