[toni-a]

Hi all,

it has been a long time I haven't posted here.... apologies...I barely touched my camera or pictures in the last months.



this weekend was my first experience as a professional (getting $$$$ for it) wedding photographer.



That was a friend who likes my work who insisted I shoot his wedding, he even covered all the expenses of my trip from Beyrouth to Paris...





For the equipment and technique, that was a no problem, but a wedding that's at least 2000 pics, so better have plenty of CF cards and batteries, when you are THE photographer, you have to shoot almost everything.



Shooting when you are paid for doing it,is not fun, you have responsibilities, you should be always there to shoot sometimes noninteresting things for you but which are important to the couple.



looking at the pictures I am satisfied with my work, but for the first time I felt fed up of photography...

[mst]

Welcome back, toni <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />



I can fully understand your last sentence. When I'm asked to shoot a wedding, my default answer nowadays is simply "no". Shooting on assignment certainly can be fun, but not on a wedding ... at least not for me.



-- Markus

[allanmb]

I did my first wedding this summer too and I must say that I understand the last sentence more than anything! I also did the wedding for a friend but in some ways I think that made it worse as there were some difficult guests and I wasn't sure what to do as I didn't want to insult my friend. I am, on the whole, happy with my shots too however I dealt with some harsh lighting on the day and I now know ways that I could have got some better results.



I guess I am glad to have tried it out but will never become a full-time wedding photographer. I now also know why they cost so much - when I got married I thought that it was far too much money but it really isn't!

[PuxaVida]

Hi Toni, welcome back...



I was told a story about a wedding assignment, which will maybe confort you. A friend of a friend was assigned for a wedding job and took hundreds of images. Then the wife formats the card. They could only save slightly less than 100 of images and prepared a very fancy album with artistic compositions etc... And you know what; the bride and the groom liked it very much!



So, I think if they don't know much about digital photography, you always will have your workarounds on such cases... But of course the stress until the delivery of the album was quite heavy I must say.



Serkan

[janez]

Welcome back Tony. I have woried where ara you.

[toni-a]

Many thanks guys for your kind words, will try to stay connected here <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



This experience proves one thing, technique isn't everything... if you know how to drive a car, this doesn't mean you can drive Paris-Beyrouth (no I didn't do it <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> )

[anyscreenamewilldo]

[quote name='toni-a' timestamp='1289337113' post='4068']

Many thanks guys for your kind words, will try to stay connected here ... <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> )

[/quote]



yes please do ... ... now ...



seems to me the only way to be a pro and to enjoy it is to be a star, ie. the client comes to you for what you do rather than hires you for what they want (sorry clients it's nothing personal) otherwise you are just a technician (and there's nothing wrong with being a technician - sorry techo's it's nothing personal) -



so weddings, for friends?? . . . i'd be running around shooting candids . . . which might require a reshoot . . . hmmm