My first wedding shoot......opinions wanted

[Speedbird]

This is the result of my first wedding shoot last Saturday. I shot over 700 pics in a 12 hour period. I will give 480 pics to the Bride and Groom. I did it as a freebie so that I could get some shots for my Portfolio. I would like to do this for a living. Do I have what it takes???? Be honest, but please be kind.

thanks

Speedbird

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3206.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3375.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3544.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3646.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3352.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3335.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3289.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3275.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e374/Speedbird1961/IMG_3249.jpg

[Rooz]

i think you did a pretty damn good job ! focus is great, framing is very nice, colour is excellent. :)

very difficult lighting with the bright sun. i think a bit of fill flash would have improved the shots with harsh sun/ shadows 100%. maybe a couple of the darker shade ones could use a tip up on exposure. i'll leave wedding pros like cw and chris to make any further comment.

[Esoterra]

Speedbird, you did a fine job. They got a heck of a deal for you doing all that at no cost. I do weddings on the side and started out just like you. One thing that I noticed is that you have a lot of mixed lighting in your shots. If you can, try to get them all in the shade, or if they have to be in the sun, use a reflector to pull out the shadows. Try shooting as wide open as you can to blur out the background behind your subjects and seperate them from the background. I would study other peoples work online and learn poses. THe more you study, the more you will come up with your own visualizatoins that really work, and you go into a wedding with confidence and a "template" to fall back on. A couple of ideas that might help you jumpstart your buisness:

1) Continue to get as much experience and build a portfolio (web based- flickr or smugmug) as well as a printed portfolio and CD copy. Do a google search for every wedding photographer in your area and contact them letting them know you would love to apprentice with them- and eventually work for them. Network with them without being annoying.

2) Make cards, speak to people and get your name out there. I would try to be as cost effective as you can be.

3) Go to your local Camera store and look for inexpensive how-to books on wedding photography.

Hope this helps.

[Speedbird]

Thanks alot Esoterra and Rooz. Yes, this was a difficult shoot. Very bright sun and heavy shade. I did not have a reflector, but sure wish I did. Camera store didnt have one and it was too late to order one in. Fill flash would have been great, but I was afraid I would over expose the pics with it. I was super nervous and panicking on the inside. I was scared I would ruin someones special day and I did make some mistakes. I learned a lot though They have not seen the pics yet, but will this weekend.

ESOTERRA.........Can you explain further.......:"Try shooting as wide open as you can". What does that mean exactly??

Speedbird

[Bynx]

There is lots of background that is awfully dark, unless that is your intention. As Essoterra said "shoot wide open" which means open your aperature which will reduce your depth of field. This will mean your subjects are in focus and the background is blurred out. The more you can open your f-stop the shorter your depth of field. Also as you open your f-stop it will shorten your shutter speed. I have quickly brightened your dark areas and gave your darkest pics more detail in these areas. On an ethics level, Im not sure what I think of someone posting my wedding pics on the internet before I got a chance to see them. Hope they dont find out, or mind that you did, if they do find out.

[Speedbird]

Thanks BYNX. They look much better after you fixed them up. On the ethics issue, I have full permission of the couple. :)

Speedbird

[Bynx]

Id like to help you any way I can speedbird. PM me and I will give you the settings in Photoshop if you want to pull out the details of your pics.