# Should I shoot this wedding?



## wyatt_spalding (Oct 29, 2013)

Hello, today I was offered to shoot a wedding for a friend, she offered good money and the money would help out my photography a lot. Im 14 and have been taking photos since i was 12. I understand aperture, shutter speed, iso, wb etc.... Right now i'm shooting with my t3i and a 50mm 1.8 and a few other wide angles and zooms. I would love to shoot the wedding and think i could do it but I want to know how bug of a responsibility it is, i'm pretty responsible, but do you think it would be to big of a job for me? Thanks,
-Wyatt


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## jowensphoto (Oct 29, 2013)

First reaction? No.

Second reaction? Let's see your work thus far.


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## o hey tyler (Oct 29, 2013)

What constitutes "good money" to a fourteen year old? Also my second question would be how will money make you better at photography?


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## pixmedic (Oct 29, 2013)

I moved this thread to the aspiring professionals section. 

weddings can be very difficult to shoot. Add in the fact that a friendship is involved, and it can complicate things even further. 
If they are willing to spend good money, then they should hire an experienced wedding photographer for such a "one time" event. 
depending on the weddings location, you can have a lot of changing lighting conditions, and distances from which you have to shoot. 
weddings are not really the kind of thing that is good to just "jump in" and start shooting. 
typically, wedding photographers bring TWO camera bodies, and several "fast" lenses ranging from wide angle, to tele-zoom so they can get their shots from as close up or as far back as needed.  on and off camera flashes are also a must have. 

If you are lacking any of these things, or the knowledge on how to properly utilize them, I would recommend not shooting your friends wedding. 
do you have any experience with people photography or event photography?
weddings can be very fast paced, and it doesn't take but a few moments to miss an important shot. 
If you are interested in shooting weddings, you should look into finding a local wedding photographer that will let you "second shoot" with them to learn before doing it on your own.


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## DougGrigg (Oct 29, 2013)

Money, Friendships & Age

Moneywise, Great But I'd suggest if they are your friend as due to being so young, offer to do it for free, then the weight is off your shoulders on how well you perform, giving them money to hire a professional to accompany you and help you achieve everything you desire.

Friendship, doing jobs for friends can be really cumbersome on weddings, I wouldn't take a job for a friend even being a professional unless I had two deckhands with me I'd want the safe of mind that I wasn't jeopardizing my friendships over a couple of grand.

Age-Wise, Do you feel comfortable being so young & taking photos for the wedding? at the end of the day you must think, its a job if i was at my friends wedding so young I would rather be enjoying the day/night rather than work! 

Also, I'd love to see examples of work just to clarify you're ready for such job


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2013)

Shoot it, at 14 you shouldn't have a care in the world i would have jumped at it, charge them as much as you think you can get away with

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## runnah (Oct 29, 2013)

How old is your friend that is getting married?


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## Steve5D (Oct 29, 2013)

If the happy couple is asking a 14 year old to shoot their wedding, I'm going to guess that the photography budget is little more than a passing thought. As such, I doubt they're expecting the results they would get from a seasoned shooter.

This isn't said to disparage the OP at all, but context is also important...


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## ronlane (Oct 29, 2013)

I too would like to see some of your work, but be sure to get them to sign a contract if you decide to do it. Oh wait, contracts with a minor are binding anyway. Never mind.


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## canonbraden (Oct 29, 2013)

Have them hire a professional and ask if it's okay if you come along as a second shooter.


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## tirediron (Oct 29, 2013)

Okay folks, let's keep in mind that we're in the _*ASPIRING*_ Professionals forum.  Please, by all means, answer the OPs question as you feel appropriate, but lets try and keep the vitriol and sarcasm to a minimum shall we?

Thanks!


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## manicmike (Oct 29, 2013)

Maybe it's just because I don't care anymore, but I say why not?

I'd offer an engagement shoot beforehand, just so they can be sure what they're getting. I'd decline the money though. Is that bad advice? Probably.


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## DougGrigg (Oct 29, 2013)

gsgary said:


> Shoot it, at 14 you shouldn't have a care in the world i would have jumped at it, charge them as much as you think you can get away with



And get a lawsuit if the standard is not up to how much money is invested? deary me.


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## texkam (Oct 29, 2013)

As long as both parties understand what they are getting (or may not be getting), go for it. As far as being too big, as mentioned, if they are asking a 14 y o then they have to understand you may not be able to pull it off as well as a seasoned pro. High School age kids are capable of some amazing stuff. When I was 14, I had a picture running on the front page of the sports section of a major newspaper and some of my friends were shooting stuff that would still hold up today. Yep, let's see your work.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2013)

DougGrigg said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > Shoot it, at 14 you shouldn't have a care in the world i would have jumped at it, charge them as much as you think you can get away with
> ...



Bull**** only a moron would try and sue a 14 year old


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## astroNikon (Oct 29, 2013)

well on the plus side they like your photography.

