my first critique, any takers??
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Great series, nothing to critique hardly at all, lighting is nice, great poses, nicely exposed. My one and only comment is the 4th image (girl sat on path) looks like the focus may of missed her eyes, but might also be a result of resizing. Doesn't look like you have much to worry about to me.
welcome to ShutterTalk!
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Great Pics, well done. But, you could have taken them again! Not so easy to reshoot a wedding, (Have done so)! If you are in ANY doubt, politely decline. Cheers. Ed.
To each his own!
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Wedding photos have a lot of standard shots you must take - find a list of those and it will help.
For example you need Bride, Bride+Groom, Bride+Groom+parents, Arrival at Church, Departure after marriage, --- and so on; there is a list here from which you can select the really IMPORTANT shots ---
http://www.bridalguide.com/planning/wedd...-shot-list
And you need to know if the wedding is a formal affair or casual/outdoor affair - do your research, and then go for it ! When all is over show us some samples.
(This post was last modified: Apr 6, 2015, 05:35 by danmdan.)
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Thank you for taking the time to post, I think you're right about the eyes. I'll watch for that in the future.
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@EdMak, Thank you. You make a valid point. That's the thought that keeps me up at night, no retakes! But we've signed the contract and I'm roped in. I'm researching and practicing like crazy in the meantime.
@danmdan, Thanks so much. I've asked her to make me a list several times and she keeps putting it off, so this list will really be helpful. It is an outdoor wedding, very laid back and I'm only booked for the ceremony, and before and after bride and groom/family group shots. I won't be tackling a low light reception just yet. I KNOW I'd screw that up. I'll definitely post a few photos when it's done.
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Oh, and watch your actual costs, which include transport to/from the venue. It is all too easy to price yourself too cheaply and not even make a modest profit. If the "labourer is worthy of his/her hire ---" applies. Actual costs + a modest percentage should at a minimum be paid you.
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Hi Kate,
I am no expert by any means and have only done a few weddings but more group events.
But I have a ton of bookmarks you can peruse. But first just a few suggestions....
I do not know your gear, but the three lenses I would have are:
24-70MM/2.8 Wide Angle, 50 or 85MM/1.8 Prime, 70-200MM/2.8 Medium Telephoto.
The latter being the most important. Remember, nowadays you can rent lenses for a day/week almost anywhere.
If at all possible, visit the place the ceremony and party ahead of time and check out all possible angles, spots, flora and fauna, take meter readings with a grey board at the time of day the event will be happening. Find the best level ground to set up your tripod for the group shots.
The sun can be used as a back light if at the right angle.
Find a site with the best astronomical information for that day so you know where the sun will be at the critical times you are there (give some extra time for the fact most weddings are later than expected).
Find the best weather reports as to whether it will be sunny or overcast at those times.
Finally, the old scout motto-be prepared.
What if it rains continuously? It happened to me when taking pix at one wedding.
I will create a second post with all the links.
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Spares ! Remember spares for vital equipment. If something can go wrong - it surely will.
Spare charged batteries. Backup camera. Flash/leads.
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(Apr 6, 2015, 17:21)Pegger3D Wrote: Hi Kate,
I am no expert by any means and have only done a few weddings but more group events.
But I have a ton of bookmarks you can peruse. But first just a few suggestions....
I do not know your gear, but the three lenses I would have are:
24-70MM/2.8 Wide Angle, 50 or 85MM/1.8 Prime, 70-200MM/2.8 Medium Telephoto.
The latter being the most important. Remember, nowadays you can rent lenses for a day/week almost anywhere.
If at all possible, visit the place the ceremony and party ahead of time and check out all possible angles, spots, flora and fauna, take meter readings with a grey board at the time of day the event will be happening. Find the best level ground to set up your tripod for the group shots.
The sun can be used as a back light if at the right angle.
Find a site with the best astronomical information for that day so you know where the sun will be at the critical times you are there (give some extra time for the fact most weddings are later than expected).
Find the best weather reports as to whether it will be sunny or overcast at those times.
Finally, the old scout motto-be prepared.
What if it rains continuously? It happened to me when taking pix at one wedding.
I will create a second post with all the links.
Some links. The YouTube one is very important to understand how different lenses influence the portrait. Your second one I am guessing you took with a wide angle lens?
COLES
DPS ONE
DPS TWO
DPS THREE
DPS FOUR
DPS FIVE
DCW ONE
DCW TWO
DCW THREE
SLR LOUNGE
I MPORTANT YOUTUBE
I hope some of these will help...
