Advice Needed!

[Kel]

Hi Everyone

well I have my first shoot this weekend for a friend of mind, as I redoing her wedding photo's as the person who did they have not got the in focus or the color of them are just not looking right. But anyhow I have been asked to take some photo's of her dressed up again in her wedding grown with her friendly, So I asking for any helpful hints and advice on doing wedding photo's and some family shots as this is the first lot of photo that I have done for some one other then my own family

Thank you very much for you time and feedback on this.

Kel

[Shelley]

Guessing they are just after some nice shots - you don't say what your gear is, where you are shooting etc. A bit more information I think would help.

One thing is you will be able to request the time of day, which is a bonus for you. If you know where you are going, check the spot out for the time of day etc, where you will take shots. I find that the most beneficial thing to do, check out the spot before the shoot - I find I can relax a little more when I know the spot.

I find with most people, they look to you as to what they need to do posing. If you haven't done many people shots, take some pictures of the kind of poses you want for the type of shoot you are doing to refer to when shooting - I used to do that, as sometimes I was so wound up getting stuff right in camera, light direction, obstructions etc., the poses/arrangement of groups went out of my head. I now see much more and can direct people better.

Some are natural in front of the camera, some you need to talk to and get them to relax a bit - that is when you start getting some nice shots. Oh, group shots, check them as someone will have eyes shut, pull a face or something, always good to have more than two shots of each group.

All the best and hope you have fun and score some real nice shots for them.

[ricktas]

spend a deal of time in the wedding forum here on AP. Look at the poses, how the people are standing, which direction their heads point, is their chin up, down. Are they looking at the lens or each other, or elsewhere, the light (overcast, sunny, artificial), look at where that light is coming from, front, behind, side, up high, horizon level etc. Look at what is in focus and what isn't, look at the backgrounds, and what is included in them.

Where included, look at the EXIF data (you need an EXIF reader add-on) for your internet browser. Look at the ISO, shutter speeds and aperture.

Take in as much as you can. Even write down a list of poses you like.

Have a look at our Wedding checklist : http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showlibrary.php?title=Genre:Wedding_Photography_Check-list
Have a lok at your Weddings hints thread : http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?16714-Weddings-Photography-Hints-and-Tips

[Kel]

Thanks a lot Shelly I have a Nikon D3100 with a 200mm lens and 55mm lens, as I do not have any other gear and we will be shooting at my place all day Saturday and Sunday as they are just after some nice photo's outdoors in her wedding dress with her family and some nice photo's of her with her family just dressed up. So I have plenty of time to hopefully get something that she will like as this will be the first time of taking photo's of someone other then my daughter and her little friend that I look after a couple days a week.

[Kel]

Thanks very much Rick that very helpful I will do that thank you