What was I thinking? Hard Lesson Learned

07/15/2015 09:01:13 PM · #1

Originally posted by Mike:

i've learned not to come to dpc for reassurance of skill or ability.

Understandable...But I did come to learn new ideas and "Think Outside of My Comfort Zone" :) Still learning. But we're always learning in life might as well add the fun things you enjoy in there too.

07/15/2015 08:33:50 PM · #2

i've learned not to come to dpc for reassurance of skill or ability.

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

07/15/2015 07:50:39 PM · #3

Well, I just got an email from the photographer I helped. Overall, she was impressed. She stated that for someone to have helped in such short noticed, I had done pretty well. I was a bit shocked in a way, but at the same time I have some faith in my abilities. She did say that some of the pictures couldn't be used. However, she was more happy at the fact that there was that extra hand to help when needed.

BrennanOB:

It's also what you had stated. She more happy at the fact that there was another shooter to help in other areas where she felt she can have enough time to focus on the actual wedding itself, "The Main Event"

dtremain:

I think my worry on feedback is just I have compared my photography from the time I spend to take them and process them and from the way pictures I take for DPC. I have my confidence when on my own. Then when I take my pictures for a challenge, it a whole different story. But I guess I learned enough for her to let me be her assistant and second shooter when needed.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

07/15/2015 02:12:23 PM · #4

Michael Jordan famously said "You miss 100% of the shots you do not take." Equally true for basketball or photography, but with photography you can take a few thousand shots in a day and no one cares how many you took, as long as you have enough good ones.

By putting her camera in your hands, she got a chance at shots she could not have had otherwise. I have given a spare body to a responsible 12 year old at a reception and she got shots I could never have gotten. More shooters, more options, more frames, more better.

As far as waiting for judgment on how much you helped, if you wait, it may never come. The photographer may have taken your reluctance to be a second shooter as a sign that you were not looking for that work, and would only do it when forced to. If you want feedback, and a chance to do it again, let her know. Be polite but pester her, ask if you can see what she got, and what you got. Offer to by her lunch and get her to sit down with you and give you her feedback in front of her editing setup. Don't wait for her to call you. The ball is in your hands, take the shot.

dtremain

Canon EOS 80D

Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II

07/15/2015 01:39:15 PM · #5

Originally posted by adriano74:

...May have to give it a try if i ever get a call back which hasn't happened yet. Maybe the pictures didn't come out the way she wanted. But in the end, it's all good. I tried and did my best on pretty much no notice at all to do the pictures with her.

Don't depend on her feedback - silence is usually golden - if they don't like your work, they're likely to tell you. What I'm trying to say is that this may have been an unusual situation, and she may not need to hire an assistant again for a long time (her regular assistant is back and functional). Even tho you're concerned about the images you took - are you OK with them? That's what matters. And, being honest with yourself, you probably have a pretty good feel for the quality of what you got.

smardaz

07/14/2015 09:58:22 PM · #6

I've only done 3 weddings. I've never felt awesome when they were done but you have a much stricter idea of "great photos" then your friends ever will. The ones I've shot I got good reviews on for the most part.
That being said, I've found it's hard to go wrong with a 5D and 135mm L prime. That lens kicks ass!

07/14/2015 09:42:09 PM · #7

Originally posted by Mike:

Sweet. I bet it's takes great wide angle wedding shots too. :p

Yeah, no kidding. May have to give it a try if i ever get a call back which hasn't happened yet. Maybe the pictures didn't come out the way she wanted. But in the end, it's all good. I tried and did my best on pretty much no notice at all to do the pictures with her.

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

07/14/2015 05:59:20 AM · #8

Sweet. I bet it's takes great wide angle wedding shots too. :p

Tiberius

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

07/14/2015 03:46:04 AM · #9

Awesome!

Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra

07/14/2015 03:40:54 AM · #10

Originally posted by Tiberius:

You did fine.

I have a friend and colleague that gets married in two weeks and he asked me to cover it. He said no pressure but is there.

Let us know what you reward yourself with the money you made :)

Actually, with the money I made plus my daily job, I'm saving to get:

//www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DOVD9Z0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DOVD9Z0&linkCode=as2&tag=lonelyspeck-20

for my astrophotography. :)

Tiberius

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH

07/14/2015 03:18:10 AM · #11

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

07/14/2015 02:42:29 AM · #12

Originally posted by Mike:

not really. $25 is decent pay for assistant work, especially if they arent responsible for any post work or liability :)

And that's just it. After the wedding, the only thing I had to do is give her back her camera and she took care of the rest. I did learn many lessons, though. So it wasn't completely a waste. :) I just never knew stressful it could be. Especially, the time management.

Also, I just want to thank everyone who has commented on here. You have all given me good insight and a great level of confidence. Now I know why DPC has been my favorite place for advice. You are all great.

Message edited by author 2015-07-14 02:45:31.

RyanW

Nikon D7000

07/13/2015 01:31:33 PM · #13

Originally posted by Mike:

not really. $25 is decent pay for assistant work, especially if they arent responsible for any post work or liability :)

if someone offered me $25/hr to be a second shooter or gear-lackey at a wedding for 4-6 hours, I'd do it.

