Go ahead, bruise my ego - C&C wanted

01/30/2006 11:42:51 AM · #1

I am trying to create my first wedding album in Fotofusion, a callage type software program.
I am looking for feedback on my page layouts/designs etc.

I think my ego is ready for the abuse ;), so let me know what you think - particularly what a prospective bride might think.

This was my first wedding, and it was last July, so I did not capture they types of images I want for this type of album. My next wedding is Feb 25..that'll be more of a test of my planning and skills on album design.

My objective is a nice album of course, but also to show a few different styles of pages (not that i have a clue what works for me layout wise at this time). So if the overall look is not consistent let me know that, and let me know what works and what doesn't.

Thanks!!
The album pages

(now puttin on thick skin)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/30/2006 12:02:06 PM · #2

You know something...Bravo!!!!!!

Simple, clean, well exposed with some classic portraiture and straight up shots.

Very well done.

One of the guys I work with has a sister that is a very good wedding photographer in Minnesota. He said they were talking about this overwhelming trend nowadays to turn weddings into visions of what the photographer wants rather than good, clean recordings of the event first THEN special stuff.

We have all seen these elaborate photojournal style multimedia presentations with artistic shots, enormous amounts of glows, desaturations and scripted scenes. Many of these to the exclusion of nice, well taken photos.

A lot of event photographers just starting out get so caught up in the special effects they see being used they forget all about the formal shots and end up taking a lot of bad shots..poorly focused, highlights all screwed up and shadows being thrown everywhere.

Nice to see a photographer using some classic formals along with some special shots and concentrating on basic exposure :-)

Post edit....there are some hot spots due to sun and stuff...especially on the group shots. Maybe some highlight and shadows could pull that out?

Message edited by author 2006-01-30 12:06:45.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

01/30/2006 12:14:25 PM · #3

very nice. A couple of the pictures where the couple is at the alter seem to have a redish hallow...is that supposed to be there? Just seems odd. All in all some very nice photos that I bet they were very pleased with.

Good job.

oh and since you really wanted to know about the album, it was setup nice and clean too.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/30/2006 12:19:42 PM · #4

The opening page blue halo/haze/ desat looks odd.
Overall the whole album is wonderful, I would be thrilled to be your customer.
Well done!

01/30/2006 12:24:51 PM · #5

Thanks for the encouraging words.
I am I suppose one of the 'new breed' around here. I went to the local annual bridal show yesterday...very very very very traditional, and averageing about $2,000 to start, up to $4,000. I start at $850...including the album (you've seen some of it). I have a website, i shoot digital, I do a 100% digital album (not an i-mount or other cross breed). I am in the minority on all counts.
This is a very tradiional area, so the formal shots are absolutely a standard. I was shooting for the experience and there was a 'aunt jane' type as the 'main' photographer - i did not speak up and pose people wiht the light in the right places. I deferred to aunt jane who'd shot 7 weddngs and, well, if you can't say something nice...I mean, shoot a wedding with only on camera flash???

The reddish halo - here is why - a two story purply pink window and a 2pm july wedding...hence all the b&w! Unless the flash overpowered the ambient light everything got this 'glow' - extremely difficult to remove it. This church was at the bridal show too, they charge about $600 to use their church BTW, and I know a couple of photographers that won't shoot there because of that window. The other photog (without the flash) used film...guess what? NO pictures in teh church were useable.

01/30/2006 12:28:10 PM · #6

Originally posted by Beetle:

The opening page blue halo/haze/ desat looks odd.
Overall the whole album is wonderful, I would be thrilled to be your customer.
Well done!

I saw an image like this - the couple in color and the rest in b&w so i emulated it..not successfully apparently. Oh well. I have that in b&w. I have to do the reception pages yet and the 'getting ready' pages. I may change the front page to a shot of the church and the couple overlayed and faded or something.
As it is I spent something like 10 hours on this yesterday (I reconverted the RAW images, NI'd almost all of them, and then had to learn the layout software).

I highly recommend the software - //www.lumapix.com/

01/30/2006 01:03:27 PM · #7

Prof, here is apic that I did with a black and white background and color subject. I wonder if there was a feather value around the couple resulting in the halo effect. I used Photo Elements to do mine.

01/30/2006 01:12:32 PM · #8

What you said about your area being very traditional is a good lesson.

