would love some advice/constructive criticism

[monkeybort]

hey all – i’ve shot a couple of weddings this summer, one as a guest, 2 as a 2nd shooter and one all by my lonesome (gulp). I don’t have the ones from my 2nd shooting jobs processed yet, but i do have the other two up on Flickr and would love some advice.

collection is here

well apparently i have forgotten how to link pics in-line. will play with that.

[monkeybort]

theeeeeeeere we go. it helps to use the right URL.

my faves so far. 😛

[caradoc]

I like all three of them, but #3 could probably have used a little more composition so as not to clip his arm off.

#1 is definitely my favorite of this bunch.

[monkeybort]

i kinda like the clip – his foot is just out of frame, too. i think those two things work together well – but that is just MO. 😛

[Uranus]

…..was it the intention to make the wedding party incidental in #2?

[monkeybort]

…..was it the intention to make the wedding party incidental in #2?

yup.

[zeke]

I really like the first one, with one tweak. The black and white works well, the couple walking down the long straight road together is wonderful symbolism. The problem is the overhead clouds look forbidding; extending the symbol, it suggests the couple is walking into troubled times ahead, which… well, it’s their wedding, hopefully they’re not walking into a bad scenario right from the get go. That shot might work better on a clear day- its a little corny, but maybe even walking off into a beautiful sunset together?

[Curious]

re number three — isn’t the wedding day typically referred to as the brides day? and if so then the shot works because she is the prime focus of the picture.

two is good as a scene setter.

and i’m with Zeke on number one. however if they were facing the camera it would be ok. out of the dark and into the light, so to speak.

[millera9]

First shot’s the best, by far. Technically excellent (I would have centered them in the frame, but I’m OCD like that) and the symbolism works just fine. Zeke, Curious, if you wanna get that technical with it, then you could just as easily say that they’re waking through the dark toward the bright spot on the horizon and that, while the road may be dark and difficult, they’re walking it together and looking quite content doing it. It’s hard to make the subjects in a shot like that look happy when you really can’t see any detail, and bort did an excellent job in that respect. Symbolism’s overrated though. I prefer to look at it and see a really pretty picture of a couple people.

I don’t get the second one. I see what you were trying to do, but I don’t think you pulled it off. Maybe with a much deeper DoF it would have worked, but they’re so soft and the flowers are so bright, it doesn’t really work.

I like the concept of the third one a lot, but I think it needs some more processing. Specifically, his face is underexposed and, since they’re smiling at each other, it would be good to see the details in his face. She’s definitely the focus of the shot, but the cut off arm is a bit distracting. Again, I see what you’re working toward, but it seems like a bit too much. Maybe if just the tip of the sleeve were cut off it would work better.

Congratulations on getting some work as a photographer! It’s nerve-wracking to go out and try this stuff for a living! Keep up the good work and keep working on your skills, you have very good ideas. 🙂

[zeke]

First shot’s the best, by far. Technically excellent (I would have centered them in the frame, but I’m OCD like that) and the symbolism works just fine. Zeke, Curious, if you wanna get that technical with it, then you could just as easily say that they’re waking through the dark toward the bright spot on the horizon and that, while the road may be dark and difficult, they’re walking it together and looking quite content doing it.

If it was just an artistic romantic shot, I’d agree. But it’s their wedding day– there’s something just not quite right about their wedding day being a long walk in the stormy dark. But I’m a dork like that…

Congratulations on getting some work as a photographer! It’s nerve-wracking to go out and try this stuff for a living! Keep up the good work and keep working on your skills, you have very good ideas. 🙂

Oh, and this. Grats!

[millera9]

First shot’s the best, by far. Technically excellent (I would have centered them in the frame, but I’m OCD like that) and the symbolism works just fine. Zeke, Curious, if you wanna get that technical with it, then you could just as easily say that they’re waking through the dark toward the bright spot on the horizon and that, while the road may be dark and difficult, they’re walking it together and looking quite content doing it.

