One Stop Shop for Wedding Photography

This is what it says it is although there is more I have not linked. You should see what else you can find.

Every Wedding Photographer needs to get this right!

Expand your wedding photography with film and also fill flash.

More on Wedding Photography- Second Shooter Work Experience

After the Pandemic. Restructuring Wedding Photography by Geoff Thompson

We are living in very turbulent times amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic.
It came with little warning as had a huge impact world wide.
Many in Photography are commenting what they can do to survive as photographers.
For many years,as you can see from this blog, I was a wedding photographer.
I never managed to see that I could do it full time, although I did a couple of times.
But I looked at the situation realistically and knew I had a mortgage and a family to support.
If was a standalone operator with none of those responsibilities then I am sure I could have succeeded.
Albeit with some lean times.
I knew the difficulties of making a career in anything to do with the arts.
That could be Photography,Theatre,Writing, Painter,Singer, Actor and the list goes on .
I used to work in the Australian Government and would interview people accessing un-employment benefits.
Sometimes I found myself interviewing people who were well known names in the arts but between gigs things got rough at times.
Now I am grateful for the decision I made to be a "weekend warrior" as a wedding photographer.
I had a job all those years and superannuation was accumulating.
The money I got from photography was a bonus.
I still had the satisfaction of producing good photography and often mixed with those who were full time.
Indeed I found also I had an ability to teach photography.
I occasionally taught courses in wedding photography and some went on to be quite successful full time photographers.
I hope they are coping now.
I got a leaflet in my letter box yesterday for the first time from a local portrait studio.
That is a sign things are tough.
So my proposition is that Photographers may need to shift the goal posts a little.
Modern technology is such now that I think the time has come for people to rethink how they operate.
It may take a lot to swallow some pride and do the unthinkable and seek an alternative employment but maybe the time has come.
You can still pursue your craft with much satisfaction and financial reward in a different way.
I am sure many of the photographers whose work and blogs and youtube channels I enjoy have transferable skills.
I hope and trust all of you out there at this time are healthy and doing all the necessary things to stay so.

Australia's limitations on weddings due to the Coronavirus.

I am not sure what the latest ruling on Weddings in Australia is but a couple of days ago because of the Coronavirus it was limited to 5 people.
There have been some weddings rushed through before the deadline on that.
They had imposed a similar rule on funerals but I think that has been relaxed a little provided people observe distancing rules.
So now how do you deal with this as a wedding photographer?

Some years ago a fellow photographer friend of mine told me she was doing a wedding shoot for a couple coming out from England for a private ceremony just for the 2 of them.
Thay had not told family back home but planned to surprise them when they got home.
They were going to have a party in England at a later date to celebrate.

My friend asked me if I would do a video and she would do the stills.

The only people present were the couple, the celebrant, my friend and her assistant and me.
The celebrant may have had his wife also.
The wedding was conducted at a favourite location in Adelaide outdoors.
             .

My friend and I signed as witnesses.

The couple went to a hotel afterwards in Glenelg in Adelaide to have a quiet meal.

The crazy thing that happened was that I had a great new video camera, the Canon Xl1, but I was not an experienced videographer.

The lighting was difficult as the couple were in deep shade under a tree, with the bright sunlit face of a historic sandstone property in the background.

It was quite a warm day.

I did not have any video lights with me.

I spent some time getting the exposure right.

The ceremony went for about 15mins and then they signed the register.

During the signing I decided to review the footage I had so far and was dismayed to find I had recorded no sound.

At a normal fast moving wedding this would have been a disaster.

The benefit of this small wedding was that there was no reception to go to and no rush to go anywhere.

So I ate humble pie and confessed my sin.

I asked the couple and the celebrant if we could do the ceremony again.

They said why not?

They managed to keep a straight face as they embarked on their 2nd wedding.

This time I got the results I needed.

At the end of the day I was invited to the pub to share a meal but I was so traumatised I declined.

My youngest son did the editing for me later and they got a nice record of their very small wedding.

So don't despair wedding photographers.

There may be some advantages in this scenario.

The no limit on time was a big bonus.

On another occasion I photographed a similar elopement but they did have a wedding party.

 I did enjoy that although the challenge of steady rain made it difficult.

I got soaked but everyone else was fine.

I got some beautifully saturated colour shots.

What makes you a real Photographer?

You need to use a tripod to be a real photographer!

Based on my definition there are not a lot of "real" photographers these days.

In the early days of photography it was a must.

Do I use one all the time?

Very rarely.

One of my favourite photography authors is Bryan Peterson.

In his book "Understanding Exposure" he emphasised time and time again "first place your camera firmly on the tripod."

Even in this day and age of image stabilised lenses and cameras he still probably uses that as a mantra.

I tend to shoot hand hold most of the time and there are times when I wish I hadn't.

Back in the day when I was doing weddings I always used to take my tripod with me.

1. To get steady sharp photos.
2. In case I struck low light.
3.To maintain eye contact with people, mainly in group photos, while I pressed the shutter.