Many, many people are traditional when it comes to wedding photos. It is often hard to get a lot of face time with the couple or the wedding party in advance of the wedding in order to establish a strong relationship.

You did a good thing right up front, you scouted the location and learned something about the good and bad spots. I do this whenever I can..whether shooting sports or other events.

Also, have a playbook. You did a good job of using the traditional formal shots and I was told by several photograpehrs I shot with to have a series of traditional poses written down ..like a script. It helps to move the shoot along quickly, makes you look professional and gaurantees you will get the important stuff (like the wedding party and families) in the photos before all H311 breaks loose later!

Something to think about as you build your wedding books. Be creative with your montages.

I do some occasional location work for a local college theatre and recently I put together two montages to let them choose a style. They prefered the slightly loose look of the second over the more straight up and down of the first which I liked as well (but you never know!) I learn to be flexible.

Have fun with the Bridal books :-D

01/30/2006 01:23:26 PM · #9

Melissa -
//www.pbase.com/cpphotography/image/54111796
is the orginal color image. I think it just looks weird and not much can be done about it.

Scott - I like the loose look a bit more myself, but am not sure how the cusomter might like it. I'll do up a page that way and see how it flies. The more of these I do the better i'll get as I'll know ahead of time what poses/shots to get and how to frame them to leave space on a side or top.

Message edited by author 2006-01-30 13:27:00.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/30/2006 01:26:57 PM · #10

oh, ok...I see. Just thought maybe...

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

01/30/2006 01:30:59 PM · #11

Ok before I start - some disclaimers. I used to pretend to understand women and now that I am a little older, I am quite content to admit I have no idea, not a clue. On top of that; The planning my wife & I did for our own wedding left me the with the distinct feeling that I understand a bride far less than a woman. :-)) My comments are only on the first part "IMO" the rest you are on you own ok :-)

First off; I like almost all the pics, you seem to have some good ideas on the poses for groups which is hard e.t.c. I have never photographed a wedding (apart from 4 as videographer which is a different animial) but I have an idea how hard this can be on days like this, so for a first go, I think this is a great start. My comments below are just about the page layout.....

55460012 - I don't like the number of shots down both sides. It just looks too busy for me but, so you know where I come from, I am more attracted to a simple 1 or 2 shot per page style (my wedding album is mostly single page 8x10 with a few big+2 smalls).

55460014 - I like this more than the others that have a number of smaller pictures. I think this would be a good way of showing a reception or similar where you want a bit of coverage. Since I assume a reception is where the light is the worst, this might also let you use shots that would not work in a larger size.

55427803 - It's a little overused but I think you gota have these since they are popular. Could also be done in a fog style white and look completely different. Also handy for getting rid of stuff at the corners :-)

55477799 - I like this the best of all the pages (apart from the 55477801 full page obviously:). I guess I like the nice big photo with the other 2 small ones that you can use as a little more comtext around the larger one (it would not work for me if they were unrelated to the main photo in some way).

55477800 - This just seems a little awkard to me. I can see the plan but to me it just leaves too much space and still looks cluttered (if that makes any sense).

55460013 - I really like the idea (colour on main subject & BW for rest) but I don't like the blue tinge or the large bright/blown white windows. Drew the short straw on that location at that time of day huh :-)

Hope some of this meanderings help somewhat....

kiwinick

Sony DSLR-A550

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

01/30/2006 01:37:41 PM · #12

Hoorah!!! I agree100% its time that photogs got back to basics and got over the Arty Farty lets win the gold medal its for me. traditional shots done well always win out .

Originally posted by hokie:

Olympus 50mm f/1.8 MF Normal Zuiko

01/30/2006 01:38:32 PM · #13

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

I don't know if something like this is a great improvement but I only spent about 5 minutes on it :-/ I think even more could be saved..it is not hopeless and ...most important...the shot is really well composed!

emorgan49

Olympus E-5

01/30/2006 02:01:35 PM · #14

I don't like the black around the group shot on the steps. It looks like mold. Perhaps softer? Otherwise I would be delighted if ou would shoot my daughters wedding. Anyone want to marry her?

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

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

01/30/2006 02:48:09 PM · #15

Originally posted by kiwinick:

Hoorah!!! I agree100% its time that photogs got back to basics and got over the Arty Farty lets win the gold medal its for me. traditional shots done well always win out .

