At 09:13 AM 9/30/99 +1000, Chris Biggs wrote:
>
>My wife's best friend is getting married on Sunday.
>
>I did some black-and-white candids at another wedding recently, and
>they were well received. Sunday's couple asked if I would do same at
>theirs (which I was planning to do anyway).
>
>I've always said I'd *never* do "real" wedding shoots---I leave the
>do-or-die stuff to the pros. I've just learned that there will be no
>pro. "So you'd better get it right". Urk.
Hmmmm.
Several observations:
1. Even though they're friends, if they're simply imposing upon you to take the
gig, and (worse) aren't paying you for it, then they get precisely what they
deserve. It strikes me as ungracious of someone to say "So you'd better get it
right" in such a situation. You would know better than me, of course.
Nevertheless, there are REASONS for hiring a pro -- not the least of which is,
commercial contractual relations allowing you to get your money back, re-do the
shoot at the bride and groom's convenience, or perhaps even sue, if something
goes really wrong.
2. If you're doing it "for free," at least get them to pony up for film and
processing. My recommendation is to have at least one dozen rolls of 36
exposure. That way you can take photos like a madman, have proof sheets done
and still have a decent "take rate" -- out of a maximum of 432 exposures,
you're bound to get 25 to 50 good ones, even if you're flubbing it all over the
place. (Mind you, there's nothing like being totally prepared and shooting
carefully, but the weddings I've been to where the couple expected me to be the
primary photographer often threw me curve balls that made too much careful
planning and orchestration almost impossible...)
3. Relax. Since they're expecting you to do it, it *is* possible to impose
upon them for additional time (and their indulgence) to get all kinds of other
interesting shots, which may turn out to be their favourites. I once blew a
roll through a 67mm fog filter in bright sunlight on a whim, and the ethereal
quality of the resulting photos made the bride and groom go "oooh" and "aaaah,"
even though the actual shots were pretty workaday affairs.
4. Bring extra batteries, extra bodies, and extra lenses.
5. Dragoon one of the cute young things that are inevitably at these affairs
into being your assistant. (Works for me!) If she's unavailable for the
entire time, dragoon several in series. ;-)
Garth (the serial dragooner)
"A bad day doing photography is better
than a good day doing just about
anything else."
The Unofficial Olympus Web Photo Gallery at:
http://www.taiga.ca/~gallery/
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