Shooting first wedding in June

[Dwayneb9584]

Hello everyone. So a co-worker of mine wanted me to shoot her wedding. She said she would like me to do it photo journalist style which is what I am comfortable with. However I am of course a bit nervous like anyone else who is shooting there first wedding. I plan to shoot it with my Canon 7D as my main camera and my Zeiss Ikon as my second body. I was planning on renting a lens for the 7D but I shoot with a Sigma 30mm f1.4. As for the Ikon I will be using a 35mm f2.5 color Skopar II. I am definitely going to need a zoom for my digital body. She isn't sure if she wants film to be shot as it will be a bit expensive to run prints off of. I think I told her I feel more comfortable shooting it in digital. She is a very laid back girl and fun to work with. She choose me because she happens to like my style of shooting which I thought was cool.

One of my concerns are price and legal contracts. I've been doing research on this and i'm trying to determine a price. I was going to charge $1200.00 for 5hrs of shooting, 30 day web gallery, and all images wallets, 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, and enlargements on a disk. This would be one package but wanted to create at least two more but not exactly sure what to make of them. I do not know her budget as I didn't ask yet but the wedding is going to be in downtown NYC.

I know I can do it, and didn't factor in any glass. The price listed is just Shoot, post production, web gallery, and delivery.

 

[kzphoto]

Don't forget a flash, and batteries for your digital. I can't tell you the number of times I've had a battery run down when I'm shooting during a ceremony or a first dance.

Get a 24-70 for your "bread and butter" shots, rent a 70-200 / 210 for the 'romantics.' The longer lens is much more flattering when shooting portraits, and it will help to separate your subject from the background.

Use the RF as a compliment to your digital stuff but don't over think it. I shot a wedding in October and I brought way too much gear:
Nikon D200, 24/1.4, 18-200, 35/1.4, SB-800, SB-600, 2 pocket wizards
Leica M7, 24/2.8, 50/1.4, 90/2
Rolleiflex 3.5F

I ended up using the d200 with the 24/1.4 and the Rolleiflex most of the day. Plan for your venue, and your style of shooting.

Bring one lens for the RF, a zoom for the digital and a fast, wide prime. Flash for both (if you need it) extra batteries and film.

Include the cost of your rentals in the prices you are producing. The going rates for photographers in the SF bay area starts around $250 / hour.

HAVE FUN.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Kzphoto, thanks a lot for the input. Can you recommend any places to rent lenses without putting the full cost of a lens as a down payment. Most of the places here in NY want retail price of the lens before they even hand it to you. Are there places I can order lenses online and avoid this.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

I also notice that photographers also create albums for there clients. I've seen really cool flush mount albums that range in various different sizes. Are these expensive. Has anyone had experience in printing out wedding albums?

 

[Brian Legge]

Unless you are going to be standing a few feet away during the ceremony, a 30mm seems like a really challenging lens to use at some points during the wedding.

I'd consider using a rangefinder for your photo journalist style and the 7D for more traditional work. That would let you keep a wide lens on one camera and a longer one on the other camera.

Given the window of time, any chance you could be a second shooter for a more experienced wedding photographer before then once or twice? It could be good experience.

 

[user237428934]

1200$ for 5 hours? That's pretty much for the first wedding, isn't it?

Edit: what legal contract? She is your co-worker.

 

[user237428934]

Include the cost of your rentals in the prices you are producing. The going rates for photographers in the SF bay area starts around $250 / hour.

Why should the couple pay for missing equipment? They pay for a "complete" wedding photographer.

 

[Soothsayerman]

Personally, I would take a 24-70 f2.8 zoom and a 70-200f2.8 and a rangefinder. Get an off carmera flash bracket for your flash and stick a simple diffuser on it and go to town.

Also, I would charge $100 per hour since this is your first wedding. I personally don't really think its fair to charge more for a learning experience. As far as contract, I would do it on a handshake at this point and give them a money back guarantee. If they don't like the work, you give them the money back. The only form I would get is a model release form signed just in case.... I always get that.

..and I would just have fun with it. Weddings are peculiar, you will either like it or hate it and since it's your first, just try to make it a learning experience.

 

[tbarker13]

I shot a wedding last weekend. I was using a D700, with a 24/2.8, 35-70/2.8 and a 70-200/2.8, along with an M8 with a couple lenses.
This week I am selling the 24 and 35-70 and replacing them with a 24-70/2.8. Much more expensive, but it was just such a pain in the rear to change lenses during the event.
The simpler you can keep it, the better off you will be.

 

[bmasonoh]

Truth be told, I'm not sure you realize what you've signed up for. I would highly suggest hiring a second shooter who has some experience with weddings.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Not exactly relevant to your question -- I've never shot a wedding for money, just when I couldn't get out of it -- but you might find some of this of interest: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps weddings.html

It's a bit out of date because we have used digital since (Leica of course) but that doesn't fundamentally affect the information or advice.

Cheers,

R.

 

[dcsang]

hehe.. well... let me tell you what you may hear from some full time wedding "professionals" when they see that price... "You're devaluing the marketplace !!!"

Now that that's out of the way, if you're going to shoot digital, rent one wide angle, and one telephoto - if you feel more comfortable with zooms then rent the 70-200 f2.8 IS II zoom for Canon. It's heavy but it'll give you the reach you're looking for; that is, if you intend on using the telephoto for reach and not for flatness of field. Regardless.. get that lens.