Good Luck and most of all ENJOY!! 
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(Apr 6, 2015, 17:35)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:21)Pegger3D Wrote: Hi Kate,
I am no expert by any means and have only done a few weddings but more group events.
But I have a ton of bookmarks you can peruse. But first just a few suggestions....
I do not know your gear, but the three lenses I would have are:
24-70MM/2.8 Wide Angle, 50 or 85MM/1.8 Prime, 70-200MM/2.8 Medium Telephoto.
The latter being the most important. Remember, nowadays you can rent lenses for a day/week almost anywhere.
If at all possible, visit the place the ceremony and party ahead of time and check out all possible angles, spots, flora and fauna, take meter readings with a grey board at the time of day the event will be happening. Find the best level ground to set up your tripod for the group shots.
The sun can be used as a back light if at the right angle.
Find a site with the best astronomical information for that day so you know where the sun will be at the critical times you are there (give some extra time for the fact most weddings are later than expected).
Find the best weather reports as to whether it will be sunny or overcast at those times.
Finally, the old scout motto-be prepared.
What if it rains continuously? It happened to me when taking pix at one wedding.
I will create a second post with all the links.
Some links. The YouTube one is very important to understand how different lenses influence the portrait. Your second one I am guessing you took with a wide angle lens?
COLES
DPS ONE
DPS TWO
DPS THREE
DPS FOUR
DPS FIVE
DCW ONE
DCW TWO
DCW THREE
SLR LOUNGE
IMPORTANT YOUTUBE
I hope some of these will help...
Good Luck and most of all ENJOY!! PS:
Sorry, I posted the same link twice.
*** Don't miss the Wedding Photography Cheat Sheet Link at the bottom of DCW ONE. 
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(Apr 6, 2015, 17:45)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:35)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:21)Pegger3D Wrote: Hi Kate,
I am no expert by any means and have only done a few weddings but more group events.
But I have a ton of bookmarks you can peruse. But first just a few suggestions....
I do not know your gear, but the three lenses I would have are:
24-70MM/2.8 Wide Angle, 50 or 85MM/1.8 Prime, 70-200MM/2.8 Medium Telephoto.
The latter being the most important. Remember, nowadays you can rent lenses for a day/week almost anywhere.
If at all possible, visit the place the ceremony and party ahead of time and check out all possible angles, spots, flora and fauna, take meter readings with a grey board at the time of day the event will be happening. Find the best level ground to set up your tripod for the group shots.
The sun can be used as a back light if at the right angle.
Find a site with the best astronomical information for that day so you know where the sun will be at the critical times you are there (give some extra time for the fact most weddings are later than expected).
Find the best weather reports as to whether it will be sunny or overcast at those times.
Finally, the old scout motto-be prepared.
What if it rains continuously? It happened to me when taking pix at one wedding.
I will create a second post with all the links.
Some links. The YouTube one is very important to understand how different lenses influence the portrait. Your second one I am guessing you took with a wide angle lens?
COLES
DPS ONE
DPS TWO
DPS THREE
DPS FOUR
DPS FIVE
DCW ONE
DCW TWO
DCW THREE
SLR LOUNGE
IMPORTANT YOUTUBE
I hope some of these will help...
Good Luck and most of all ENJOY!! PS:
Sorry, I posted the same link twice.
*** Don't miss the Wedding Photography Cheat Sheet Link at the bottom of DCW ONE. PPS:
There is one more suggestion you may want to try (although I have not tried it) that I read in an article.
If you have lots of time from now to the wedding, you might want to try contacting a one person pro photographer in your area and offer to be an assistant to them on wedding events (especially outdoors) if they will explain to you as they go along when and why they compose shots a certain way.
It's a trade off of physical aid for first hand experience.
my 2 cents
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(Apr 7, 2015, 01:15)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:45)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:35)Pegger3D Wrote: (Apr 6, 2015, 17:21)Pegger3D Wrote: Hi Kate,
I am no expert by any means and have only done a few weddings but more group events.
But I have a ton of bookmarks you can peruse. But first just a few suggestions....
I do not know your gear, but the three lenses I would have are:
24-70MM/2.8 Wide Angle, 50 or 85MM/1.8 Prime, 70-200MM/2.8 Medium Telephoto.
The latter being the most important. Remember, nowadays you can rent lenses for a day/week almost anywhere.
