Discussion: Why so quick to jump into a Wedding?

[z-monster]

Just a simple discussion without insult but having thick skin is required! I'm hoping to help build a thread about the eagerness to jump into the insane world of wedding photography.

For the record I've photographed one large wedding on my own and many times as a second shooter. However my experience in wedding photography is based on a lifetime spent with my uncle during his time as a photographer. When I was a super-duper invincible young lad I got lucky enough to see him work his butt off doing weddings. It seemed like pure insanity at the time. Not only was he a skilled photographer but I found out that there are actual politics involved. I watched him calm an angry father, deal with insane brides, and jump thru hoops to get the required shoots while avoiding those who got hammered drunk or simply couldn't see where they were going from all the crying!

Watching him do all that work I learned many good lessons that made a lot of sense when my time came to photograph a wedding. Believe it or not, I actually denied the first wedding that came my way. I simply explained that had no skill to shoot such an event nor did I have the professional patience. My second offer was after I returned home from Iraq in 2008. I was eager to take on the challenge. I did all the research I could thanks in part to my Uncle and TPF Wedding thread. During the wedding, in my mind, I experienced just about everything I saw my uncle go thru during his time in the seat.

I began to question myself!
Am I charging enough?
Jeez...did everyone bring a damn camera today? Why am I even here?
Why am I up past midnight editing still? OMG did I really shoot that? There's a dude picking his nose.
Holy cow! There are 5 DSLRs in this one shot! Who brought the D3 along?

In the end my client was happy with the results. As far I understand, client satisfaction is everything in business. Despite this, I will not consider ever doing another wedding for a long long long time. Not even as a second shooter. With that said I have no issues refusing a Wedding. I know enough skilled photographers to proudly recommend any client. I actually feel good about it too.
I honestly had no idea why I chose to do it. Maybe it was the excitement of a new challenge. Maybe I was eager to see the normal life of American citizens in love vs the chaos I witnessed in Iraq. My skills were never in question. I based my experience from my time spent with my uncle.

I see a continued trend of new photographers eager to jump in to a wedding with out ever considering becoming a second shooter. Many of you here on the forum admit to having no skill.

In the world of skydiving and BASE jumping, not one instructor will ever teach you BASE jumping until you have proved you have well over 200 to 250 skydives or more. By this time you have learned how to properly fly your body. You have the skills to steer your canopy and react to malfunctions should it happen. You don't just one day decide to jump off a cliff and hope to learn to properly steer your body away from the cliff wall much less properly fly your canopy to the safety of the ground.

Photography is no different. So...why the rush to jump in?

[Jusselin]

I hated during my last wedding and some guy with a P&S walks up and says "Do you guys mind if i get behind you and go for some shots?"....REALLY??? please understand that i was hired to be here. IDK am i the only one that finds that annoying?


ok sorry for the rant lol...but i agree, i was a 3rd shooter one time and quickly realized how difficult wedding photography is. I decided that day that i hated it. Well 2 years later and LOTS more practice i was asked to photograph a wedding. I really didnt want to but because it was family i decided to give it to them as a wedding gift. Well it turns out that the 2 years of practice payed off. I was very pleased with my work. I would have never attempted it though with out TONS of practice.

[camera shy]

Many folks are allured by the fact that someone told them that their pictures were good. Of course they didn't take into account that out of the 25 shots they took, they got one or two decent images.
How hard could it be? Just bring a camera and take some pictures !
Don't let it bother you that the couple getting married will be hoping for the best images they've ever seen even though they know you have no experience. Hell, they've never photographed a wedding either.
You've never had a heart attack like the one when your camera decides to screw up just as the bride is coming down the aisle, or they are cutting the cake, or, etc. etc. No backup plan? No problem.
Just a few of the thousand or so things a professional wedding photographer deals with. Sure you have to start somewhere, but taking on a wedding as primary shooter without the right experience is a disaster that won't wait to happen.

[z-monster]

Originally Posted by camera shy

You've never had a heart attack like the one when your camera decides to screw up just as the bride is coming down the aisle, or they are cutting the cake, or, etc. etc. No backup plan? No problem.

For my eyes, not having a second camera is an instant dead give away. Not only as a back up plan but also not having to switch lenses in mid-stride.

Originally Posted by camera shy

Many folks are allured by the fact that someone told them that their pictures were good.

Good call!

[StevenGWebb]

I think some people jump into a wedding by invitation. It seems one of two very common questions people ask if they find out someone owns a camera. Oh you have a camera? Do you take wedding pictures (not can you or do you know how to). It seems that everyone knows someone who is getting married in a couple of weeks and they are looking for someone to take pictures.

The other reason is the lure of what appears to be easy money. C'mon, weddings take three maybe four hours. That's like making nearly $100/hr.

Steven

[Angelo]

Been there, done that! I can't even be tempted to do a wedding!
Nice thing is I have a list of Pixtus photographers that will give the B&G the memories of a lifetime.
The moment I'm asked if I would shoot a wedding I say, "here are three referrals. They are the best wedding photographers in Houston and will provide you with the memories you deserve of your wedding."

[kenw]

After doing one as a favor my motto became: RUN AWAY! And quickly refer them to a friend from here.

In my case, having a well-paying day job gives one options.....

