Wedding Photographers - a few questions

SinisterDexter

I am attending a wedding in the near future and am bringing along my camera.
Now I have been looking around what is been said on Boards and also what sort of tips there are online.
I was just wondering if ye who photograph weddings for a living follow/do any of the following.

• The dress and veil hanging up before the bride dresses.
• Detail shots of the bouquets (very easy to shoot and looks great in an album).
• Detail shots of bride's jewelry, engagement ring, shoes and so on
• If the wedding dress has nice detail on the fabric (e.g. beading) take a closeup in good natural light.
• Bride having her hair and make up done.
• Take close ups of any unusual details in her hair or make up.
• Many wedding dresses are laced up at the back and this makes a great shot - someone lacing her into the dress.
• Take a few portraits of the bride alone. Use the veil if she is wearing one - move her towards a window as veils catch natural night really nicely.
• Portraits of the bride with her bridesmaids, mother and father, etc.
• Be sure to photograph any cute kids that are floating around - particularly the page boy or flower girl.
• Some candids of the entire family getting ready. The kitchen area is usually where most of the action is!
• Any details which are quirky or meaningful to the bride.

These are all before the wedding, and going on that last point - Whats quirky or meaningful to the bride? How do you know?

There will be a pro there taking the photos and my next question is.... how does another photographer get in your (the job) way? As I will try not to get in His/Her way.


Many Thanks!

Another question, any suggestions as to other shots I should aim for - before/during/after the wedding?

daycent

SinisterDexter wrote: »

I am attending a wedding in the near future and am bringing along my camera.
Now I have been looking around what is been said on Boards and also what sort of tips there are online.
I was just wondering if ye who photograph weddings for a living follow/do any of the following.

• The dress and veil hanging up before the bride dresses.
• Detail shots of the bouquets (very easy to shoot and looks great in an album).
• Detail shots of bride's jewelry, engagement ring, shoes and so on
• If the wedding dress has nice detail on the fabric (e.g. beading) take a closeup in good natural light.
• Bride having her hair and make up done.
• Take close ups of any unusual details in her hair or make up.
• Many wedding dresses are laced up at the back and this makes a great shot - someone lacing her into the dress.
• Take a few portraits of the bride alone. Use the veil if she is wearing one - move her towards a window as veils catch natural night really nicely.
• Portraits of the bride with her bridesmaids, mother and father, etc.
• Be sure to photograph any cute kids that are floating around - particularly the page boy or flower girl.
• Some candids of the entire family getting ready. The kitchen area is usually where most of the action is!
• Any details which are quirky or meaningful to the bride.

These are all before the wedding, and going on that last point - Whats quirky or meaningful to the bride? How do you know?

There will be a pro there taking the photos and my next question is.... how does another photographer get in your (the job) way? As I will try not to get in His/Her way.


Many Thanks!

Another question, any suggestions as to other shots I should aim for - before/during/after the wedding?

I would say all of those shots. It's probably a bit of a cliché now, but most brides wiil be looking for those shots. And you're better off having them than not. The detail shots shouldn't take long to get. You won't always get a chance to get all these either. If you get all those you're half way there!

The only one I'd be iffy about is the lacing up the dress one. Some brides might be uncomfortable with this, it varies bride to bride.

It's a nice "job" to be unoffical second shooter. I would say concentrate on candids. Use a long lens where possible. The pro will be getting the group shots anyway so no point in replicating them. One thing I will say about group shots is that it can be a lovely effect to stand about 45degrees ish from the main photographer and take your shots from there while he is taking the shots. More often then not nicer than front on shots, even without eye contact.

As for staying out of the way of the photographer, just always be behind him and you will be grand

Again, I would recommend finding different angles to the main guy just to mix it up.

eas

hi

all the shots you've listed are pretty much going to be covered by the hired photographer, or at least should be.

To be honest, there's generally not enough room for two photographers to work in the same location the morning before the wedding. Personally I'd be pretty sharp with you if I felt you where getting in the way of me getting shots I wanted or causing any extra stress to the situation while you where working on the shots listed above.

Like Daycent mentions - why not concentrate on being where the hired tog isn't? If he/she is with the bride you could be with the groom. When he/she is out doing portraits you could be taking candids..etc.

smelltheglove

As said all of those shots if possible, its not hard enough to do, I usually get to the brides house at least an hour before the wedding. I get plenty of shots in the house, makeup, hair, luckily I'm a woman so I get full access to the dressing room also and sometimes to a cheeky undies shot with the bridesmaids which is cool, when they are comfortable to do it.

How do you know what is important to the bride or quirky to the bride???? This is why you meet them beforehand, get a feel for their personalities, what they are like and this will helkp you understand. I check in with my brides before the day a few times so I get a feel for how much they are into the details etc. I wouldnt go too much on details as some people think they are pointless but all of the above and maybe some more, i.e. invitation if available, fixing the dads buttonhole if you are around for it etc etc.

