First Wedding Shoot Sunday - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

03/08/2007 04:45:52 PM · #1

So I have my very first wedding shoot on this Sunday at a very cool location, Troon Country Club right on the golf course. I met with the event planner today to get an idea of what I wanted to do. Since I will be shooting the event at the same time of day I took some shots of the location.

The ceremony is at 1:30 in the afternoon and on Sunday it is supposed to be 90° F | 32° C you know HOT! I am posting pics of the location and wonder if all you wedding photogs could throw a few tips my way, or things I need to take into consideration.

I have all the equipment and storage I need. What I don't have is experience so any tips would be very helpful.

BTW: The monthly dues to be a member at Troon CC are $93,000usd per month. Looks like I wont be a member any time soon :-P

lentil

Canon EOS-5D

03/08/2007 04:48:51 PM · #2

good luck with your shoot on Sunday, I also have one on a golf course in November. I think it is a wonderful place to have a wedding. The backdrops are stunning. Sorry not much help with your original question.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

03/08/2007 04:50:33 PM · #3

Coolio, good luck mang!
:-)

hanneke

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/08/2007 04:51:49 PM · #4

First of all, good luck!!

Are you only gonna shoot the ceremony, or also portraits after?

philup

Canon EOS-5D

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

03/08/2007 04:52:57 PM · #5

Bring extra batteries for flash and charge your camera the night before and don't forget your CF cards and camera :)j/k.

Congrats man! You will do just fine!

03/08/2007 04:55:31 PM · #6

Originally posted by biteme:

First of all, good luck!!

Are you only gonna shoot the ceremony, or also portraits after?

Thanks and yeah I am doing the whole thing before, during and after including the formals and reception.

03/08/2007 04:56:15 PM · #7

Thanks for the luck I am sure I will need it! :-)

hanneke

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/08/2007 05:00:19 PM · #8

you will be fine, I'm sure!

And I don't really have nothing to advise for you. I've never done a wedding (and probably never gonna happen, I'm a chicken with stuff like that, can't respond at the right time ;))

Try to relax might be a good advise? Be there on the right time, don't doubt to shoot?

You'll be fine!

Voigtlander Ultron 21mm f1.8

03/08/2007 07:20:29 PM · #9

BUMP Cuz I need the 411! :-D

MAK

Leica M Monochrom

03/08/2007 07:24:55 PM · #10

Beautiful setting, you can't miss mate. look forward to seeing the results.

you're a good photog man you can pull it off in your sleep.. have a good day and dont forget to get a good meal thrown in and start drinking after the first dance is over..

BAMartin

Apple iPhone 5

03/08/2007 07:26:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

My first cooking job right out of Chef school was at the Troon CC. What a horrible place to work.

03/08/2007 07:27:36 PM · #12

Originally posted by MAK:

...dont forget to get a good meal thrown in and start drinking after the first dance is over..

Thanks! And that is precisely the info I was looking for! :-D

03/08/2007 07:28:24 PM · #13

Originally posted by BAMartin:

My first cooking job right out of Chef school was at the Troon CC. What a horrible place to work.

That I can believe.

GoldBerry

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

03/08/2007 07:29:46 PM · #14

Congratulations TGWZ!!!!!! There's nothing like the first time ;-)

If you're stressed, you could make a small list of shots you really want to get and some standard shots that you could fall back on. I'm not suggesting you limit yourself to a list but it helps to have something to refer to if you draw a blank (quite often in my case). My cousin had a great system of assigning nicknames to some of her favorite past shots and then making a quickie list of those shots that might fit an upcoming wedding. You can mix and match :-) Again, that's not meant to sound limiting, it's just back-up!

Definitely bring:
- water
- non-sweet snacks
- tissue (for sweat)
- watch....people always ask me to keep track of the time

GOOD LUCK :-) Try not to freak out, you're going to do awesome!

03/08/2007 07:38:01 PM · #15

Originally posted by GoldBerry:

Definitely bring:
- water
- non-sweet snacks
- tissue (for sweat)
- watch....people always ask me to keep track of the time

GOOD LUCK :-) Try not to freak out, you're going to do awesome!

Great tips thanks I had not thought about that.