Yeah! I agree - because this:

sucks!

:)

(Just picking on you a bit kiwi - maybe you DO hate that shot...but it's very arty farty).

Chris - I'll put specific feedback somewhere (here, biz 1, PM) later.. :)

M

01/30/2006 03:13:53 PM · #16

Originally posted by hokie:

You are right, you never know what the customer might like. Once you get a few books under your belt you will have samples for them to choose from..or just "borrow" some book styles from other photographers :-D

I don't relly like putting montages together myself. I would rather just shoot the photos and be done but sometimes the customers need some support.

By the way..I took that photo you had posted that you said you had trouble with and tried a few things.

I don't know if something like this is a great improvement but I only spent about 5 minutes on it :-/ I think even more could be saved..it is not hopeless and ...most important...the shot is really well composed!

Hmm...in real life:
the tux shirts are supposed to be white.
the wedding dress bodice is white, the skirt a bit off white, the veil white and transluscent.
teh bridesmaides are in pale pink.

Perhaps if i spent 20 hours and made a layer of each element, adjusted each element...but I have a life LOL PS's Auto color seems to work the best. Not fun to find out after 3 hours of work.

01/30/2006 03:16:50 PM · #17

Originally posted by emorgan49:

I don't like the black around the group shot on the steps. It looks like mold. Perhaps softer? Otherwise I would be delighted if ou would shoot my daughters wedding. Anyone want to marry her?

Yeah, i have a friend..but does she want to marry him?? LOL

I'm not so sure on the black either. White might look better in print. I tried pale pink (the brides maids dress color) and that looked worse LOL. It just seems wedding albums are either white or black...i want to do more than that.

We'll see. One line of albums i want to use don't do leather, just linen. So i'd like ideally to recover the book in a fabric or adorn it with ribbons or something from the wedding's colors.

I'm not artsy fartsy, so this is difficult for me.

01/30/2006 03:19:44 PM · #18

Originally posted by mavrik:

Originally posted by kiwinick:
Hoorah!!! I agree100% its time that photogs got back to basics and got over the Arty Farty lets win the gold medal its for me. traditional shots done well always win out .

Yeah! I agree - because this: sucks!

:)

(Just picking on you a bit kiwi - maybe you DO hate that shot...but it's very arty farty).

Chris - I'll put specific feedback somewhere (here, biz 1, PM) later.. :)

M

There is a place for some creativity. 10 shots like that in an album is too much and the uniqueness is lost. I think the trick is to know 10 things like this, and do maybe 2 per album/wedding. Like the Steelers, they go into every game with 4 trick plays at the ready - sometimes they only use 1 or 2, but they are such a surprise they work.

It just takes a while to develop a style. years i hear.

01/30/2006 03:22:39 PM · #19

Originally posted by mavrik:

Yeah! I agree - because this: sucks!

:)

(Just picking on you a bit kiwi - maybe you DO hate that shot...but it's very arty farty).

That is not one of grigrigirls best efforts in my opinion. When you combine multiple special effects it starts to look noisy.

Wide angles = one special effect
Sepia Tones = Second special effect
Heavy burns and Dodge = Third special effect

I love her work and I like artsy special effects...just when they start piling up soon it looks ...mmm...not so good :-/

Message edited by author 2006-01-30 15:23:10.

01/30/2006 08:37:53 PM · #20

Prof...played a little...not sure it is much better.. as the pic I was playing with was small...I also duplicated layers and blurred the congregation to give more emphasis on the bridal party.

Tonight I finally had the chance to view all of your album... I think it is great I love the collages you did.

I did my first (and decidingly won't do again) wedding last May. But I only presented them with the photos. I love the collages wish I had thought of that!

I'll remove the pic from my portfolio tomorrow.

Message edited by author 2006-01-30 20:39:03.

01/31/2006 11:29:42 AM · #21

Not too bad. I reviewed the pic that inspired me and it was dodged around the edges a good bit, so i may play some more.
I liked the first two weddings i shot, but i was not the primary and the pressure was not on me. Feb 25th I have a freebie shoot - they get a CD and I get portfolio material. I will of course do an album for me and offer it to them for a fee...then I have 2 'real' jobs bookd for later this year...and that money is buying me the new canon 30/35/50D. Two camera will make things easier and less stressful but more physcially challenging. LOL