Contracts and pricing - you're in NYC - $1200 for that truly is too low BUT.. there's so many weddings that occur in EVERY city (let alone NYC), and there are varied budgets for each wedding, so realistically speaking if your services match their budget AND they are happy with the product they receive you BOTH are winners in the transaction regardless of what other photographers will tell you. Regarding contracts, I believe I may have a basic one I can forward to you - it covers basic items and includes "acts of God" (earthquakes, tidal waves, tsunamis, aliens coming down and crashing the wedding.. that sort of thing 🙂 ) - message me and I'll see if I can send you a copy over the weekend 🙂

Cheers,
Dave

 

[oftheherd]

No bad advice above. However I would think twice. I have done 4 or 5 weddings, always for someone I know or the friend of a friend. I never charged, and told them my present was the film. They could do as they wished with it. I also always reminded them that they weren't paying anything, and ran the risk of getting what they paid for.

If you truely are an accomplished photographer, you should be alright, but you should study sites on the web so you know what are expected shots at any wedding, such as relatives, the ceremony if you are allowed; if it is a religious wedding, the clergy may not allow it. Other standard shots like the trip down the isle, both ways, members of the wedding party, etc. Then you need to talk to the bride and groom, and if necessary, their mothers (who is paying by the way?) to see if there are any shots they demand.

Good luck.

 

[kzphoto]

best rental place in the world: www.borrowlens.com These guys require no deposits and ship allover the place. They're local to me so they get my business whenever I have a need. Be advised, gear advertised as being available may not be. Put in a rental request 2 weeks before your event and you should be gold.

 

[kzphoto]

Why should the couple pay for missing equipment? They pay for a "complete" wedding photographer.

I mean to factor the rental into the cost of producing a wedding. If your regular rate runs $1200, understand that you'll be short X dollars for renting gear. I pad my rates to include rentals. Most pros do.

 

[filmfan]

You'll do fine. Do your thing and it will go smoothly.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Kzphoto thanks for the link. What do you all consider a pro. I'm just good at what I do. I make pictures and that's one of the things in my life I do best amongst anything else. I put my heart and sole it to it. When it comes down to it. My co-worker and her fiance are comfortable with me shooting it. And she is a great person. I think that makes it a comfortable experience. Assisting for a pro photographer is great but it's nothing I can't read about or experience on youtube. I've worked under pressure before and am very comfortable behind the lens. And when some of you say Pro, please define pro photographer? Is this Chase Jarvis, Joey L, Leibovitz? They make the decisions to call themselves pro. Do I? Maybe not yet. But I like to make great pictures. This is the problem in photography, to many people think they are pro.

This is why older and/ or established photographers make it so hard for younger and/or beginners to approach them and ask questions because they're always being a D$!K about things and cynical.

 

[bwcolor]

You shoot the wedding and things go wrong, expect a not so friendly friend and in some cases a lawyer.

If you have never shot a wedding, how do arrive at the idea of charging? If you had been a well healed assistant on many weddings and just branching out..sure, but first wedding and talking price?

So, why not do the wedding at cost and if you plan on doing more ask for the right to use the images for marketing purposes, such as posting on your website and as a sample album.

 

[user237428934]

Some weeks ago I shot the wedding of close friends and the photos plus XL-photobook were the wedding-present from me. It was my first wedding and I only did this because they really wanted me to do it. Not that I don't like wedding photography. I think this is a serious craft but there is a lot of expectation involved. I have to handle high expectations in my job so I normally don't like this to be part of my hobby.
I only have my 5DII + 24,50,85mm lenses. I don't need more than 85mm for portraits but knew that this could be a little short for the church where you can't go everywhere and I didn't want to rent a lens when I don't get the money back for that. Talked about it with my friends and they said that pictures inside the church were not so important. I delegated it to them to negotiate with the priest what he likes/dislikes regarding photography in his church. This is an important part because otherwise there might be a bad surprise on the wedding day. I mainly concentrated on the bride that day because she mainly wanted the photos. It started with her and her friend with hairstyling and makeup. 24mm and 50mm, switching lenses a lot. Dressing indoors, 24mm and flash. We were about 60min late at that point and the time for the official photos before church decreased steadily. We drove like crazy to the mansion where we wanted to take photos of the couple with the best friends in the park, 85mm and 50mm with some fill flash shots. Only 30 minutes left on location for the the official shots. Not much, if you want to walk around and have some variations. After that directly to the church where we arrived 15min late but of course they can't start without the couple 🙂
Photos in the church were tricky because of the light. Used the 85mm and had to crop a lot here. Having 21MPixels helped.
At the champagne reception the evening light in the garden was absolutely beautiful. Did some photos there with the couple and then tried to motivate the relatives to come out for photos. I had no change against Champagne and football talk. When they decided to go out, the light was gone so we don't have photos of a large part of the relatives. After that my work was done because I negotiated that I am part of the party and don't take photos of the party.
It was a long day. Hairdresser started at 0900 my work ended at about 1800 with the lunch. I was really stressed and tired after the day and some things went not so well. I'm glad that my friends don't miss the photos of their relatives because they paid for the wedding themselves 🙂 My equipment worked, but changing lenses a lot was not perfect.
I had my Zeiss Ikon in my bag all the time but just didn't have the time to change to rangefinder mode and take some bw photos. So for a wedding beginner it might be useful to concentrate on one kind of equipment. Stress, changing timetables and the need to improvise quickly are the biggest obstacles in this kind of job I think.
I was more or less content with my work, my friends are really happy so it went well. Would I have done this for strangers who were probably more demanding: definitely no.
And I doubt that I will repeat this experience because photography is still a hobby that helps me to recover after work.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

tom.w.bn, thanks for sharing your experience. I was thinking about just using one camera too, instead of renting. I was going to go with my 5D Mark II and 50mm 1.8, rent a 24mm and a 85mm lens. I thought that might be enough for the shots I need to get. Of course a flash which I will get next month or so. Shooting in one format will make my job much easier too.