First paid wedding.... - DPChallenge Forums

10/11/2007 10:25:00 PM · #1

Hello all, past Saturday I did my first paid wedding. I think the photos turned out pretty good. I'm posting a few and would appreciated some constructive criticism. thanks in advance!

Message edited by author 2007-10-11 22:25:44.

10/12/2007 09:43:04 AM · #2

bumpity bump--no excitment here today....geez

Message edited by author 2007-10-12 14:43:43.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

10/12/2007 02:44:46 PM · #3

anyone alive....

dassilem

Nikon D90

10/12/2007 03:06:56 PM · #4

sorry no one has been commenting for you...

I like the 'collage' one....lovely setting, looks like it is out in the woods...

Nice job on the pictures, I'm sure they will be happy!

Krystle

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/12/2007 04:43:30 PM · #5

very nice shots, good job! my first wedding turned out horrible, I haven't shot one since. great pp on the collages and other ones too, i'm sure they'll love em

bgslaw

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/12/2007 05:15:44 PM · #6

Very immaginative set up. Lovely photographs. I'm sure they were very pleased.

Prof_Fate

10/12/2007 08:00:50 PM · #7

Welcome to the world of the working pro. Your perspective on photography will never be the same.

Critique? Really? Oh, OK...First, I'm sure the B&G will love these pics. Everyone makes mistakes, I plan to make them all. However, to be successful you can't make the same mistakes over and over again.

First, you need to learn posing. The S and C. Feminine and masculine. how to accentuate the good, and hide the bad.

Image 1: she's fat and he's lean. this post accentuates that, and makes their height difference more obvious too. the BG could be blurred more (wider aperture). her butt is blown out. I mean the dress is overexposed. Very centered composition. WB looks good, skin looks good.

image 2 distracting wood pile in the BG. her veil is blown out - expose for the skin and let the rest fall where it may is the rule, but this is near her face and distracting. compositionally it seperates her from her parents (or whomever they are) Turn her 45 degrees, hold the flowers in her camera facing hand at her hip, showing a gap behind her back to her bent elbow (shows waist, turning her helps thin her too) Lots of headspace here - why?

image 3: the best one so far! nice light on his hair, nothing blown out, nice expression. try and avoid shooting bare upper arms strait on - here it's covered with his hand so it's not bad.

image 4: cute. should get in tight, a very boring angle IMO. more rompantic if she's lifting a leg and holding the boquet low. Again, WAY too much DOF. Shoot this with a 70-200 at 2.8, at 100-150mm. the BG should be a green blur. It's the background, not a part of the image, the story here.

image 5: Normal detail shots of the rings. it is what it is.

image 6: she's HUGE in this picture. Ouch! Put her behind him, above him (you may need to have him down on one knee or her on a chair or step ladder) I don't have many online to show, but here is an engageement shot that gives you the general idea sample

image 7, the fade shot - hey, if you like it, if its your style, go for it. it's very old, well, not old to me. Just 70's era. Some of these type of images I like, but this one, no. But that's me - I'm not your paying client and they are the only one you have to satisfy (besides yourself)

last image, selective color - i like selective color and the B&W part here is excellent. Again, the pose I don't like, the aperture is wrong - the trees now look dead, like some horror movie (i like that part...ok, i'm weird).

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

10/12/2007 08:35:46 PM · #8

Well, Chris has been pretty harsh, but I have to say, I agree with everything he said. Probably the reason you haven't gotten many responses is because no one wanted to discourage you. That said, the only people that really matter are the bride and groom.... If they're happy, then that's all that really matters.

Prof_Fate

10/12/2007 10:10:59 PM · #9

Originally posted by DowseDesigns:

I don't mean to be harsh,but the teachers that i've learned the most from don't sugar coat things and I guess I admire that and so I do it to. I did say a few good things...rare for me :P

I do appreciate pics of actual people! In many instances 90% of the images are of the flowers, candles and other details. Still life is great, it's just not what wedding photography is about. I've yet to have a bride want a 16x20 of her shoe or a centerpiece at the reception. Mostly they don't even ask for those pics in their albums!

What is rarely shown are reception and dancing shots - 'cause they are not pretty or just hard to get or what?

As I said, you learn by doing and then analying the good and bad, and doing more good and less bad. if it works, do it again! After 20 or 30 weddings it gets, umm, boring, to a degree - Only so many ways to pose a wedding party in a church, or that they will allow to you to pose them.

I had a photo teacher look at my HS senior work a couple of years back. Wow, what experience can see- he could look at images, and in an instant tell me the focal length and aperture, if flash or a refletor or nothing was used...and he was right. Spooky. Educational. He said very little if anything 'nice'. Did i hate him or take that as a challenge to do better in the future?

Beleive me - I have samples i show clients that in no way would i want shown to other photogs for critique! some of my 'best' work a year ago i can't stand now as, well, it sucks. I hope that means I'm improving.

If you know more now than you did this morning - it's been a good day!

Oh and that teacher did teach me one thing that is very important - the "professional" definition of a good photo:
Did the client like the photo?
Did the client pay you for the photo?
Then it was a good photo!

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

10/12/2007 10:50:03 PM · #10

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

I don't mean to be harsh,but the teachers that i've learned the most from don't sugar coat things and I guess I admire that and so I do it to. I did say a few good things...rare for me :P

Hey, I was just agreeing with you

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

What is rarely shown are reception and dancing shots - 'cause they are not pretty or just hard to get or what?

:-P

[/hijack]

PaulE

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/12/2007 11:12:11 PM · #11

For my part I love reading any input from

Prof_Fate (and also

dwterry) on wedding protography. Both take the subject and the industry very seriously, and care about it. These guys have so much accumulated knowledge that they are very generous with (even if occassionaly it comes across a bit rough).
My advice - take note of everything Chris has shared, maybe to soem research on perspective and proportion, and next time apply it. This is the way to keep on improving.

Tlemetry

Olympus E-300 EVOLT

Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Macro ED Zuiko Digital

10/13/2007 01:47:36 AM · #12

Hey nowaytotell,
Im really glad you posted your pics. I recently done my first wedding I already see the mistakes. I wasn't brave enough to post them for critique.
The beauty is, it was my cousins wedding and they don't know all the rules to see the mistakes.

Even though they weren't my pics being critiqued, I have learned a lot from Prof fate's post too. I hope that you have too.

Jimbo_for_life

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital ED

10/13/2007 04:55:53 AM · #13

bump

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

10/13/2007 05:24:52 AM · #14

I thought that the critique was honest and I also learned from it. I hope the photographer accepts it for what it is....excellent advice.