It's Photography Friday again here at the Sarah Linnea Photography blog. Today we will be talking about weddings. To you, well informed photographer, you can dismiss the following as surely you are keenly aware of these situations:
So you are considering becoming a wedding photographer? The idea of
capturing that special day for someone in a wonderfully artistic fashion
makes you practically giddy, and the thought of a shallow depth of
field shot of the wedding rings makes the right side of your brain
quiver with anticipation.
originality!!!
You may be thinking "Yeah! Weddings! That's where the money is!!"
Although
it is true most people will earn more monetary income from a wedding
than a single portrait session, reading
this article will explain how
little money there is in wedding photography. But that is not the
subject of this blog.
Before you make that WeDJ account and post
your services on Craigslist you should consider some challenges you face
when taking on this blending of portrait and event photography.
doing anything to get the shot
Here is a short list of things to consider:
Did you know that many churches do not allow photographers to use flash photography and sometimes do not even allow the photographer to move from the back of the sanctuary? No?
consider a zoom lens....
You just ruined their Wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know that most brides prefer a darker often candle lit atmosphere to create a more intimate ceremony making it incredibly difficult to capture action without a Very high ISO which many lower end camera bodies cannot handle without a tremendous amount of grain? No?
the blur is an artistic choice
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know that most wedding ceremony's take place in mixed lighting conditions making it difficult for the in camera white balance to properly adjust? Are you staring at the previous sentence in confusion?
it's uh......a warming filter?
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations?
Did you know that the Bride's parents are divorced and this will be the first time they have seen each other in 10 years and have no desire whatsoever to be in photograph together? No?
family love...
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know that cameras break, or stop working randomly? Do you have a back-up incase that happens? No?
...stupid destination weddings!
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know that the Bride told everyone to arrive at the church 30 minutes prior to ceremony and the reception immediately followed? No? You now have no time to take any photos and the bride is irate.
get what you can...
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know that the Bride spent countless hours individually sorting through a bag of m&ms to find the colors to fill her gift boxes she left at each table-inside of which was a special handwritten note with their wedding date explaining the importance of m&ms to their relationship and the over arching metaphor of the melty chocolate-y goodness to their wedding night…..No? You didn't get a picture of the m&ms?
please join us in eating our face...
You just ruined their wedding. Congratulations.
Did you know you could be sued for not delivering photos of key moments throughout the day? No? You just ruined your business. Congratulations.
There is nothing stopping the well informed photographer from doing a bang up job. These warnings are not for you, well informed photographer. These warnings are for those eager to dive into the pool because it "looks like it could be fun" and "I've been to a lot of weddings".
How confident are you in shooting events? Do you know how to quickly adjust your camera for varying lighting conditions and different focus needs? During the ceremony, if you miss the exchanging of the rings, or the kiss, you cannot request a do over and posing the shot after the ceremony will not be the same. Everytime the bride looks at that photo she will remember how annoyed she was at you for missing the real thing.
happy shooting
Are you "well informed photographer?" feel free to leave more advice in the comments below and help the less fortunate who have not seen what you have seen.