Re the pro photog, introduce yourself, what I dont like is when there is a photographer around who, rather than introduce themselves goes to take pictures whenever I am not, repositions the couple or gets in the way. I would be more than happy if a guest who was interested in photography introduced themselves and asked if they could shadow me, it would make me more comfortable, my job easier and they would then have a better idea of what is involved also.

stunt_penguin

I took a few shots like these:

http://www.chrisdidthis.com/?p=92

at a relative's wedding where I acted as B-photographer- shots like this usually work out really well I think, and there's less pressure so you can experiment a lot more, leading to sometimes suprising results. Staying out of the way of the main photographer and shooting exactly the *opposite* shot to the one he's takign is sometimes a good approach- that one with the small girl looking up was taken at the same time as everyone was lining up for a really large group shot.

Shiny

I have done several weddings where I was the unofficial photographer. As stated above I concentrated on the areas that the main guy was not covering.

When I was near him I made sure not to use my camera in case any
of the guests looked at me instead of him during the photo.

It was a long day and he left leaving me to get the cutting of the cake,
first dance etc... I was concentrating on the fun, informal shots as I knew
the family which made this easier.

He got approximately 20times more money than I did and after seeing his
images in the album, I can see why.

Borderfox

As said above all of the shots you have listed depending on what time the Bride has booked (some want from the church, some want the whole day, some want 2 hours)

I dont mind other photographers as such, but I have a job to do so dont have a lot of time to have a chat!!

I tend to concentrate on the Bride getting ready so their is usually an opportunity to get some nice shots of the groom

mikeanywhere

OK, I am confused and it doesnt take much lol

If you are a guest as you say, why are you going to do the shots that will already be covered (ok, maybe not every single one you listed) by the lead/main photographer?

squareballoon

God, I hope you're not at the wedding I'm shooting soon. I would be annoyed if someone else was there trying to get those shots while I was working. Esp. the before shots of dress/makeup etc.
I know you say you won't get in the way but if you're trying for all those shots chances are you will.

CabanSail

What tends to go down well is getting shots that the paid tog will not get. This is usually at the reception after s/he has gone home. If you stay sober & are set up right you can get some great candids of the friends & relatives.

baby and crumble

Well I've never gone next nigh nor NEAR a wedding with anything more that the standard p&s, but I would have thought that it'd be deadly to go to the groom and catch him getting ready... Now, you might be on the brides side of things more than the grooms, esp if its a family wedding, but it still might be a chance to get the informal stuff of the groom getting ready, hanging out with the best man, trying not to cry, then the stuff after the main guy goes home...

Just a thought.

VisionaryP

SinisterDexter wrote: »

I am attending a wedding in the near future and am bringing along my camera.
Now I have been looking around what is been said on Boards and also what sort of tips there are online.
I was just wondering if ye who photograph weddings for a living follow/do any of the following.

• The dress and veil hanging up before the bride dresses.
• Detail shots of the bouquets (very easy to shoot and looks great in an album).
• Detail shots of bride's jewelry, engagement ring, shoes and so on
• If the wedding dress has nice detail on the fabric (e.g. beading) take a closeup in good natural light.
• Bride having her hair and make up done.
• Take close ups of any unusual details in her hair or make up.
• Many wedding dresses are laced up at the back and this makes a great shot - someone lacing her into the dress.
• Take a few portraits of the bride alone. Use the veil if she is wearing one - move her towards a window as veils catch natural night really nicely.
• Portraits of the bride with her bridesmaids, mother and father, etc.
• Be sure to photograph any cute kids that are floating around - particularly the page boy or flower girl.
• Some candids of the entire family getting ready. The kitchen area is usually where most of the action is!
• Any details which are quirky or meaningful to the bride.

These are all before the wedding, and going on that last point - Whats quirky or meaningful to the bride? How do you know?

There will be a pro there taking the photos and my next question is.... how does another photographer get in your (the job) way? As I will try not to get in His/Her way.


Many Thanks!

Another question, any suggestions as to other shots I should aim for - before/during/after the wedding?

Most of what I would say has been said already. As for that list. Ignore it. That's for the official photographer, not for you. The best thing you can do is concentrate solely on a journalistic approach. Never ask someone to pose, but as daycent said, you can get lovely shots at 45 degree angles. Don't copy the main photographer, or shadow without asking. Don't leave your seat in the church. CabanSail's advice is excellent. The couple have paid for a photographer, so let him take care of that. You can give them something totally different if you don't try and copy the photographer, but rather document the day after the photographer has gone home.

SinisterDexter

mikeanywhere wrote: »

OK, I am confused
If you are a guest as you say, why are you going to do the shots that will already be covered

squareballoon wrote: »

I know you say you won't get in the way but if you're trying for all those shots chances are you will.

THAT was my question. Do pro wedding photographers actually do these shots or is it just a list on the web? And where did I say I was trying to get all those shots? Where is the confusion? - I asked do pro's do these shots.


Now for a new question! When do Pro Togs tend to go home? - Just going on what CabanSail said.

Borderfox

Depends, sometimes after formals sometimes after first dance. Today I was there from the ceremony and formals, 2 hours in total

VisionaryP

SinisterDexter wrote: »

THAT was my question. Do pro wedding photographers actually do these shots or is it just a list on the web? And where did I say I was trying to get all those shots? Where is the confusion? - I asked do pro's do these shots.


Now for a new question! When do Pro Togs tend to go home? - Just going on what CabanSail said.

Yes, they do.

Standard day for me is from an hour before the bride leaves her house until 530, when the guests sit for the meal.

smelltheglove

Pretty much as above also! But if the bride gets a higher package it could be after the first dance.