Doing Weddings - Be Careful!!!

[benjiboy]

If that's factual then I strongly suspect it has something to do with ever decreasing skill levels in most, if not all, professions. However, the profession is still well respected notwithstanding "wedding photographers" attempts at making a buck despite a lack of skills and experience.

I agree, the technology that the manufacturers has provided so their keep selling cameras has made increasingly smarter cameras, but dumber photographers who rely on the electronics to do their thinking for them.

 

[bsdunek]

Glad I started this thread - it's been educational and fun! Now to relate a little story of the first wedding I ever photographed.
I used my Retina Reflex with Tri-X and bulb flash. I was very nervous as the bride was an old family friend. When I got home that night and was putting my equipment away, I realized the flash setting was on 'X', not 'M', in other words, it was set for electronic flash, not bulbs. I couldn't sleep that night.
The next day I took one of the last rolls, which was just some general shots as the reception was winding down, and really souped it! Amazingly, I had usable negatives - not great, but usable. Guess the duration of the bulbs helped. I souped the rest of the film, made some acceptable prints, and presented the couple with the albums when they returned from their honeymoon. They were very happy with the results.
Fast forward 40 years. Spouses have passed away, and I marry the old family friend. She has become a good photographer herself. I tell her what happened with her wedding photos of so long ago. We have a great laugh over that from time to time! Isn't life interesting?

 

[Mike1234]

^^^ Hah... that's funny. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WarEaglemtn]

"For that kind of money I might just whore myself out as a wedding photographer!"

If you can shoot when you have no opportunity to do remakes or reshoots and have to get it right the first time or fail... maybe you should.

Many can't shoot weddings or quick events because they are not talented enough. Some don't shoot it because they don't want to. Those who do this work are not whoring. Not at all.

It looks so easy but figure out fill flash on the shadow side of a brides face while not overexposing the white dress or wiping out detail in the black Tux the groom is wearing and do the shot with 200 guests looking on urging you to hurry so they can get to the refreshments and on with the cake cutting.

It takes talent and skill to shoot this way. Just ask those who have tried and discovered shooting 'one time and it has to be right' is too much work.

Just as with so many things, it isn't as easy as it looks.