General Portrait Advice?

[loosestring]

Does anyone have any general advice on taking portraits? I'm a beginner who just bought a Canon XTi and a friend has asked me to take pictures at their wedding in a few months. Are there any tips that would apply as a perpetual guide for portraits?
I'm really a layman who knows little about the technical details and techniques of photography. I am uploading one of my first portraits (of my daughter recently born) for your critique.

[smc1377]

One word...LIGHTING.

Upon hearing wedding, all sorts of locations come to mind. The worse would be a dark church, at least for me cause I don't want to be firing a flash during the ceremony that'll take away from the moment. The second worse would be outside on a bright sunny day with no overhead cover (like a tent or in a pavilion) cause I detest extreme shadows and highlights!

There's so much that can be said, but the first piece of advice I could give is to know your locations and what kind of light are you dealing with.

[loosestring]

Thank you for the reply. There are two events coming up I hope to photograph. One is the wedding which I believe is to be in a small chapel (if anything like other chapels I've been in it will be low light) and then they wanted to take pictures after at the beach if I remember right. The other is a cd release party (concert) of a local singer/songwriter so it will likely be an indoor low-light affair. How might I deal with both?
I've been toying around with settings on my camera at home trying to figure it all out (and reading the manual too), but I'm finding it a little tasking. Sometimes the shutter sounds like it's opening and not shutting for a looong time. Other times it takes the picture quickly. Of course depending on the settings I'm getting different results. I have figured what the saturation and color tone settings do for the most part and I think I understand the exposure settings, but otherwise I'm a bit behind the curve.:)

[Nicole]

Thank you for the reply. There are two events coming up I hope to photograph. One is the wedding which I believe is to be in a small chapel (if anything like other chapels I've been in it will be low light) and then they wanted to take pictures after at the beach if I remember right. The other is a cd release party (concert) of a local singer/songwriter so it will likely be an indoor low-light affair. How might I deal with both?
I've been toying around with settings on my camera at home trying to figure it all out (and reading the manual too), but I'm finding it a little tasking. Sometimes the shutter sounds like it's opening and not shutting for a looong time. Other times it takes the picture quickly. Of course depending on the settings I'm getting different results. I have figured what the saturation and color tone settings do for the most part and I think I understand the exposure settings, but otherwise I'm a bit behind the curve.:)

First step, I would recommend doing some reading about the exposure triangle (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/learning-exposure-in-digital-photography/) (shutter speed (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/shutter-speed/), aperture (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/aperture/), and ISO (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/iso-settings/)) so that you learn about those and know how to use them. These are the settings that you're changing on your camera when you say that you're getting different results and it sounds like the picture is getting taken slowly or quickly.

Next, there are some threads on Low-Light Action shots (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114), the Best Way to shoot a backlight scene (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224), and Construction sites (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77) (another low light thread) that may help you out some in these situations.

Your best bet to cover both situations is probably a fast lens. So this means something with an aperture of f/2.8 or lower. Not sure what sort of camera you have, but if buying a fast lens isn't in your budget, what about renting one for a week or so when you need to take the shots. There are sites like RentGlass (http://www.rentglass.com) who do this in the US.

The situations you're describing may be difficult lighting, but as long as you learn and practice, you should hopefully be ok :) Good luck! :)

[AZ4Runner]

Another thing you may want to do is sit down and do some research on the "money" shots that are associated with weddings. There is a set list of shots that most, if not all, wedding photographers should get. The list should be pretty easy to find on the internet. I know it was in a checklist my wife and I used when we were looking for a professional photographer to shoot our wedding. You might be able to find some more information at the Wedding Photojournalist Association's website.

Next, you'll want to sit down with the bride (and maybe groom too) and figure out if there are any special shots she would like you to get. Aunt Ruth, Uncle Tom, extended family shots, the groom getting ready (I know none of my groomsmen had a camera so if it wasn't for the photographer catching me, it would have gone completely undocumented), etc.

And finally, if you can visit the chapel and subsequent locations for the other parts of the wedding (reception, pictures on the beach, what have you), do so. When the big day comes for you to cover the wedding you'll have an idea of what you'll need to do in order to document the event. You may want to scope out places to shoot from, talk to the facilities management people, test some ideas (lighting, mood, etc). Its always better to be prepared than trying to make it up as you go.

[Nicole]

Another thing you may want to do is sit down and do some research on the "money" shots that are associated with weddings. There is a set list of shots that most, if not all, wedding photographers should get.

I found 2 good checklists when I was searching for shots to take when I went to shoot a friend's brother's wedding. Try: About.com's Wedding Photography Checklist (http://weddings.about.com/od/photographer/a/Photogchecklist.htm) and the Wedding's Galore Checklist (http://www.weddingsgalore.com/photos.html) :) There are lots of sites out there if you google them, but these were 2 I found really helpful.