4. This next one is a great use of the tripod when you might not even put the camera on the tripod.

If you are wanting to do family and bridal party group photos and you are at a location and it is just after the ceremony and you are about to get started.
If you are at a location where the wedding has been outdoors and people may be mingling and talking and having a bit of a cocktail party.
They are scattered all over the place.
Then is when I would pick the spot where I wanted to do my group photos and then set up the tripod
where I would be shooting from.
I would then announce to all the key people " hi folks, the bride and groom are now ready for family photos can you all gather where the tripod is thank you."

Now people associate the tripod with real photographers.

Professionals!

You will find this works a treat .
 They might not know who you are but they know what a tripod is.

Try it at your next wedding.

"Real Photographers" use tripods.

A typical group shot. How did you get them there?

Room set up for one of my training classes. Note the tripod on the table.

Please note I am available for group training in photography or for individual tuition.

What Pics do you release for your Wedding Photography Clients?

When you photograph a wedding do you only give your clients your best shots?

Most Professional Photographers will say yes to that but I have always had a slightly different approach.

I have a view that any picture taken is better than one that is not taken.

Mostly that is.

Sometimes I believe we should not pull the trigger.

Seem my link to a previous post on this.

 http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/when-not-to-take-photograph.html

There are however pictures that mean a lot to people even though the shot may have virtually no artistic or photographic merit.

I always had the view that there may be a pic that had some emotional significance.

In that thought I always showed my customers the rejects in case there was something important.

My grandmother was virtually staying alive to come to our wedding.

She died a few months later.

A couple of snaps taken by others that show she was there were very important to me.

I have known people to lose a parent even before they came back from their honeymoon,

Some guests at a wedding we were videoing lost their little baby who was at the wedding a few days after the wedding.

Sometimes just the expressions on the faces or the significance of what was happening in the moment are priceless regardless of the merits of the pic as a wedding image.

Of course so many people are taking images as guests these days that some of the special moments  are likely to be captured.

This Granny  had just had a pacemaker fitted for her heart condition. She died a few short weeks after this wedding of her eldest grandaughter.

These pics show how much she enjoyed being there and are priceless.

A wedding Photography Timetable

Matthew and Sung. copyright Geoff Thompson 2011

Without a doubt a most valuable tool in photographing a wedding is a photography time table.
Below is a sample of the type I developed.
I learnt this from working for a studio many years ago.

Your Business name here.                                                      Phone:

Wedding of_______________________________________Date:……………

* Address where Boys are for pre wedding shots………….Phone:……..
*
* Photographer arrives…………………………………………Time:
*
* Photographer leaves for brides address………………………Time:
* Photographer arrives at Bride’s address……………………   Time:
*
* Brides address:
*
* Photographer leaves for Wedding Ceremony……………........Time:
*
* Ceremony starts at……………………………………………  Time:
*
* Address for ceremony………………………………………………………
* ……………………………………………………………………………………………
*
* Ceremony Finishes……………………………………………Time:
*
* Leave for photo location number 1……………………………Time:
* Address for location  number 1………………………………………………
* Arrive at Photo location  number 1……………………………Time:
* Leave for location number 2 if required…………………….....Time:
* Arrive at this address…………………………………………   Time:
* Address……………………………………………………………………………
* Leave for reception/wedding breakfast………………………   Time:
* At
* Arrive at venue…………………………………………………Time:
* 
* Do mock cake cutting photos…………………………………   Time:
* If this is part of plan.
* Stay no more than hour at beginnings of reception doing some candids and bridal party entrance an some table shots if agreed to.I usually do shots of table settings, cake, detail photography.
*
* Leave for home and rest and then editing:

* Boys in Bridal Party first names:
* Girls in Bridal Party first names:
* Ages of little people if any involved in party:
* First names of parents:
* Mobile Phone numbers for significant people:
* Special requests:
* Address and contact details after marriage:……………………………

I make sure that the Bridal Party, Parents and their Wedding Car Drivers all have a copy of this timetable. Also I like to liaise with whoever is doing video so we are all on the same page.

Work out your travel times as this is critical.

I usually start with a blank proforma with names and date already there and then work backward from the possible or actual time of the wedding and then forward from the time  the ceremony finishes.

At wedding consult I sit down  with customer after I have shown my samples and then discuss this timetable.

I usually allow up to an hour with boys pre wedding,

One hour with girls if a "standard" size wedding party eg. 3 girl attendants.

If more than this I would add on a 15 mins.

 How much light you have at the end of the day is critical although High ISO performing digital slrs are now a big help in this. In the days of film my rule of thumb was to finish outdoor photography no later than 30 mins before sunset.

 I usually suggest about 15 mins be allowed for bridal group shots on or near the front of the Church after the ceremony.

Then I get people to start moving to the location for after ceremony shoot.

You really need a minimum of an hour for after ceremony and pre reception shooting.

That is actual shooting time not including travel.

I find that customers are very receptive to this timetable at quote times as they usually don't have too many clues about how all this part happens and are very happy for your advice and assistance.

Often if the time of the ceremony is not locked in they will be happy to change timing a little so they don't miss out on good light and they allow proper time for travelling.

I find with my years of experience I can hit these in/out times within a minute on most occasions.

Of course if things start to come unstuck that's when you need to consult and think on your feet.

See also the link below to my take on how to make your own app so  you can have this on your phone on the day.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/make-your-own-app-for-time-table-for.html