I've been asked the question I've been dreading...

[Ellen aka Snow White]

I went to a friend's bridal shower and when I got there NO one had a camera. I only lived a few miles away so I went back and got mine. I like candid shoots - don't do well at all with posing. I then had the photos put into an album to give the bride to be.

Two days before the wedding I got the phone call that their photographer was very ill and could I shoot the wedding for them! I told them I had NEVER done anything like that and they still insisted that I was their only option and they had no worries because of the shower photos. I agreed to do it.
The day of the wedding actually went very well. I was a bit uncomfortable moving around during the ceremony ( I like to just blend in). Afterwards, guest left to go to the reception and we worked on getting the group shots. It was the funniest thing as the bride and groom kept going different directions. In the end it all turned out ok - the only thing I never got was that posed shot of the bride and groom together at the outdoor alter! So my lesson learned would be to write down all those important shots and make sure you get them. I would say go for it - if I can do it, you most definately can! Good Luck
Ellen

 

[Geoff_M]

So my lesson learned would be to write down all those important shots and make sure you get them.

Along those same lines, have the couple also make a "must have" list of photos. This can be real important when it comes to the squad shots. During the hustle-n-bustle to get to the reception, it's easy to overlook family groupings that the couple later wishes they had. Aunts-n-uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. Have them put some thought into it beforehand. Also, I suggest that the bride/groom ask (time permitting) "Anyone else want a photo with us???" before calling it quits. The last thing you want is to create family drama because of a great-whatever that sat through the whole photo shoot in a pew waiting for them to be called up, only to find out they didn't get a photo op with the couple.

 

[alan]

I recently had that same experience. I had known the bride for years; her husband was a hobbyist photographer. They were doing a huge renovation project on their house to have it done in time for the wedding, and could I help by taking the photographs?

Of course, I said "no". But she was very good at wheedling, and eventually I gave in.

The wedding was in their back garden. There was bright sunshine and fairly dark shadows. Whoever decided that wedding dresses should be white is no friend of photographers, I can tell you that!

Here's an example of what I mean:

2010-07-11 5D Leask Wedding 103 by atp, on Flickr


Exposure aside, I found the ceremony comparatively easy to shoot. What I found hard was getting the people to do the right things. So the getting into and out of the car, and the "formals" of the various family groups... they were difficult.

I shot RAW, and that was what saved me... I was able to get remove the worst of the blown highlights in the dress and at the same time pull some detail from the shadows. I would always recommend shooting RAW unless you are certain that you have the exposure and colour balance perfectly nailed.

I have a few of the photographs in a flickr set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/atp/sets/72157624480804956/with/4787577811/

In the end, I believe that the bride and groom were happy with the photographs I took.

Oh, there's a follow-up to the story too. One of our national newspapers got a hold of the story of the couple who had got engaged, renovated their house and held the wedding in the garden in six weeks and wrote it up. The newspaper bought two of the pictures from me, and I split the proceeds with the couple. So we both ended up quids in

Finally, there were a couple of "fun" pictures to allude to the renovation process... I took along some props like spades, ladders and such. Here's one such picture:

Wedding ladder by atp, on Flickr


So... I would agree with what everyone else has said. If you're going to do this, get lists of exactly the desired pictures, write some form of agreement up and get them to sign it. Shoot RAW, and expect to be be nervous!

regards,
/alan

 

[GrillMouster]

Are they asking you to shoot the wedding for free or are they expecting you to do it for cheap? Either way, it's kind of an insult (unintentional, but still insulting). If they expect it for free, they're basically asking you to give a gift worth several hundreds up to thousands of dollars to someone you don't know. How well do you know the person getting married? Would you purchase a gift of similar value for this person?

If you're going to do it for cheap, then you are now a paid photographer, and you really should have a contract (heck, I'd even get one for a free shoot). Also, as the paid photographer, you are more likely to get sued if they're not thrilled with the results (working in a law office you may know this). Trust me, no matter how much they say they're not expecting much from you, there is always disappointment on their part. If you do go forward with it, keep in mind that you'll need to claim this money on your taxes, that you'll probably snap a lot of pictures, putting wear and tear on your gear (camera shutters can only actuate so many times), and you should be compensated for your time...not just the actual shooting time. So, if you say $100/hour, by the time you add in preparation, travel to and from the venue(s), post-production, etc.. you'll be charging them several hundreds of dollars at least (more likely over $1000). I'm going to assume that's going to be more than they're prepared to pay (if they were expecting to pay that much they probably would have looked for a professional).

So, in order to provide them with affordable photography and not allow yourself to get taken advantage of too much, you're going to need to limit the hours you dedicate to this event. The biggest chunk of time you can cut out will be the post-production part. Don't edit anything. Shoot jpg and burn everything to disc for $400 - $500, even if they're not all as nice as you'd prefer. If you spend anything more than four hours TOTAL on this event, you're getting hosed. Some people might think, "but I'd be learning while shooting, so maybe it's okay to do it for cheap". To that I respond that every job I take is a learning experience. I'm constantly improving my craft. Be that as it may, it doesn't mean that the service I'm providing to my client is any less valuable to them!


My personal recommendation is to pass. If you knew the person, or if the person was a child of your friend/coworker (a child, not a nephew, niece, cousin, etc.), then maybe you could do it for free or really cheap as a gift to the bride/groom. However, if you have no real personal connection to the persons getting married (I define that as I wouldn't pay several hundreds to get them a wedding gift), then do it at full price (ten times higher than what I quoted above) or don't do it at all.

 

[annnewjerz]

Thanks all!

After reading all of your comments and taking into consideration a bunch of things (price, the fact that I don't know these people, etc.)...I have decided to pass on the job. I LOVE when people at work "hire" me to take pictures for birth announcements, Christmas cards and even the odd baby shower or birthday party...but I really have little to no interest in a wedding. I know myself and it'll be way more of a headache than it's worth. I think I could do a great job and provide them with some great memories, but I just don't think it'd be the right move on my part.

Will I ever take my camera to a wedding of my own family or friends and take a bunch of pictures to pass along to them? Sure! My sister just got engaged and since she is only 22 and still lives with my Mom, I offered to take some pictures for her in the fall if she wanted. Will I ever act as a wedding photographer at someone's wedding that I barely know? Probably not. For me, since it's something at this point I don't have a desire t become involved in full or even part time, I figured it would be best to pass.

If I did take it, there was no expectation of it being free. I was planning to charge around $500 for shooting a short ceremony and family photos (about 2 hours total shooting) and leaving a few hours for some light editing after I got home.

Who knows, maybe if they really can't find anyone or save up the money for a pro I'll cave, but for now I'm comfortable passing on the opportunity. I have my sister-in-law's baby shower in 3 weeks to prepare for, after all!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Good for you. It's probably just my personal bias, but there is no photographic task I hate more than wedding photography. I don't mind bridal shoots at all, but I hate shooting weddings. Even if it is a really casual wedding for someone with no money and low expectations, it still sucks. The problem is that you will have high expectations for yourself and so the stress will still be there. That's how it works for me.