I'm cheesed about this wedding photographer...

[SteveL54]

My son asked me to shoot his coming wedding as the primary photographer. Not because he can't afford it. But because he said he trusts me to do it right. I declined, but told him I would shoot as well. He's happy with that. I'm not ready for something like that. Plus, I don't want to ruin what's supposed to be a special time.

Exactly what happened to me last year. I had both of my sons married 5 months apart. First wedding they asked me just to do some candid shots and the pro would do the bulk of the wedding. She seemed nice, and showed me her D800. She asked what I was shooting with. Oh. D5100? Sorry, she says, I gave up toys years ago and moved on to a "real" camera. Bitch......

Second wedding was some guy with a Canon. Refused to talk. Ok, fine. I took my shots, and he took his. Near the end, they were taking some outside shots, and he was clearly having a problem with his equipment. It had been raining, and it cleared just briefly to take a shot with a nice pink sky. I just had it on full Auto and pulled off only 3 shots while he fiddled with his camera. Clouds closed up the sky, and he never got the shot. They ended up using mine for the newspaper announcement. He even called my son to ask why HIS picture wasn't used for the newspaper. His pictures we just ok, not much better than mine.

I've been asked to do a few small weddings and parties. No thank you. This is only a hobby for me. Once it becomes a job, the thrill is gone.

 

[480sparky]

Life's too short to get your panties in a bunch about this type of stuff. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Horoscope Fish]

Life's too short to get your panties in a bunch about this type of stuff.

So VERY much this... ^^^

Something tells me you have better things to worry that pretty little head of yours.

....

 

[SteveL54]

Life's too short to get your panties in a bunch about this type of stuff. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Absolutely!!!

 

[weebee]

Amen!

 

[Elliot87]

I was one of those people who asked a friend to shoot my wedding. Not because he had a DSLR but because I'd lived with him for a year and new that he took great photos. He agreed and shot our wedding as a gift to us, although we did buy him a couple of bits of gear he needed such as a better flash.

In hindsight, having now taken up photography I regret asking him. Not because the results were bad, as they weren't. With a D3100 he took a great deal of photos that my wife and I love. I regret asking him because I now have some idea of how big a job it is, what gear pros use and how much pressure it must have put on him. He has since been asked to do other friends weddings after they'd seen our photos but he flat out refused and I don't blame him.

I'd like to make a bit of money from wildlife photography one day, enough to pay for at least some of my gear, but there's no way I'd want to do events photography!

 

[SkvLTD]

This reminds me of a funny story that happened in May or June - I posted something to the FB page for RAW Artists DC about it being a shame I missed an op to shoot some fashion for an up and coming local designer and some random girl adds me. I accept, shoot her a "hey, what's up," and while she takes the sweet time to reply I find her photo work and glance over it. Not my style, but quality and composition pretty much sucked.

She gets back to me saying she likes my shots, asks what I'm shooting with, and then for some critique on her work.....

I tell her my gear (minus the new 70-200), and totally rip on her since I've no idea who she is and she asked for it. And what do you think I hear back? I'll paraphrase, "...well sorry I don't have the money for fancy gear like you do, but I don't care - people like my work, I have lots of likes on my FB page... etc," and deletes me for being such an ass.

Bottom line? Doesn't matter how much people like you work if its not worth a dime to them. My new fancy gear at that point all made back its cost to me in ~2.5 months of getting it.

 

[ShootRaw]

Gerry Ghionis shot and won awards for a wedding he shot on an iphone.. but I understand what you are saying.

But I am also the believer of it's not the gear, its the way you use it - don't look at my gear list after reading that lol!!

Jerry Ghionis is awesome and I will be meeting him on the 19th of this month..He came in an un-official 4th place with that I-Phone Pic...

If I hired a "Pro" to shoot an event and he/she showed up with a phone to shoot it I would boot his/her ass to the curb after I took my money back out of their hide. I am sure thta Gerry Ghionis let the client know what he was doing in advance and was just doing it for the exposure he knew it would get.

Jerry did that shot for fun and to show knowledge of light,composition,and how to evoke emotion goes along way...Cant wait to meet him..

 

[ShootRaw]

Id like to see the outcome of the photographers pics before I judge...

 

[SkvLTD]

... but there's no way I'd want to do events photography!

Never confuse events with weddings. Events are much, much easier and often no-stress compared to weddings. You can't redo something in a wedding like the first kiss, but events in general are very flexible. Pay will never compare, but nor will the level of stress and responsibility.

 

[Nero]

I don't think I'd ever do a wedding mostly because I can't stand dealing with other people. lol

 

[SkvLTD]

I don't think I'd ever do a wedding mostly because I can't stand dealing with other people. lol

I'd say depends on the people, but on that scale I'm with ya. Fashion and commercial seem like walks in the park in comparison and the cash adds up about the same.

 

[Nero]

I'd say depends on the people, but on that scale I'm with ya. Fashion and commercial seem like walks in the park in comparison and the cash adds up about the same.

Definitely does but I can't stand most people so the odds are against me. Lol

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 4

 

[SkvLTD]

Definitely does but I can't stand most people so the odds are against me. Lol

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 4

Duct tape? lol

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

When I first started out shooting for a living 35 years ago I did weddings. Made good money and got good reviews from all the people who saw my work. I started charging more and the more I charged the more business I got. Hated shooting every wedding. So I started trying to price myself out of the wedding business. Again more customers. Finally just had to quit shooting them at all. Generally the bride and groom were lots of fun to work with but the bride's mother was always a problem.

 

[480sparky]

I quit doing commission work altogether years ago. I've been begged, bribed and beaten to do it again, but I flat-out simply WILL NOT DO IT.

 

[Nero]

Duct tape? lol

Lol Possibly.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Whiskeyman]

So much of wedding photography is knowing the ceremony and events surrounding it and knowing when to be where to get "the shot", as well as knowing how to pose people and paying attention to details, and knowing your equipment inside and out, and it all just adds up too fast and is just too stressful.

Few people really get it all right, but it's amazing how many people charge for photos when they get hardly any of it right.

Then again, the public can be quite ignorant of the whole thing. A local pro I know was supposed to have a family beach portrait session, but they cancelled with him because he wanted to shoot in the late afternoon/evening and not in the middle of the day.

 

[Philnz]

Did real estate photography a few years back. money was not all that good, but the work was easy, and no stress. "Weddings No Way".

 

[rocketman122]

I WAS that woman... asking for advice... I only did my cousins wedding, and only because they couldnt afford a real photographer. To top it off I had a condescending press photog come to me before the ceremony started and he took one look at my Olympus and told me "dont worry luv, stick it in A for amateur and you'll be ok" Now having done that one wedding, I would HATE to do more... it was too much hard work for the amount of money I would expect to be paid.

edited to add..

the photos did come out ok. there were one or two "special" ones the bride and groom loved... and there were plenty of sales on photobox for me. But I did it as a wedding gift to them, and unless I was begged I wouldnt do it again

How people dont budget for a photographer, I dont know. they budget for food, for music, for the dress the suit, everything..but the only think theyll ever have to remember it all as memories are photos.

people priorities are so screwed up. you dont need to budget a lot for a decent photographer.

A for amateur. HA. not even close. dont know a pro who doesnt use A often. the hard work is not the problem. for me its the satisfaction im able to capture once in a lifetime memories that brings emotions when they look at them.