If at all possible, visit the place the ceremony and party ahead of time and check out all possible angles, spots, flora and fauna, take meter readings with a grey board at the time of day the event will be happening. Find the best level ground to set up your tripod for the group shots.
The sun can be used as a back light if at the right angle.
Find a site with the best astronomical information for that day so you know where the sun will be at the critical times you are there (give some extra time for the fact most weddings are later than expected).
Find the best weather reports as to whether it will be sunny or overcast at those times.
Finally, the old scout motto-be prepared.
What if it rains continuously? It happened to me when taking pix at one wedding.
I will create a second post with all the links.
Some links. The YouTube one is very important to understand how different lenses influence the portrait. Your second one I am guessing you took with a wide angle lens?
COLES
DPS ONE
DPS TWO
DPS THREE
DPS FOUR
DPS FIVE
DCW ONE
DCW TWO
DCW THREE
SLR LOUNGE
IMPORTANT YOUTUBE
I hope some of these will help...
Good Luck and most of all ENJOY!! PS:
Sorry, I posted the same link twice.
*** Don't miss the Wedding Photography Cheat Sheet Link at the bottom of DCW ONE. PPS:
There is one more suggestion you may want to try (although I have not tried it) that I read in an article.
If you have lots of time from now to the wedding, you might want to try contacting a one person pro photographer in your area and offer to be an assistant to them on wedding events (especially outdoors) if they will explain to you as they go along when and why they compose shots a certain way.
It's a trade off of physical aid for first hand experience.
my 2 cents PPPS:
If you find the stress of the shoot is going to be too much, you may want to do what I did once and have suggested to other people at times..
If there is enough time, get together with 3, 4, or 5 friends and for a wedding present, pool your resources and get a pro to do the event.
Trust me, you will enjoy the wedding a lot more. 
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If you are forced to take pics inside, using built in flash, take all pics as Landscape, shadows are thrown down and behind, least obtrusive, uprights can be cropped to suite.
Be confident, and, in command, may be many cameras around, so, a polite shout, “This way please, nowhere else”, or similar, may help.
Brides should be on fathers right, on arriving, subsequently, bride should be on husbands left, although protocol seems to have gone out of the window!!
Groups, men should have their hands behind their back, or by their sides, NOT, clasped in front.
If shooting from the side, do so from bride’s side, it’s her day, cake pic, bride in front of groom, you may want to set this up, before it is actually cut, can duplicate when it is cut.
If white wedding, and bride has long train, and windy, white pebbles/marbles, at each end can hold it down, if on lawn, upside down wine glass gently screwed in to each corner, does the same thing. Can now be "Shop'd" out.
Shoot a rear and side view, bride turned to face you, to show the train.
Bridal groups with children, duplicate without children.
Jobs Comforter bit!! If, for any reason, you are unable to attend, have you a competent back up in mind. (I’m in the Scottish Borders), are you UK or further.
Cheers. Ed.
To each his own!
(This post was last modified: Apr 7, 2015, 03:01 by EdMak.)
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Thank you guys SO much for all the help and responses!
@Pegger3D, I'll definitely check all these links out and look into that 70-200 rental, thank you! (I would kill for that lens, I'm currently saving up for that guy!) I've written several emails to local photographers offering to assist/second shoot and have had not one reply, otherwise I would have loved to try that first.
@EdMak Thank you for all the advice, I'll keep it all in mind! I'm making a list to study. And I'm in the states.
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Any local Photographer, taking you on as above, is effectively showing how to take work away from him!!
Go with what you have, keep calm, keep cool.
The first 1000 are the worst, after that it does get a bit easier.
Success. Ed.
To each his own!
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Loads of great advice from all the foregoing... I would only add one question... are you insured? If you have signed up - either by formal agreement or even a witnessed symbolic handshake... there is now an expectation by the person for whom you have agreed to render a service to... Not sure how litigious your friends are, or how they may become if those expectations are not met. There are a lot of people about when your gear may be on the ground near you as you shoot... as you will not have an assistant to keep an eye on things.... If you have your gear insured anyway... worth checking with your insurers if you will be covered in a professional sense i.e. working rather than just going about as a private individual taking images for your own enjoyment... their risks will be perceived to have gone up quite a lot with theft and or damage being their prime concern for a possible claim.
Oh, just another small thing... not sure in the advice given by others here before, I saw a list of gear that was recommended... great to have it all but if you are using a DSLR - take at least two bodies - one with wide angle and the other standard zoom... nothing like losing a shot whilst changing lenses... not to mention the amount of dust that gets in each time...
