So you're going to shoot your friends wedding...

[sean_mcr]

This might come in handy

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Wedding101-page1.html

[ghsmith178613]

This might come in handy

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Wedding101-page1.html

BARVO!!!!! AWESOME!!!! Best thing I've seen here since I signed up!


THANK YOU!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!

[sheila]

As Nancy Reagan famously said: "Just say No"

I am asked quite often to take colleagues/friends/strangers (through my website) to shoot their wedding. I unhesitatingly say No. For the most important day of her life, she should have the best there is. I am not a wedding photographer..period.

Cheers
Sheila

[sb_photos]

Sheila has it right. Never serve as the pro unless you already are one. That said, I’ve shot several friends and relatives weddings. However, I shoot the “b-rollâ€

[sean_mcr]

I think the advice in the article is quite good for those that are willing to do it. He's not advising anybody to do it, simply giving advice for those that are willing to and those that are willing to need more advice then simply, "Don't do it". Quite gracious when you consider that's how he makes his living. Every time somebody shoots for free, somebody doesn't get paid.

I'd not shoot a wedding myself, mainly because i've no interest in wedding photography.

Annie Leibovitz did not shoot her sisters wedding, Joe Buissink did. Joe did not turn Pro until he was 45. He's now the most sort after wedding photographer there is, message is. It's never too late to turn pro, but pro is a pretty loose term, doesnt mean you're good and it doesn't mean its a good idea. I know a truly awful wedding photographer. He actually asks couples to look in magazines of shots they like and he copies them them.

http://www.joebuissink.com/

[marxz]

I couldn't agree more, I'm as far from a professional photographer as they come, it is my hobby and I enjoy it very much and want to keep it that way... OK so a couple of the local phot shops have some prints of mine on display that they "bought off me" in kind (doing some printing for free in exchange) but that's as far as I want to take it.

I was coerced in to doing a "friend of a friends" wedding a year or so back and it was one of the worst experiences ever (and I've worked in the wedding industry for years as a musician and DJ so I thought I had a handle on how things worked). I was like herding cats and then the endless issues with getting them to pay for prints (never did).

Now I just say "sorry but no"

[bertone61]

As Nancy Reagan famously said: "Just say No"

I am asked quite often to take colleagues/friends/strangers (through my website) to shoot their wedding. I unhesitatingly say No. For the most important day of her life, she should have the best there is. I am not a wedding photographer..period.

Cheers
Sheila

I would sign this, no doubt. Scott Kelby in one of his books (Digital Photography) refers to wedding photography. The introduction to this chapter is great fun to read and covers all known problems in the typical Kelby style..... And he would say 'NO' too.....

Cheers
Steve

[jayhawk1013]

This was excellent all around information, thank you for the link!

[bclaypole]

Ok, I read this thread and the link because I too was asked to 'do' a friends wedding. It was my brother wedding to make it worse, and too further complicate the issue I was the best man. Throw in the fact that the wedding was in New Zealand (I'm from Canada)... lets just say I was stressed out.
It's now the day after the wedding and the bride and groom have seen the rough drafts - no photoshop yet. They were estactic! Which ofcourse make me estactic! So for all you amatures who are asked to shoot a wedding I say go for it. By all means warn the bride and groom that your not a pro - show them your work (wedding or otherwise)- let them make the decision, if they still want you to do it, then they accept the responsiblity for the outcome.
A couple of thingsI encountered -
Shoot wide, include a lot of extra room around your subject for cropping 8X10.
Be forcefull - tell them what to do - my brother said my bed side manner sucked but was happy with the result
Look for soft light - trees, canopies, balconies, etc.
Use more than 1 flash if you have it.
After a certian point (after cake cutting) - put the camera away and tell them your done.
Good tripod - delayed exposure, lots of running! (best man's got to be in there!)

I feel great after doing this - not sure if I'll ever do it again, but I'm better for the experience. The difference between a pro and an amatuer is - I took 699 exposures and got 255 great shots and 15 fantastic ones, a pro's ratio would be alot higher I think.