I've done photo and video for weddings. it's stressful.
the worst part is that for most people, they don't factor in the post-processing time as part of your work, they say "you're only there for 4-5 hours, why charge that much?"
taking pictures is the fun part, especially if you're given someone else's gear and you don't need to worry that you forgot a lens, or if you cleaned your sensor; any mistakes of gear are on them, and any incredible images that you shot are credit to yourself for framing/settings used at the time. it's win/win for some "easy extra money, coupled with practical experience"

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

07/13/2015 12:54:00 PM · #14

not really. $25 is decent pay for assistant work, especially if they arent responsible for any post work or liability :)

tate

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

07/13/2015 11:43:20 AM · #15

I did misread that. Still underpaid for someone who was wielding a camera at a wedding but not quite as bad =) If anything, the learning experience was worth it.

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by tate:

My other thought is that 25$ for 4 hours is a joke and that was not cool of her. Even 10$ and hour is not nearly good enough IMHO. Photogs get paid thousands for weddings but I guess if you knew the pay going in I'm confused why you didn't get the measly 40$.

in her defense, he accepted.

ETA, i think you misread, he got $25/hr not $10. $100 instead of $40.

Nicht

Nikon D3100

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G

07/13/2015 09:51:07 AM · #16

Weddings are stressful. I've only photo'd at friends' weddings, and out of my own - never been asked to. But I'd love it! The stress and challenge of it, and the fact that you get only get one chance. I think I've taken some nice wedding photos as well.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

07/13/2015 09:40:24 AM · #17

Originally posted by tate:

My other thought is that 25$ for 4 hours is a joke and that was not cool of her. Even 10$ and hour is not nearly good enough IMHO. Photogs get paid thousands for weddings but I guess if you knew the pay going in I'm confused why you didn't get the measly 40$.

in her defense, he accepted.

ETA, i think you misread, he got $25/hr not $10. $100 instead of $40.

Message edited by author 2015-07-13 09:42:46.

tate

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

07/13/2015 09:24:23 AM · #18

Personally, I'd rather deal with kids. The formalities and strict timeline of a wedding don't appeal to me.
At least with kids, in a worst case scenario, you can do a re-shoot =P

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by GeorgesBogaert:
try to work with kids, you'll understand why so many are doing weddings.

i refuse to shoot young children (except for very close friends and family when I wont charge them), I'm not joking. that genre takes a level of patience that I just don't have.

tate

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

07/13/2015 09:18:31 AM · #19

Good points by Mike.

Personally, I've only done one wedding and that was gratis for my sister in law. I avoid them because it changes photography from fun to stressful for me. BTW my sister in law wasn't very thankful and actually complained. Turns out she has some serious issues anyway and is going through her 2nd divorce - so I guess there's that! ;)

My other thought is that 25$ for 4 hours is a joke and that was not cool of her. Even 10$ and hour is not nearly good enough IMHO. Photogs get paid thousands for weddings but I guess if you knew the pay going in I'm confused why you didn't get the measly 40$.

Originally posted by Mike:

if she wanted a second shooter, she should have hired one, but she only hired an assistant.

she threw you into the fire, no big deal. you did what you didn't sign up for, that's her problem if she expects better than you gave. its her butt on the line with the images anyway, not yours. if none of yours came out, she was still shooting, even if you only gave her only a handful to supplement, she should be happy.

Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro

07/13/2015 08:38:39 AM · #20

Originally posted by GeorgesBogaert:

try to work with kids, you'll understand why so many are doing weddings.

i refuse to shoot young children (except for very close friends and family when I wont charge them), I'm not joking. that genre takes a level of patience that I just don't have.

GeorgesBogaert

Canon RP

07/13/2015 08:26:33 AM · #21

try to work with kids, you'll understand why so many are doing weddings.

07/13/2015 07:53:14 AM · #22

Originally posted by adriano74:

I think I felt my hard lesson was that I needed to be comfortable in the attire I was wearing. And I never been in that situation before so i didn't know what to expect. From the running all over the place and trying to keep up. But I got the jist of it all.

its not a hard lesson, it just becoming aware to the animal that is wedding photography.

I shot a small backyard wedding over the weekend, easy right, nope.

I had at least 5 different people asking me why I would do this. It was hot, I was sweating, running around, the bride was all over the place, freaking out, frantically trying to get every picture possible and since it was a backyard wedding they had no one to coordinate or facilitate the affair, it was chaotic but man was it a rush. I love it.

and then you get home and see how great the pics turned out.

07/13/2015 12:05:13 AM · #23

Originally posted by kawesttex:

What if she calls you back for another wedding? That would be the definite proof that you did the job she asked.

Great that she gave you more per hour than originally were offered. You must have been a relief to her and it probably helped her not to be in a panic mode = better pictures from her also.

Job well done!

Thank you kawesttex. I still am learning on a lot of the aspects of photography. I think that's why I usually chose to shoot landscape, no reactions from them :)

07/13/2015 12:03:11 AM · #24

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by adriano74:
On the other hand, what I was told was that I would get $10/hr for 4 hours, instead, I got $25/hr for 4 hours.

It sounds like she recognized that you were doing a different job than what you were hired for originally -- is it possible she had a second who bailed on her?

Anyway, if she already paid you and you've delivered photos then by definition you did OK -- you'll know you did fabulously if she calls you for help again ... :-)

Well, only time will tell. And I actually hope she does. She said it will take a couple of days to look at all the pictures. So I would just feel anxious at least to know how she felt about them.