# Holy crap....shooting my first wedding today!!!!



## KAikens318 (Sep 4, 2010)

I will post pics as soon as I get home tonight but man am I nervous!!! I rented a Nikkor 105mm 2.8 AF-S VR lens for the occasion in case of low light on top of all the other lenses I own, I have my tripod and monopod, batteries all charged, memory cards clean, and SB-600 with diffuser ready to go. I am hoping that I do everything right and can make sure I get the best photos possible! Wish me luck, photos to come soon!  :mrgreen:


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## iAstonish (Sep 4, 2010)

Good luck. Don't stress too much about it, just go do what you do and have fun.


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## KAikens318 (Sep 4, 2010)

The wedding was awesome.   Here are some of my favs, C&C if you like. I still have over 900 to edit.

1






2





3






4






5 (Trying out the Ocean's Eleven type walk herer)


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## KAikens318 (Sep 5, 2010)

A few more as I chug along

6.





7.





8.





9.





9.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 5, 2010)

Some seemt o have white balance issues, might be my monitor though.
Mainly #4, she looks like a purple zombie.

#2 has a bit too much blurryness at the bottom for me...it attracts my eye more than the focus part

#3 would of benefited with more light in the back

#5 is a cliche shot, but you did it very well.   I do it sometimes as well. 

I also like #8...nice bouquet shot

#9 and #10 dont do much for me.  I love candid shots, but there is a lack of something of interest.  Even when doing candids, you need to look for an emotion, an action or something that is interetsing.  People often think candid is just shooting randomly, but I find it really hard to pull off great candid shots.


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## KAikens318 (Sep 5, 2010)

bigtwinky said:


> Some seemt o have white balance issues, might be my monitor though.
> Mainly #4, she looks like a purple zombie.
> 
> #2 has a bit too much blurryness at the bottom for me...it attracts my eye more than the focus part
> ...



Lol, I knew that was a cliche shot but it is so them it's not even funny. Especially the guy on the left (best man) he loves hamming it up for the camera.

I was having trouble with the white balance, we were getting ready in a bathroom with this disgusting yellow light and no matter I changed the WB to it wouldn't go away.

Does this copy work better for the "zombie" one?






I had such a fun time shooting this wedding. Really made me feel like I finally found what I am supposed to be doing.  Only 700 more photos to edit!


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## KAikens318 (Sep 9, 2010)

A few more after some more editing. Still have about 300 to go

10.





11.





12.





13.






14.






15.





I know they are not up to most of your 'professional' standards, but I am still learning. I learned a lot just from this wedding and in the end the B&G are loving the photos that I have shown so far. Some day I will be as good as the rest of you on here, but for now, still learning.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 9, 2010)

I find that your exposures are off.  Seems that the dress is blown out in many images (not all of it, but enough of it to notice).  Its hard to properly expose the scene when you have one person in black and the other in white.  If you have to chose which to expose for, go with the bride.

10- the light is too harsh, too bright

11- cute, too center composed.  Get her face off center.  Looks a little too fake as well.  dont ask her to smile, MAKE her laugh

12- not bad at all.  Although when you ask them to kiss, dont ask them to go full blown kiss...else you get squished face like this

15- same as 11..way too centered.   I can understand this shot if you were trying to get the whole arch in the shot, but you are not.  You have them in center of the frame with very little space below and way too much up top.  

Overall...watch the exposure, get more interesting in the image, more emotion and GET THEM OFF CENTER!


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## KAikens318 (Sep 9, 2010)

bigtwinky said:


> I find that your exposures are off.  Seems that the dress is blown out in many images (not all of it, but enough of it to notice).  Its hard to properly expose the scene when you have one person in black and the other in white.  If you have to chose which to expose for, go with the bride.
> 
> 10- the light is too harsh, too bright
> 
> ...



I was finding that to be the hardest part, exposing for the dress. The camera just did not want to do it. Lol. I think I needed to change my metering mode perhaps. I was on matrix, should I have done spot or center instead?


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## bigtwinky (Sep 9, 2010)

That might work. 

Put it on spot, set up something at home and try it out.  Or head outside and find something bright that has something dark in the same frame and spot meter each, then evaluative meter... test things out.

But I dont think I've ever shot on matrix for any style of shooting I've done.


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## SrBiscuit (Sep 9, 2010)

are these all post editing?

reason i ask, and this may come off as harsh, and i will pre-apologize for it...
they all seem to lack the "pop" that i typically see in great wedding shots.

i think (and i may be driven back under my rock for saying so) you may be able to push the editing a bit to get some more out of these photos. even if its just some simple little adjustment, or a little vignette to draw attention...i dont know...i could be WAY off here.

i booked my first wedding for april, so im really paying attention to all these wedding threads.

i hope i havent offended. that was certainly not my intention.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 9, 2010)

SrBiscuit said:


> i booked my first wedding for april, so im really paying attention to all these wedding threads.
> .



