 David A. Wiebe |
Wedding Session Price Hello everyone. I am new to this place, I was browsing and couldn't find what I was looking for, hopefully someone can answer this... I started taking Photographs, as a hobby, then a friend of a friend decided to ask my friend if I could shoot her wedding... I was shocked and honored, but anyway... How much should I charge... or let me rephrase... How much do professionals charge? I don't mean to charge her the same but I would like to know and them make my decision from there... I am getting my new Nikon D80 soon... any recomendations on lenses poses. ANYTHING! I am really nervous... I already got the permits from the city I need. I need to get insurance though... Probably a question asked a lot but I appreciate any feedback... Thanks
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David A. Wiebe |
Also.... I am hesitating about the D80... is it a good one? is it something better out there? oh gee... I am so nervous...
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Debbie Del Tejo |
It is amazing to me that people still take on such things as you are about to without any training or experience. I am going to suggest to you that you go speak to various professional wedding photographers in your area and see how much schooling and training they have had and how difficult a task you are about to undertake. You might think it is easy to photograph a wedding, what's the big deal you might say, but even dealing with the people at a wedding you need experience. You ask if there is something out there better then a D80, which tells me you have done no reading on photographic equipment...honey, if I were in your shoes, I'd be very nervous! Sorry, I can't be more hopefull for you.....I have seen many catastophies when inexperienced people try to do a wedding. Good luck!
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W. |
In addition to what Debbie said: do you realize how important those wedding pictures will be to the couple? Are you really SURE you can deliver? Just for a minute imagine that you bomb out for some reason and the couple end up wedded, but without the photos to prove/remember that important day for the rest of their lives.... Can you handle being 'guilty' of that? So my advice is: DON'T!
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W. |
In addition to what Debbie said: do you realize how important those wedding pictures will be to the couple? Are you really SURE you can deliver? Just for a minute imagine that you bomb out for some reason and the couple end up wedded, but without the photos to prove/remember that important day for the rest of their lives.... Can you handle being 'guilty' of that? So my advice is: DON'T!
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Mark Feldstein |
David, David, David....what are you dooooinng?????? A friend of a friend of a friend? Do you want to keep them as friends? Debbie and WS are right. Don't. Don't even take a camera to the wedding. Politely decline, tell them you're not up to the skill level as of yet and you'd be shooting with a new camera which is risky business in the first place (using a new chunk of gear to shoot an assignment). And...you can also tell them that you don't have liability insurance so you can't post a bond with the city to get a municipal shooting permit. The money isn't the issue, but as you know by now, being able to do the work well IS. And if you blow this for any reason, it's not only the grief you'll get from the couple and their families, but IF you decided to do this kind of work in the future, you've got that reputation to overcome before you'd get hired. So, my recommendation (as a photojournalist, not as a wedding shooter) is to apprentice for someone doing this type of work, join a professional association like Wedding Photographers International or Professional Photogs of America, attend meetings, talk to pros, get a feel for the biz, develop a flexible biz plan, shoot a lot on your own to build your skill levels and don't dabble in something like this where the stakes are quite so high. And....feel free to ask questions around here. BTW, this is one issue we all seem to be pretty adament about. Don't mistake our tone for hostility. Just solid advice. Take it light. But take it. ;>)
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Scott McCord |
David, Sorry, I have to third what the others said. 1.)If you've never shot a wedding and 2.)You're new to this photography stuff, you definitely want to think twice about taking on a wedding. It is a BIG ordeal no matter the budget or size of the wedding. I have quite a few weddings under my belt and still worry every time I shoot one. Did I forget anything? Is everything charged, am I in focus, did I get all the shots I had on my checklist, has anyone stuffed a sock in the mother of the bride's mouth yet, how much am I being paid for this...it's not enough, etc. It's a stressful situation, man. And in extreme cases, an upset bride/groom could try to sue you over a disappointed wedding. Would they win? who knows, but who needs a lawsuit? I had a guy call me the other day to ask to apprentice for me. He told me that in two weeks he was going to start a photo business and wanted to work for me to learn the ropes. However, he did not own a camera, nor had ever used one, but his rationale was..."Hey, it's just taking pictures. Anybody can take a picture." My point is: Yes, any person can snap a shutter button, but not every person can create salable, quality portraits consistently for paying clients. This applies to weddings too. Whether it's a friend or not, if you would like to have a future in photography, would you want to risk your reputation for shooting weddings before you even get going? David, this is all just advice, but please take a step back and look at the big picture for your clients' and your own sake.
