First paid wedding: Lessons learned

[jgomez65]

Today, I shot my first wedding as a paid photographer. Here are the lessons I learned:

1. If you think you have enough memory cards, go ahead and buy some more. I took 3 memory cards, 8GB, 4GB and a small 2GB card just in case. I figured 14 GB would be enough to shoot RAW and JPG cobined. I was wrong!!!. An hour into the wedding I looked into my camara and I had 80 shots left on my first card. I had to switch to JPG only. Thanks God the pictures came out OK and I didn't have to do any major adjustment with the RAW pictures, otherwise it would have been a major problem.

2. Buy a flash bracket. By the end of the wedding my hands were really hurting for holding the camera with the heavy flash on it, specially every time I needeed to turn the camera to take a vertical shot.

3. Buy a photographer jacket or wear two cameras at the same time. Changing lenses and looking for a place to put them is not easy when you are shooting a wedding where a lot of things are happening very fast. My wife who came with me to help me was a life saver!

4. Take at least 3 or 4 pictures of each pose. Shooting inside a semi dark wedding hall is tricky and you might find a lot of the pictures you though were focused came out completely out of focus. I had learned that lesson on a previous event (thank God it wasn't a paid event) so what I learned then, this time served me well.

5. Make sure you have lots of extra batteries for your flash and at least two extra betteries for your camera. I had to change batteries to both things during the wedding.

It was a great learning experience. The couple was great. I was upfront with them telling them that this was going to be my first wedding and they gave me a change anyway, which I am very greatful for.
I did a pre-wedding shooting session with them and they enlarged one of the pictures and put it on the reception. Thanks to that, someone else who was attending the wedding liked it so much that she wants to hire me to do her wedding in October. I am looking foward to that, and I'll make sure I am much better prepared.

[AnneWynne]

Congrats on a great experience. Sounds like you are growing in your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Thanks for sharing your observations.

[funcrunch]

All sound like good tips (although I rarely use flash, a bracket sounds handy if you need it). I always carry three 16GB cards and one 32GB card; with a 21 mpx camera these fill up quickly. And of course extra batteries, always, and a backup camera for weddings and other super-important events.

[Jojie]

Gratz on your paid job! When you share your experiences like that, it lets us somewhat passively experience how it would be like in your shoes.

[dock39145]

Congrats on the job and thanks for the great tips.

[jgomez65]

Originally Posted by funcrunch

All sound like good tips (although I rarely use flash, a bracket sounds handy if you need it). I always carry three 16GB cards and one 32GB card; with a 21 mpx camera these fill up quickly. And of course extra batteries, always, and a backup camera for weddings and other super-important events.

Can I ask you what do you use instead of the flash?

[funcrunch]

Originally Posted by jgomez65

Can I ask you what do you use instead of the flash?

I use available light and fast lenses. I bring a flash along just in case the lighting is impossible, but have rarely needed to use it. My last wedding I didn't take a single shot with flash, and that included photos of the bride getting ready in her home, the ceremony in a dimly lit hall, and the reception in a sunny yard outside. The couple was very happy with their photos and wrote me a great recommendation.

[neubauer6]

Sounds like it was a good learning experience. Too bad none of the usual critics are reading this to see that someone new can actually handle it! Good for you!

[candleman]

Originally Posted by neubauer6

Sounds like it was a good learning experience. Too bad none of the usual critics are reading this to see that someone new can actually handle it! Good for you!

depends what your definition of "handle" is... and I think you're getting the wrong end of the stick. The "critics" normally are more concerned about the people who get an entrylevel dslr for their birthday, take one nice picture of a flower that a friend compliments them on, and they then decide to start a weddig photography business. The concern is more about idiots who have zero skill, experience or knowlege and try to pass themselves off as a professional.

jgomez seems to have taken a good approach though by being upfront.

looking forward to seeing the pics!

[kirbinster]

I have a lot of respect for anyone that takes on a paid wedding gig. It is very hard work, and there is tremendous pressure. I have done some wedding photography for friends when I was at their kid's wedding as an additional source of pictures beside the guy that was paid to do it. It is very hard work.