Quick hijack.... 
Congrats!  Cant wait to see what work you come out with.    (I'm being serious here too)


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## SrBiscuit (Sep 9, 2010)

bigtwinky said:


> SrBiscuit said:
> 
> 
> > i booked my first wedding for april, so im really paying attention to all these wedding threads.
> ...


 
sorry to continue the hijack...
thanks bt. im already way nervous and hoping i can deliver. i have images in my mind of what ill be after. i will def post for C&C and a good bashing 

back on topic :hugs:


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## bigtwinky (Sep 9, 2010)

lol...make sure to scout your location and if its your first, head there with someone and practice some.

The hardest thing to get used to is the hectic pace of a wedding, and how noithing goes as planned


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## KAikens318 (Sep 10, 2010)

SrBiscuit said:


> are these all post editing?
> 
> reason i ask, and this may come off as harsh, and i will pre-apologize for it...
> they all seem to lack the "pop" that i typically see in great wedding shots.
> ...



No, no offense taken at all! I was thinking the same thing actually. I am going to spend tonight looking over some Photoshop tutorials to see what I can do to make them pop a little more. I am really new to the whole Photoshop thing, so I am still trying to figure out curves and dodging and trying not to over saturate everything (Although in this case that is what the couple wants)

Gl with your first wedding!!! I have another on October tenth. I am leaving the 105mm 2.8 VR behind this time and bringing my 18-105mm VR and my 50mm 1.8 instead. I was really not impressed with the 105mm 2.8. I am not a fixed zoom person. lol

Perhaps like going from this:





To this?


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## KAikens318 (Sep 10, 2010)

Love this one!!!

From this:







To this!!!


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## rCOSIO (Sep 10, 2010)

Hey Kai ... congrats on your first wedding. I just booked my first one as well, to be in three weeks. I must ask, after everything done and over ... what advice can you give as far as, looking back, realizing what you forgot to do, and what you would have wished you did? 

Thanks ...


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## KAikens318 (Sep 10, 2010)

rCOSIO said:


> Hey Kai ... congrats on your first wedding. I just booked my first one as well, to be in three weeks. I must ask, after everything done and over ... what advice can you give as far as, looking back, realizing what you forgot to do, and what you would have wished you did?
> 
> Thanks ...



Low apeture is great for when they are standing still and you are doing the portraits, but if you can try to use a wider one during the ceremony so that everything is in focus and blur in PP if you want the DOF effect. I missed focus on a bunch because I was trying to get the bokeh effect and had it at f3 a lot.

Things happen quickly so make sure you are paying attention, especially during the ceremony. I was taking a photo of the Maid of Honor one minute and before I knew it, they already had put the rings on each others hands. Be alert as to what is happening with the B&G more than the bridal party. After you get the 'classic' shots, then work on everyone else.

BRING A FLASH. I would have been so screwed without my SB-600, especially in the tent we were in after the ceremony. I bounced it off of the ceiling of the tent so it wasn't super harsh and it worked just fine.

Think about the PP while you are getting the shot, what kind of effect you want to go for with it and frame accordingly.

It is okay to crop. Get everyone in the entire frame with room to spare around  them so nothing gets cut out. That is what I can think of for now. Lol


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## Big Mike (Sep 10, 2010)

> I was having trouble with the white balance, we were getting ready in a bathroom with this disgusting yellow light and no matter I changed the WB to it wouldn't go away.


I hope you're shooting in RAW.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 10, 2010)

KAikens318 said:


> Love this one!!!
> 
> From this:
> 
> ...


 

Oh hellz no.  I'm all in for artistic differences, but the work on this one takes a so-so picture and makes it worse.

The selective colouring is tacky.  Use selective colouring as a tool to draw attention to important parts of an image... so while my brain says that the people are important, your selective colouring is saying that the flower is.

Her bouquet is not only selectively coloured like his flower, but its blurry!  So on one end you are saying "hey, focus your eyes here on the bouquet" but at the same time you are saying "dont mind me, I'm blurry and unimportant".

Her dress was already blown out in the original colour image.  The way you converted it it makes it look even more blown out.

There is way too much processing blurryness.

Sorry, but this image is a huge no for me.