[mdwsta4]

i'll give you an honest answer, DON'T BE THE MAIN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

that may sound harsh, but if you're new to your camera and are still learning you may not take the shots a professional wedding photographer would. this could be a good and a bad thing, but i'm also guessing you don't have the best equipment for the job if you're new to the game (enough memory and batteries, external flashes, backdrops, the right lenses, tripod, proof books, prints, PS skills). let alone knowing your way around all of your camera's features and from hearing you say you don't understand why the shutter doesn't close right away i'd think you may have a ways to go. Not to mention the fact that it's a lot of work to be the photographer at weddings (ask anyone that's actually shot one) and if you mess up you'll hear it from the parent's, the bride, etc. what i would suggest would be to have them hire a photographer and you can shoot for 'fun'. you'll probably come up with some intersting shots that the pro won't get, but the bride and groom will get the typical shots that they and their families will treasure.

friends or not, it's a lot of pressure and you only get one opportunity to take these types of pictures. i've helped with pictures at a number of friend's weddings before, but would never want to be the main photographer. too much pressure and i want to enjoy the wedding just as much as them without having to 'work'. not trying to sound harsh, just want to point out it's not a day in the park.

my $.02

[Nicole]

... it's a lot of work to be the photographer at weddings (ask anyone that's actually shot one) and if you mess up you'll hear it from the parent's, the bride, etc...
my $.02

Sound advice worth more than $0.02, it is a lot of work. I was literally running around the entire reception hall for the entire evening. It was a tiring experience, but also a good one. In a lot of ways, if you want to enjoy the wedding, don't do photographs, if you want to do photos, you probably won't enjoy the wedding very much because you'll be running around trying to get all the shots, which means you won't really get a chance to socialize and relax.

That being said, I don't think that there's any reason to say that you should not be the main photographer though, as long as the bride, groom, family, etc understand that you're not a pro and don't expect you to be one. You will need to learn your camera well and understand it, but that's not to say that just because you're new, you won't be able to take the pictures.

Basically, you have to learn somehow, and there will always be a first time, and no matter how many times you do it, there's always the potential for something to go wrong.

Good luck, whatever you decide :)

[loosestring]

I'm not too awful worried about it. They know full well that I'm no professional photographer. I'm doing the photos for free. I guess they really can't afford a pro or something. I'm not really sure about that though. He just asked me if I'd do it and I agreed to. I've been practicing a lot. Just last night I actually sat down and was taking pictures of my family watching t.v. by candlelight.:D

[PixelsPhotog]

i'll give you an honest answer, DON'T BE THE MAIN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

that may sound harsh, but if you're new to your camera and are still learning you may not take the shots a professional wedding photographer would. this could be a good and a bad thing, but i'm also guessing you don't have the best equipment for the job if you're new to the game (enough memory and batteries, external flashes, backdrops, the right lenses, tripod, proof books, prints, PS skills). let alone knowing your way around all of your camera's features and from hearing you say you don't understand why the shutter doesn't close right away i'd think you may have a ways to go. Not to mention the fact that it's a lot of work to be the photographer at weddings (ask anyone that's actually shot one) and if you mess up you'll hear it from the parent's, the bride, etc. what i would suggest would be to have them hire a photographer and you can shoot for 'fun'. you'll probably come up with some intersting shots that the pro won't get, but the bride and groom will get the typical shots that they and their families will treasure.

friends or not, it's a lot of pressure and you only get one opportunity to take these types of pictures. i've helped with pictures at a number of friend's weddings before, but would never want to be the main photographer. too much pressure and i want to enjoy the wedding just as much as them without having to 'work'. not trying to sound harsh, just want to point out it's not a day in the park.

my $.02

If the wedding couple is hiring you (or even for free) to provide the primary photography for the wedding, I echo the above words even more strongly. If you are learning the basics of photography, a wedding that you are expected to provide the primary photos for is not the place to learn. On the other hand this could be the perfect opportunity for you to practice as long as the couple understand that you may not be able to provide them with anything at the end of the day. Worst case scenario-you couldnt get the shots but you got some great practice and the couple knew they shouldnt expect anything, Best case scenario, you have a great time and catch some excellent shots that the bride and groom will treasure. I have known several friendships ruined when the bride and groom had unrealistic expectations of their "photographer" friend, and where in tears when they met to review the results.

That being said, I don't think that there's any reason to say that you should not be the main photographer though, as long as the bride, groom, family, etc understand that you're not a pro and don't expect you to be one. You will need to learn your camera well and understand it, but that's not to say that just because you're new, you won't be able to take the pictures.

Basically, you have to learn somehow, and there will always be a first time, and no matter how many times you do it, there's always the potential for something to go wrong.

Good luck, whatever you decide :)

I agree to a certain extent. This is a day that cannot be recreated. So it is not an option to not perform if you are the individual who has accepted responsibility for a given task on that special day. If you are not qualified as the Primary Photographer, it is irresponsible to accept the job and very dangerous for the friendship. Example--I have a wire snips and have replaced a few outlets in my time. However my friend has now asked me to replace the wiring in his whole house, including a $10,000 dollar stereo system, and his bathroom. I think I can do it even though I dont yet know much about the principles of electricity, so I say sure, I inform my friend I dont know much about electrical wiring but I am willing to try. So, I go ahead and wire the home. Well it turns out that I forgot to install GFCI circuits in the bathroom, so when his wife dropped her blow dryer in the sink and she grabbed for it, she was electrocuted and died. And that stereo, well I didn't know that you couldn't hook both of the wires to the hot terminal on the breaker, and when they plugged it in, it blew out the electronics for the system. In all this whos to blame???? Yes-the homeowner should have known better and never let you do the wiring, (you even warned them about your lack of experience) but by your accepting the responsibility, you now accepted accountability. And if you think this illustration is too drastic, then you have never seen the brides and MIL that have come to me after their photography has been botched by a friend because they agreed to be the primary photographer. All, I can say is "I dont know where they buried him".

Accepting Responsibility=Accountability

As Always IMHE&O