My second wedding... and first solo

[Russinating]

Bit from the blog:

There was something really lovely and sweet about Caroline & Simon’s day. We get to go to so many different and stunning venues that you almost start to become numb to castles, manors and palaces. The Southville Centre is certainly not that – and I think they’d be the first to say that! – but this converted primary school had a really gorgeous feel to it which passed on to every single one of the guests.

Everyone was just happy all day, and the staff were the same; better than a lot of the 5* hotels we go to anyway!

“Many thanks for the sending a link to our wedding photos – we spent a lovely evening with a glass of fizz looking through them through the TV last night.

“You captured our day perfectly with many, many beautiful and warm images. It was an absolute pleasure reliving those wonderful moments through your pictures.”

It was actually quite nice, but quite nerve wracking; it was the first wedding photo gig I've done as a solo shooter. But it turned out alright! One of my fears was the amount of images, but in the end I delivered 700 odd decent shots to them.

Venue was quite difficult to get any stunning couple shots from, as it was just a converted primary school in the middle of a residential area. But, managed. And helped they weren't an overly posey couple.

Anyway...

Took your advice Rhys on the photo layouts

 

[Russinating]

No more than most people post, but apologies! There's 88 there and a lot of the time people go onto a 2nd post (ie 100+).

We say at least 400, most of the processing is blanket, especially between the same scene. Trouble is whilst some might be 'meh' to me, it's likely a shot of a good friend, useful for them or their friend, so they may as well have it so long as it's in focus, well composed etc. I certainly don't see the point in setting a limit.

 

[Russinating]

Thanks Rhys. Yeah, the processing is something I'm still developing really having only done two (and this is processed very differently to the first!). Every time I seem to tweak something else! Good point about the grain on the blacks.

 

[Russinating]

I personally tell people 300. I deliver around 350/400 most of the time. 600 is the most I ever delivered.

Yeah, I think this will be the most, mainly because not only did they have a daughter but they also had a niece there and a whole load of other kids too. I find that means there's not only more opportunities to take photos, but also the parents are likely to love them pretty much no matter what so I leave quite a few in.

There's 10 of their niece playing with a ball outside, all slightly different compositions and orientations etc. If that was an adult I'd just pick one and be done with it but you never know what the parents might want to use the photos for.

 

[Russinating]

Thanks for the comments guys . I actually prefer shooting with white space, and I have to do that almost all the time when shooting film, but it does depend on what moving to the side will reveal. I also do like a bit of symmetry, especially with portrait shots which I don't think suit having lots of side whitespace. Just my style preference, and that's why every photographer is different!

Your kids comment DP, I thought you meant I should be in the tree, ha. As you know weddings go so quickly and that other shot (looking down at their daughter), she was literally sprinting past as I was doing their couples shots. If I had crouched, which yes would have been better, I wouldn't have got anything. In the full sequence it comes between two of them looking down at her as well so in that sense I think it works ok.

Thanks folks!