[BenE]

1) Most people already have a camera, and a computer, so there is little to no additional expense to shoot a wedding.
2) Many have asked on a forum, and been told, "Go for it".
3) Others have asked about advice and been told, "Be sure to have fun."
4) Others have posted a shot and have been told how great is it.
5) They believe their only cost is a 20 cent DVD; they can charge $600 and make $599.80 profit.



I do not want to sound flippant, I have actually seen comments like all of these.

[ka5txl]

Originally Posted by camera shy

........How hard could it be? Just bring a camera and take some pictures !..........You've never had a heart attack like the one when your camera decides to screw up just as the bride is coming down the aisle, or they are cutting the cake, or, etc. etc. No backup plan? No problem.

That is sooooo true. The first wedding I ever shot was that of the younger sister of my then girlfriend. I got talked into it doing and if I hadn't they would not have a photographer at all. Just a bunch guest's (friends and family) with instamatics and flash cubes. I even bought the champagne (I forget the brand but it was in the same tier as Andre ) for the rehearsal party. So we are talking a real low budget affair. And of course to make it worse she had graduated from nursing school at TWU so the ceremony was held at "The Little Chapel in the Woods" @ TWU, I swear there's more light in a black hole than in that chapel. And I didn't bring my backup camera as my Pentax ME-Super was brand new I had shot maybe a dozen rolls thru before the wedding, which meant that half way thru the reception my brand new camera broke, fortunately her oldest brother had brought his also new ME-Super which I commandeered and finished the wedding. I took the film down to BWC to have them push the processing and came out with what I (at the time) thought were acceptable results. Since I gave the bride the negatives I don't have anything to look back on, but based on other weddings back then when I was guest and took my camera I'm know they weren't terrible but they weren't great either.

I'm a lot better now, have a lot better glass and have shot several other weddings (family) over the years. I know I'd rather have a root canal sans the novacane than to be a professional wedding photography

[StevenGWebb]

Originally Posted by BenE

1) Most people already have a camera, and a computer, so there is little to no additional expense to shoot a wedding.
2) Many have asked on a forum, and been told, "Go for it".
3) Others have asked about advice and been told, "Be sure to have fun."
4) Others have posted a shot and have been told how great is it.
5) They believe their only cost is a 20 cent DVD; they can charge $600 and make $599.80 profit.



I do not want to sound flippant, I have actually seen comments like all of these.

That wasn't flippant at all. I've seen those same things myself. "Be sure to have fun" is the one that sticks me most. Doesn't anyone work anymore?

[spluloacle]

I come from personal experience of having crappy wedding pictures because a friend offered to do it for free cause he had just gotten this fancy camera. Not only that I was stupid to turn down my IL's for offering to pay a pro. OH man ..... BIGGEST regret of my life. Though I am still not EAGER. I did my BIL's wedding and that sucked monkey balls. And it was SMALL.

Oh and wouldn't you know it my IL's did not offer to pay for THIS wedding's photography (WHOLE nother issue)

[PEC]

I have only shot one wedding... reason: my mom begged me to as my niece (her only grandchild) could not afford it.

I reluctantly said yes with the caveat that you get what you pay for and please set your expectations low.

I don't even remember which pro film i used, but I remember mom being surprised the film cost a lot more then the walmart brand :)

IMHO, a huge part of the wedding photography business is the marketing - showing the value that a true professional brings to the event. If the value is felt, the expense is justified.

Just one more reason not to go into this business, I want to spend time taking pictures, not marketing a business :)

I really respect you folks who make a living shooting people!

[kayumangi]

Originally Posted by StevenGWebb

That wasn't flippant at all. I've seen those same things myself. "Be sure to have fun" is the one that sticks me most. Doesn't anyone work anymore?

But what is wrong with having fun while photographing a wedding? If you enjoy your work, the more creative and productive you become.

I think it boils down to what sort of clients we're servicing. My clients come to me because they like what I photograph and they don't demand specific images as opposed to other clients who have a specific list. Thus, I shoot for myself and even encouraged "to have fun".

Now if you service clients who have a specific list and demand that you stick to that list then I can imagine that the said comment can be annoying.

I guess what I'm saying is, let's not try to generalize, even if we all shoot weddings we still serve different clients. And their wants and needs are different.


As for the original question, people jump to weddings because it's a happy story and people by nature love to take pictures of happy moments. Now whether some are prepared or not, is an entirely different story. If the B&G end up with crappy pix then they have to live with their decision. And to be honest some don't put too much value on photographs unlike us, so again let's not assume that the B&G will be upset if they don't get stellar images.

Lastly, why be bothered if newbs keep jumping-in and shooting weddings even if they're clearly not prepared? what's at stake? how are we affected?

[jerrybsmith]

You can't have fun until you are experienced and prepared for any situation, good or bad. Only then can you enjoy knowing the beautifully fleeting moment in front of you is in the camera and will please the client. For me, confidence comes from having redundant equipment, experience in almost every lighting situation and knowing where to be as events unfold.

[dracula02]

Oh, to the OP, I think that there are a few different kinds of people that get into wedding photography. Those that love the event of the wedding, the emotion of the day, and capturing the celebration of two families uniting. Then there are those that feel like it's easy money and either can't follow up with their promises or quickly learn it's a different animal from any other kind of photography. Personally, I like the fact that I have to stay on my toes and capture those moments. I'm not that big into family/children photography... Ignore my sig, though... ;0p