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## rCOSIO (Sep 10, 2010)

KAikens318 said:


> rCOSIO said:
> 
> 
> > Hey Kai ... congrats on your first wedding. I just booked my first one as well, to be in three weeks. I must ask, after everything done and over ... what advice can you give as far as, looking back, realizing what you forgot to do, and what you would have wished you did?
> ...


 

Good info ... thanks!!!


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## KAikens318 (Sep 10, 2010)

bigtwinky said:


> KAikens318 said:
> 
> 
> > Love this one!!!
> ...



The whole image other than their faces is blurry on purpose. I added a slight Gaussian Blur and a zoom blur on it. Oh well though, photography is very subjective and I definitely respect your thoughts!! 

I printed this out and gave to the bride this morning, she loved it so in the end that is all that matters.

I got the editing style straight from a tutorial by a pro wedding photographer...I dunno, I love it.


And yes...I ALWAYS shoot in RAW.


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## bigtwinky (Sep 10, 2010)

wow, really? Can you link up that tutorial?  I'm curious to see for myself.

I really do not understand why the flowers would get selective colouring and yet be hit by the blur.... :/

And remember, just because its out there on the internet, doesnt make it good.  And just because someone calls themselves a pro, doesnt make them one.



Thanks for taking my opinion for what it is


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## njw1224 (Sep 10, 2010)

Well, if this was your first wedding, I actually don't think they are bad. It's definitely not something I'd be happy delivering to my clients, but I'm at a different place in my career. My first wedding probably wasn't this good (I can't remember it though). The main thing I found myself wondering in many of your photos is "what is the story being told?". Remember that you are visually telling a story, and every image should tell it's own little sub-story. Numbers 6-9 (both 9's), 13 & 14 all leave me wanting more story value. With 1 & 2 I understand wanting to capture details, but these leave me cold. A buttonhole? Really doesn't say anything to me. And with no. 1, I think it would have more implact with some other element of interest (champagne glasses in bg; wedding program under the box; flowers beside the box; etc.). It's just too plain of an object for it to hold interest by itself.


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## KAikens318 (Sep 11, 2010)

njw1224 said:


> Well, if this was your first wedding, I actually don't think they are bad. It's definitely not something I'd be happy delivering to my clients, but I'm at a different place in my career. My first wedding probably wasn't this good (I can't remember it though). The main thing I found myself wondering in many of your photos is "what is the story being told?". Remember that you are visually telling a story, and every image should tell it's own little sub-story. Numbers 6-9 (both 9's), 13 & 14 all leave me wanting more story value. With 1 & 2 I understand wanting to capture details, but these leave me cold. A buttonhole? Really doesn't say anything to me. And with no. 1, I think it would have more implact with some other element of interest (champagne glasses in bg; wedding program under the box; flowers beside the box; etc.). It's just too plain of an object for it to hold interest by itself.



First: BigTwinky...here you go   [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReQthhKHVz0&feature=related[/ame]

The focus of my tux photo when I was taking it wasn't so much the button hole. I was going for the lines, the colors, and the pattern of it. I thought it looked neat, I was playing with the DOF with the lens I was renting.

For the shot of the favor box, should have gone with flowers. Champagne glasses, there were none. Shot glasses. Wedding programs? Not present. Wedding for 60 people, low key, not an expensive wedding by any means. They wanted to keep it cheap and simple. The wedding favors were all made by hand by the bride, as were the center pieces and the bouquets and guys' vest pieces. But I do thank you for the compliment in the first sentence. These are far from being done with the editing process. I am still trying to tweek everything to make them a little better. I have another wedding in 29 days to shoot so I am doing a LOT of research and trying to get everything just right. Next wedding is about the same, low key, low budget, quick ceremony outside for about 75 people, indoor reception in a banquet hall.


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## KAikens318 (Sep 14, 2010)

Still trucking along with these edits...Now I see why photographers get paid so much. Lol. Only 400 more to go


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## PhotoFly (Sep 14, 2010)

The off the scale whites of the dress are what caught my eye. It is a tricky situation, but try shooting a little dark so you have something you can work with in curves.


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## KAikens318 (Sep 14, 2010)

PhotoFly said:


> The off the scale whites of the dress are what caught my eye. It is a tricky situation, but try shooting a little dark so you have something you can work with in curves.



I am definitely going to try that for the next wedding. Her dress at least will be off-white!


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## KAikens318 (Sep 22, 2010)

Well I am FINALLY done editing! Just adding some finishing touches with Noiseware Pro. I can honestly say, now I see why photographers get paid so much. It's not the taking of the photos, it is all the time spent editing! Here are a few more that I revamped.
(I know they are mostly black and white, but these are almost the only black and white ones in the group)

1. 






2.





3.






4.





5.





6.


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