If it was just an artistic romantic shot, I’d agree. But it’s their wedding day– there’s something just not quite right about their wedding day being a long walk in the stormy dark. But I’m a dork like that…

Yeah, but they can’t control the weather and, even more importantly, the couple don’t seem bothered by it at all. In fact they seem to be enjoying the dramatic weather. Some people see storm clouds as an ominous sign of hard times ahead. Others look at them and see life-affirming rain. It’s a matter of taste. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that they’ll like it, but I sure as hell do!

[monkeybort]

heee, thanks everyone.

re: stormclouds – i was PSYCHED that there was weather. i think it makes for so much more interesting photographs. and i’m a pretty shallow person, so i didn’t really think about the symbolism. 😛 how about – ‘as long as they’re together, there is no storm they can’t weather (sha na na na na na na sha na)’? they’re still on their honeymoon (lucky ducks – costa rica for a month!!!) so I haven’t heard back what they think about it yet.

re: flowers – yeah, looking at it again the DOF kinda sucks on it. i just freaking love those poppies!! how about this one –

re: the faux vintage/xpro shot – yes, it is too dark on him; either i need to re-calibrate or everyone else in the entire world does!! 😛 i stand by the composition, tho; i like him edging out of the frame a bit.

thanks all for the advice/crits – i really appreciate it. i think that’s one of the main things i miss about school is living with other photo geeks to bounce stuff off of. that, and having thousands of dollars of equipment at my fingertips.

oh, and everything posted on this board was from a friend’s wedding – i was not the official photog. the other set on flickr was a paying gig – a mid-40’s couple, each on their 2nd marriage, just the two of them and the judge. i did the shallow DOF with the flower thing again for that one but i was having a hard time coming up with new angles/ideas when it was just three people standing in one spot for a half hour.

you guys rock, thanks.

[Curious]

i did the shallow DOF with the flower thing again for that one but i was having a hard time coming up with new angles/ideas when it was just three people standing in one spot for a half hour.

looking at your pictures it seems you do some film and digital. in either case you might be able to do some post processing to include frames/borders. the heart type stuff. some folks (not me) love that stuff.

and while i’m thinking of it if you’re shooting the rings you might be able to combine two shots. ring vertical and 3/4 from the side and folks inside of it. would work better if the ring was distinctive or shot where the engraving showed. assuming there is some inside engraving.

[caradoc]

i did the shallow DOF with the flower thing again for that one but i was having a hard time coming up with new angles/ideas when it was just three people standing in one spot for a half hour.

That is, I think, one of the roughest things about wedding photography.

There are so many limitations on angle put in place by the bride, the groom, the mother of the bride, the celebrant (preacher, judge, whoever), the venue may have their own rules on the use of flash, et cetera, ad nauseam.

Some of my favorite shots would have been absolutely impossible in a regular church.

(clicky gets you the Flickr page for the photo, which in turn will take you to the album if you want to look around)

As you can see, I’m fond of the “over the groom’s shoulder to get the bride’s face” shot – which many regular churches forbid. Photographers can’t generally get behind the altar.

If you’re planning on making the wedding gig a regular thing, I learned an important tip early on: wear pants that you don’t really care about getting grass-stained. You will stain your knees getting some of the shots, or picking up your gear, or rearranging your bag, or changing batteries/battery cables…

[monkeybort]

i’m not sure what you’re talking about curious? combine existing shots or do a setup where I can see the people through the rings? I definitely need a closer-focusing lens to get any engraving detail; i just don’t have the glass for that right now.

everything was shot digital and processed in CS2 – glad some of it looks like film. I shy away from doing anything with the ‘soft glow’ or selective color because i find it horribly cheesy and i don’t want to do it and have my name attached to something like that. If someone asked me specifically for an effect on a particular shot I’d probably do it, but for the most part my thinking is that if someone likes my stuff enough to hire me (or let me play at their wedding) it is because they like my style/attitude/personality, so I had damn well better be consistent in how I shoot/see things.

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