I suppose I better chime in here, since I actively do weddings. First thing you need to determine is if they are really looking for a cheap pro or just someone to take some nice shots for them. If it is the latter, then their expectations should be low and you would probably be safe to move ahead with it.
As for shooting as a pro, there are several general areas to cover. First is equipment. Their is no real set type of equipment that is necessary, BUT you must be very comfortable with it and not having any learning curves. Nothing new to you should be used, as you could be surprised. You should also have backup equipment in case any part of your primary equipment fails. You need at least two bodies and a similar range of lenses for each. If you are using lighting equipment you need to flashguns and duplicate cords sets for each. You should consider light modifiers (diffusers, softeners, etc) to reduce any hotspot problems. You should have a bracket for the flash if you are shooting flash. This accomplishes two things - gets rid of redeye and keeps the shadows down and away from the subjects. Second is ability to deal with adverse conditions - You will likely be faced with very poor lighting some or most of the time. Most wedding ceremonies are performed near noon, with harsh, bright lighting abundant or performed in a very dim church. If it is in a church you need to check with the Pastor to find out what kind of restrictions there are - some will not allow any flash, some will not allow you to move around much, etc. In those cases, a second or third shooter placed strategically can get some of the money shots you may not be able to do by yourself. Anyway, you need to be prepared for less than ideal conditions concerning lighting and locations. Third is the ability to deal with people. You will be faced with trying to control and pose lots of people. You need to feel comfortable directing them and gathering them up. You also should show some creativity in your groupings and poses. Even if you think you are just going to shoot things are they are, without posing, you will need to do some of this. You will also have to be very fast as the timing of things happening at the wedding are always very tight. One place they can cut back on is the photographers allotted time. I'd recommend you look at lots of wedding portfolios or complete books to get some ideas so that you will not be totally in the dark. You should also meet with the bride and groom to determine what they are really looking for and what their expectations are. Anyway, lots to think about. If you want to discuss some more, I'd be happy to. -- Bruce Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 1:20:11 AM, you wrote: JaKM> I have been asked whether I'd be interested in JaKM> photographing the wedding of JaKM> the brother of an acquaintance. JaKM> Now, I'm a very keen amateur and have been really into photography for about JaKM> 15 months. I'm really thrilled to have been asked (the request was based on JaKM> my work in my online gallery), but also more than a little hesitant to JaKM> commit to doing it. The wedding isn't until October, so there's lots of JaKM> time to prepare. JaKM> I've never been responsible for taking photos for any important event, I JaKM> just take them for myself. I know the technical side and use the K10D's JaKM> various manual functions, etc and I know I'm a reasonably good photographer. JaKM> I'm not sure that I'm good enough to do a wedding though, it's more than a JaKM> little scary. JaKM> I know there are people with pro experience on here, so I'm looking for JaKM> advice, tips, etc. JaKM> I reckon if I do it, I'll want another flash (360 to go with my 540), a fast JaKM> normal range zoom, lots of SD cards, etc. What else should I be thinking JaKM> about? I will have plenty of time to prepare and the venue is here in JaKM> Canberra, so i can scout it out and try shooting my family there, etc. JaKM> Should I back myself, trust my skills and jump in? It could lead to a JaKM> lucrative sideline and would certainly boost my JaKM> experience and confidence if JaKM> successful. It would also be a real sense of JaKM> accomplishment if I did a good JaKM> job. What pitfalls are there? JaKM> I don't even know what I should charge. I reckon I'd have to spend a bit on JaKM> gear to be ready, but I can't factor that into my fee. JaKM> Any and all tips, tricks and advice would be greatly appreciated! JaKM> Thanks JaKM> James -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