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David A. Wiebe |
Ummm... Hi again and thanks a lot for the feedback, now let me explain a few stuff... I am not a complete amaeteur... I am Photographer for a company inside a mall (I rather not mention names). And I have been shooting in studio for a while, the cameras there are bulky and analog, I have experience with pocket camera's, hence getting myself a new D80... but debating it still over using something better (but not sure about which yet). I did shoot a couple wedding before, not professionaly, more for fun, gave the pics for free to those friends... But then again I used a 8mp Sony cybershot, so It was my wedding present per say. I am also not the Official Photographer, I am playing a more unnofficial role, so they still have the insurance of getting what they want, they still want me there though... (Only party shots, not poses, the prof is doing that.) I am sorry if I didn't make myself clear, sometimes I don't word things right (English is not my first language). Anyway, Thanks for the feedback, I would still like some tips, I just don't feel confortable asking a photographer in the city because eventually I will become the competition. Well Thanks for any info.
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Scott McCord |
David, I did get the impression from your post that you were just stepping into the world of photography. However, now it appears that we underestimated your photographic knowledge. Sorry about that. This in fact, sounds like a good opportunity to get some good wedding experience since you're not the official photographer. Sounds like a good chance to really take a photojournalistic approach to the reception for some great candid shots. My suggestions, use an SLR. While I use Canon cameras, the D80 should be a perfect camera for you and this situation. I would recommend that you have a longer lens in addition to your other lenses. I use the canon 70-200mm 2.8 lens quite a bit in my wedding photography. A longer lens allows you to get in close without intruding into the ceremony. It also allows you to single out subjects and limit distractions in your photos. Use a fast lens and image stabilization is always a plus if you can afford it. You can pretty much count on a bad lighting situation, so you will have to compensate with artificial lighting. A flash bracket always helps put the flash higher, eliminating red eye and producing more pleasing, balanced photos. Also, try to bounce your flash when possible. For instance, a flash bounced off a side wall back onto your subject makes a much more pleasing photo than a straight-on flash. For the reception, try to capture the moments that really portray the celebration of the day. If there is a dance, use this opportunity to experiment with dragging the shutter for control blurred effects. However, grab some safe shots as well. Also, look for those intimate moments between the bride/groom when they think nobody is looking. I'm not saying that you should be overly voyeuristic, but maybe you could catch a kiss or that romantic glance at each other. For instance, in my last wedding I was waiting for the bride/groom to be announced at the reception and noticed that while they were in the hallway, they were dancing to the music at the reception. They were alone in the hallway embraced in a dance. I leaned around the corner and grabbed the shot and it was ordered by several people. One other tip...which you may already know. If you're using a longer lens, unless it has IS, be careful not to lower your shutter speed too much. While the shot may look in focus on your LCD, you may find out that it's quite soft when you look at it full-size. And remember, people may end up ordering large prints, so any mistake is amplified. You also may have no choice but to raise your ISO higher than you would like, but the D80 should handle that fairly well. You can also use noise-reducing software like Noise Ninja in post processing. Hope this helps a little.
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David A. Wiebe |
Thank you Very much Scott, some of those I already had in mind but some others I didn't thought about it. As far as pricing I decided to give this one as a present too, althoug Amanda didn't like the idea (the bride). I will definetly try that software... I am going to start a part time in a lab, so I will also learn a bit of photoshop, guess that will help too. Anyway... I gotta go to sleep going to go practice with my new Camera tomorrow morning before work... Wish me luck... and Thansk
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David A. Wiebe |
Also... I have a 200mm lense...and a 300, do you think the 300mm is too much? I don't want to take extra equipment with me.
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David A. Wiebe |
Meant 80-200mm and 70-300mm
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Scott McCord |
David, A zoom lens (like the 70-300) should work, however, it would be best if it was "fast" at all focal lengths. So, if it's a 2.8 at 70 and at 300, it should work great. Again, I would suggest IS, but if you don't have that, at least carry a monopod. I had a Canon 300mm F/4L IS prime lens, but had to trade it in for the 70-200mm. Since I could not zoom the 300mm back, it was too much lens on my 30D. I was literally in the back row of the balcony of the church shooting and still seeing up the Bride/Groom's nostrils. Also, with a 300 mm, don't forget about the amplification of camera shake and remember to use as fast a shutter speed as possible. You can pretty much count on blurred photos if you don't have fast enough shutter speed. And while you've decided to give this away as a present, I wouldn't make a habit of that. If you get into this deep enough, you'll end up branding yourself as a cheap photographer, which in turn becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. And if you get good enough, it also hurts the industry as a whole by ultimately forcing other pros to lower their prices just to get work.
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