The bride and I have been emailing each other and I have a list of shots that she would like and I have a few of my own. With the adrenalin that I know will be pumping I am gonna need the list.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

03/11/2007 09:53:04 PM · #16

That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Shot about 600 images over 7 hours mostly in the sun at the hottest time of the day. I hope to have 75 to a 100 keepers. Copying to computer as I type. Images to follow.

I have a new found respect for wedding photography!

Oh yeah and I have a new respect for the no other photographers clause in the contract. There were about 75 people in all at the wedding I bet there was 30 point & shoots and 3 or 4 dSLR�s.

Niten

Canon EOS-20D

03/11/2007 10:14:17 PM · #17

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Oh yeah and I have a new respect for the no other photographers clause in the contract. There were about 75 people in all at the wedding I bet there was 30 point & shoots and 3 or 4 dSLR�s.

IT Seems odd to me for a guest to bring a camera. How rude!

Katmystiry

Sony DT 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Aspherical ED High Magnification Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

03/11/2007 10:42:53 PM · #18

It is especially fun when the minister tells you "NO flash in my church"! I started shooting (really could have used a flash) when about 30 other cameras with flashes went off!! THAT was very frustrating!!!

Lonz

Sony DSLR-A700

03/11/2007 10:51:16 PM · #19

I have a wedding like that coming up with the non flash ceremony - I hope my 1.4 prime is up for the task.

Lipstudios

Canon EOS-20D

Sigma 24-135mm f/2.8-4.5 Aspherical IF for Canon

03/11/2007 11:09:00 PM · #20

Good luck! I am thinking of doing weddings.The creative side of me is busting to do them, but I'm scared to death! I've been watching �The People's Court� and it seems like every other week someone is suing their wedding photog. LOL

I'm sure you will be fine. Since I've only shot two weddings (my sisters and a friends) not much advise here, except be sure to get those shots the bride is counting on!

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

03/11/2007 11:10:17 PM · #21

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

glad you survived the heat and stress. wedding stuff can be a blast, especially once you get used to it.

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Oh yeah and I have a new respect for the no other photographers clause in the contract. There were about 75 people in all at the wedding I bet there was 30 point & shoots and 3 or 4 dSLR�s.

a friend of mine was telling about a wedding shooter who didn't care about all the others. when 'they' got to be too much (or too much in the way), he'd simply go to the back of the room and just sit down and watch. when asked why he wasn't working, he'd point at all the other snappers and say something to the effect of, 'well, i can't really work when they are all up there doing my job for me...' it wouldn't take very long for someone to get the situation under control.

have fun processing ;-)

SJCarter

Canon EOS-7D

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

03/11/2007 11:19:57 PM · #22

Good luck! IMHO you'll do fine if you relax and go with the flow. Don't be afraid to step up and take charge though. I just completed my first wedding shoot a couple of weeks ago and I took 1300 shots. I delivered 250 to the happy couple and they were thrilled with what I captured. Go for the unique and candid moments and just keep on shooting. Yes, going through them all and processing them takes some time, but if it's your first effort, you'll want to have more than you really need.

HAVE FUN! If you're relaxed and enjoying it, then your subjects will pick up on that and do the same. :-)

Jimmy

Spork99

Canon EOS M6 Mk II

Canon EF-M 22mm STM Lens

03/11/2007 11:21:04 PM · #23

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Oh yeah and I have a new respect for the no other photographers clause in the contract. There were about 75 people in all at the wedding I bet there was 30 point & shoots and 3 or 4 dSLR�s.

You can have those kinds of clauses in you contract, but in the end, what are you going to do? Walk off the job because Uncle Cletis is there with his new D40? Doing that kind of thing will really bring in the clients once word gets out. The best thing to do is have someone running interference for you while you work, the wedding coordinator, the MOB, the church lady/wedding Nazi. Any of them should be capable of keeping Uncle Cletis and his kinfolk out of your hair.

Patents4u

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

03/11/2007 11:44:42 PM · #24

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

BTW: The monthly dues to be a member at Troon CC are $93,000usd per month. Looks like I wont be a member any time soon :-P

That might be the one-time initiation fee - I guarantee you are way off as far as the monthly dues. Monthly dues at a relatively nice club like this usually run $600-$800. Of course, you have to pay for your golf cart/caddy, food/drink, club storage, locker room fee, driving range fee, etc. So they get you coming and going, but even with all that, $1,500/month would be a more likely tally than $93,000/month!!

Pardon the interruption - back to the photography discussion.