Bracket your shots too...
Have a great time and I wish you success...
Kind regards
Rolf
In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotiv.
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
(This post was last modified: Apr 8, 2015, 08:37 by Rolf.)
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(Apr 7, 2015, 18:34)Kate McCullough Wrote: Thank you guys SO much for all the help and responses!
@Pegger3D, I'll definitely check all these links out and look into that 70-200 rental, thank you! (I would kill for that lens, I'm currently saving up for that guy!) I've written several emails to local photographers offering to assist/second shoot and have had not one reply, otherwise I would have loved to try that first.
@EdMak Thank you for all the advice, I'll keep it all in mind! I'm making a list to study. And I'm in the states. That's too bad about the pros not responding.
Myself and a friend were discussing our bird shots on a bench in an English Garden last summer and a pro happened to walk by, got in the conversation, and spent almost an hour critiquing our pix.
IMO, this shows that someone with enough skill and confidence isn't concerned about competition.
I watched an old video interview with Ansel Adams and he said he never brackets and basically suggesting that someone who does may never learn photography past a certain point.
One other suggestion if you have enough time between shots...
If you have or can get hold of a good tablet (I have a Nexus 10) you can view the shots on them on the tablet if your camera has wireless capabilities you should be able to find an app to transfer the files wirelessly (I know Nikon has one).
I had to get a wireless adapter for my D7100.
Using the Nikon App I can quickly transfer the shot (s) to the tablet and view them much larger to possibly quickly find serious flaws that you may not see on your viewfinder nor notice until you get home.
Then possibly re-do the shot. Not easy at a wedding though.
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It's because of the usually not possible to redo a shot that I suggested the bracketing - at least the image has a chance to succeed exposure - wise especially if it is a first time venture under a degree of pressure... any advantage is good?
I have shot many a friends wedding... but never as the official snapper... I tended to have the luxury of taking the small intimate shots and opportunistic shots that the snapper never had time to take... he did his list and was gone! So never any pressure on me ... Whatever turned out I happily gave to the couple... what didn't... they never saw
As for Mr Adams, an accomplished musician turned photographer extraordinaire, he did a lot of commercial work in his early days in order to survive, and settled on the landscapes for which is known and admired but I am not aware of any tenure as a wedding photographer... many I know in the UK will always bracket as a matter of course... as for many it's a job rather than journey of artistic creativity and they don't have the time or possibility to go back and reshoot the event. I think wedding photographers are a unique breed and I admire their skills and ability to get it right - usually first time... unlike me, and I suspect many others here and elsewhere, who can always head back to the mountains, Parks, Zoo's, and streets etc. and reshoot ad nauseum until they get it right... Just my humble opinion of course...
Kind regards
Rolf
In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotiv.
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
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(Apr 9, 2015, 09:24)Rolf Wrote: It's because of the usually not possible to redo a shot that I suggested the bracketing - at least the image has a chance to succeed exposure - wise especially if it is a first time venture under a degree of pressure... any advantage is good?
I have shot many a friends wedding... but never as the official snapper... I tended to have the luxury of taking the small intimate shots and opportunistic shots that the snapper never had time to take... he did his list and was gone! So never any pressure on me ... Whatever turned out I happily gave to the couple... what didn't... they never saw
As for Mr Adams, an accomplished musician turned photographer extraordinaire, he did a lot of commercial work in his early days in order to survive, and settled on the landscapes for which is known and admired but I am not aware of any tenure as a wedding photographer... many I know in the UK will always bracket as a matter of course... as for many it's a job rather than journey of artistic creativity and they don't have the time or possibility to go back and reshoot the event. I think wedding photographers are a unique breed and I admire their skills and ability to get it right - usually first time... unlike me, and I suspect many others here and elsewhere, who can always head back to the mountains, Parks, Zoo's, and streets etc. and reshoot ad nauseum until they get it right... Just my humble opinion of course...
Kind regards
Rolf Hi Rolf,
IMO, bracketing is probably a good idea for a wedding, especially if you do not have a lot of experience in that type of photography.
I just wanted to convey my opinion that it is not meant to be a crutch to rely on for all one's photographic endeavors. 
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Point taken and I do agree with your comment... I do bracket my shots if the lighting is difficult and I'm in a location I am not likely to return to... so it has its uses...
Kind regards
Rolf
In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotiv.
—Henri Cartier-Bresson
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