Attention Wedding Photographers - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/28/2005 01:09:25 PM · #1

I will be shooting my first wedding this Saturday, I am sure I will get alot of nice shots. The customer wants alot of candid shots which I am fairly good at. My question is for the posed shots. How can I get them to feel comfortable enough to make the posed shots good. I do not want just the drap "ok everyone go over there and stand in a line" shots. I am looking to capture a mood to make the look at there photos over and over again. What are some tips, that can enable me to feel comfortable as well as them, so that I can get the best shots possible. Any tips will be great.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

07/28/2005 01:12:51 PM · #2

Originally posted by Travis99:

Act like you know exactly what you're doing, because you should. If you are tense and unsure, the poses will not go well.

theSaj

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/28/2005 01:13:51 PM · #3

You could always follow your signature's advice... ;-)

Take a small box of crayons and dump it on the ground in front of them (but of course not close enough to get in the foto).

They'll hopefully be puzzled, laugh, and relax. And just be like just like Crayons each of you is different...some are sharp, some are dull, some are colorful, some have weird names. But they all have to live in the same box. Likewise, I need you all to be in the fotos so no sneaking away.

;)

07/28/2005 03:12:11 PM · #4

bumb

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

07/28/2005 03:29:38 PM · #5

you being comfortable comes with time and experience :-) Them being comfortable comes from you giving direction. People NEED direction - well, most of them. Especially groups. Search for wedding photographers on line..here are a couple of my faves:

www.studiomark.com
www.terrygrayphotography.com

just some sites I've run across that I always return to.

If you want THEM to have fun then YOU'VE gotta have fun :-) I'm a slave driver at weddings (when you have a vision, you have to be able to produce it by coordinating and providing direction) but also laugh a lot and just be myself - gets the job done and people will see you doing your cool-thang and want to book you.

I'm flighty, so under pressure I can forget my objectives and ideas - so I carry a small list in big print.

Above all, if you see a cool picture online - it's 100% okay to replicate it at your upcoming wedding. Go for it :-)

Message edited by author 2005-07-28 15:31:59.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/28/2005 07:15:26 PM · #6

thanks for thr tips, anyone else?

Nuno

Nikon D700

07/28/2005 08:08:28 PM · #7

Make some cars with notes, like the squence that you want to shoot and the order that things will happen. Probably you don't need them after because when you are doing them you are fixating them in you're memory.
Are you shooting alone or with someone? What are you're lens options?

I shoot woth a friend, and when we are at relaxed moments, like outside the church orwaiting for something, I let my friend take the more classical photos and I grab my 70-300mm D ED and silently withought beeing noticed I take some candid portraits of everyone. This is the photo's that I'm selling more at weddings. People buy 1 (and sometimes none) of the grooms and 2, 3 or more photos of their. The tele let's me to isolate the person and to do very good portraits, relaxed and natural because they don't knoe theire being shoot. Just a tip. :)

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

07/28/2005 09:04:37 PM · #8

These are my lenses, Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6D ED
Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon
Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Nikon

They have also hired antoher photographer, which I was unaware of util the other day. So there will be two of us shooting. I do not know anything about the other photographer.

deapee

Kodak V803

07/28/2005 09:09:25 PM · #9

Just make sure you get infront of the other photographer as much as you can. Point your flash in his direction when shooting, always. heh

Just go there with the attitude that you know what you're doing (do your homework though) and I'm sure you'll be fine. Don't be afraid to take control of the situation and tell people exactly what to do and how to do it.

A successful wedding photographer isn't there to capture 'artsy' photos (although yeah, some turn out good). He's there to cover the event -- it's like photojournalism. At the same time, you could be the best photog in the world, and if you can't take control and tell people what to do, you're going to set yourself up for failure. Take control...be in charge, and you'll be fine.