Pretzel. Thanks so much. I am and will be doing lots of extras to get ready for it. They have seen my wk and know what they are getting and are short on budget. It is her 2 nd wedding and does not want to send a lot on a pro. Thank for the info and encouragement I really appreciate it.
Im always surprised when I hear this. we are photogs who know what good pictures are. appreciate good pictures. do all we can (to the best of our ability) to get great pictures. and yet a once in a lifetime event, thats so special, and people skimp.
more than that. I as a person with high morals and ethics would not see it as im doing them a favor to put such a burden on my shoulders. if I was in your position today and my best friend asked me to shoot his wedding because he didnt want to "spend" a lot on capturing once in a lifetime memories, I would say buddy I love you and im adding another 500 bucks to your present, but lets go find someone who will join me to take your pics. I want the best for you and I need to make sure someone experienced will also be there with me to cover your wedding. my gear isnt good enough and I as much as I think I can do a good job, I dont know how to shoot weddings.
out of everything on that day. everything that is paid for, everything that is invested in, pictures will be the least. its the only thing thats left of everything that happened. all the planning, and the time spent finding the right dress, the right place. all the small details. photos will be the least invested in.
now to the nonsense word of "spending". there are all types of levels of "pros". for EVERY budget. so theyre all crap if they cost less than 5 grand I guess. im sure there are many who would take $500 and put out fabulous photos. it doesnt mean you need to spend a lot for a semi/pro. so your work can be as good as even midrange experienced photog?
if youre planning to shoot yourself, post a thread in some art school to students and ask if someone would love to join you (no fee but free food)
I will give you an example of situation that happened. My best friend photographed a wedding. the bride was a photog herself. pretty good gear. nice 2.8 zooms, a few primes. really is into photography. she invited all her friends (who are photog enthusiasts and have good gear as well) she said that she was so disappointed with all of their pics and was so shocked how so many people can take such garbage pics and all his were like art. exposure spot on, perspectives were correct. beautiful angles. she said she looked so beautiful in his photos and in none of their. they all bunched up and shot the same pictures. she practically threw every one of their pictures out. so many of them and all bad pictures
so as much as you want to do good, it wont be better than a regular photography student who has an understanding of light and technical knowledge. sorry to be harsh. this is the reality of it. Im not a politically correct guy. people dont want to hear the truth. I dont round off the corners. I say it like it is. many kiss A**. I dont. thats fake. if you never shot a wedding you owe it to her as a best friend to get backup. otherwise you arent. If I lived in your area and read this, I would offer (theoretically) to shoot it for free, because its a sin not give beautiful memories to a BG.
doing snapshots and "say cheese" look into the camera pics can be done with a smartphone. its done all day long. capturing emotions, thats art. conveying emotion through images, thats the difficult task. walking up to people and shooting them while they look into the lens is nonsense. anyone can do that. thats not photography. capturing expressions, capturing emotions, showing feeling in an image, and doing it artistically, thats what its all about.