But as others have mentioned learning and planning the essence of a good photo shoot throughout the stages of a wedding is what is going to cause issues.

But most 14 yr olds won't listen anyways, so .... go to each event they have leading up to the wedding and practice shooting.  And try to capture "moments" instead of just pictures.  Go to the wedding practice - it will give you an idea of how shooting in low light is.  Sneak in someone else's wedding, and see what the photographers do.

I haven't done one myself, but I'm watching how things are done.  And they spend a TON of time before during and after.  It seems as though "during" on an inside wedding seems to be the simpliest part of it assuming you have the right equipment for the environment (light settings, distance, etc)  !!

Good luck


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## vintagesnaps (Oct 29, 2013)

I'm having a hard time understanding someone 'hiring' an 8th or 9th grader to photograph their wedding (as someone mentioned, you wouldn't be driving yet to get to the job assignment). It depends I think on laws where you live regarding employment at this age whether or not something like this is even a realistic option to consider. 

If you're going to the wedding anyway and they want you to take some pictures and they like your pictures and offer to pay something for them, that might be do-able; that would seem more comparable to paying a teenager to babysit or rake leaves etc. (And in my experience it would need to be arranged thru the parents/guardian).

What do your parents say about this? It's up to them - if they're going to the wedding or will take you there and they think it's OK and will handle any taxes etc. (as you'd be considered their dependent) that's what's probably going to be the deciding factor. 

If you think you have the skills and necessary equipment to do this type photography and are wondering whether or not to give this a try, then doing some assisting or interning maybe as a summer job at a studio or with a photographer would be a more realistic option.


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2013)

I shot my first wedding when I was in 7th grade...it was a very small civil ceremony for my sister's friend Monika. I owned a Cosmorex SE 35mm SLR with a 58mm f/2 Auto-Cosmogon lens, and the fastest color negative film that was available at that time, which was ASA 200 Kodak. The Cosmorex was an importer's brand for a Zenit-brand Russian model...very crude camera.

I had told her, repeatedly, "No,no,no, I don't want to shoot this for you!" but she persisted, and finally after maybe a month of her pressuring me, I gave in, went to the wedding, and shot a roll of film. The whole thing lasted like maybe 10 minutes!

The disaster happened when the skinny leather neckstrap on the Cosmorex snagged the left-side-mounted back release...the camera's back popped open at the event, ruining a good number of the exposures! ACK!!!! Talk about a disaster! Quite a few of the prints had massive red or red-and-yellow light leaks! The earliest frames, which had been shot in the hallway before, my "posed group formals", were okay.


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## jaomul (Oct 29, 2013)

Age shouldn't matter. As a compliment to the OP, they were responsible to at least seek an opinion, whether they act on it or not is another thing. 2 years could be enough with the right interest and understanding. I say well done on being asked either way. The real people in the know could advise you better if you show your work as suggested


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## hamlet (Oct 29, 2013)

Why all this obsession with money? Just focus on what you love doing best and tune out everything else. Your work will speak for itself.


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## Vettahead (Oct 29, 2013)

DougGrigg said:


> And get a lawsuit if the standard is not up to how much money is invested? deary me.



That will always be subjective.


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## texkam (Oct 29, 2013)

> And get a lawsuit if the standard is not up to how much money is invested? deary me.


Ooooo, you think? This would make for another great wedding photog case for Judge Joe Brown. : ) You could become famous!


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## Braineack (Oct 29, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Why all this obsession with money?



because money is the root of all good.


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## Robin_Usagani (Oct 29, 2013)

It would be weird being in a lingerie half naked putting the dress on in front of a 14yo IMO


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## manaheim (Oct 29, 2013)

Sounds like the start of an excellent movie.


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## Vettahead (Oct 30, 2013)

Robin_Usagani said:


> It would be weird being in a lingerie half naked putting the dress on in front of a 14yo IMO



I want to shoot weddings you do!


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## imagemaker46 (Oct 31, 2013)

Seems like my comments were removed again. There's a surprise.


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## Braineack (Nov 1, 2013)

Latfjoya said:


> Second reaction? Let's see your work thus far.




I really wish he would come back and post up some work; I'm very curious.


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## canonbraden (Nov 8, 2013)

Are you gonna shoot it?

Lets see some of your work


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## cbarnard7 (Nov 8, 2013)

tirediron said:


> Okay folks, let's keep in mind that we're in the _*ASPIRING*_ Professionals forum.  Please, by all means, answer the OPs question as you feel appropriate, but lets try and keep the vitriol and sarcasm to a minimum shall we?
> 
> Thanks!



Sarcasm is the only language some of these people speak


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## Hrgrace21 (Dec 5, 2013)

Dont know if you are still following this thread or not but I believe a photographer, at any age has the potential to be great given an opportunity. One way you could get around this easier next time is ask a local photographer that has the experience to come along with you as a second shooter. Hire them if necessary. Some will be excited that someone as young as you is taking an interest in their profession. There is no need to take it on by yourself.


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