2007-09-01 01:06:11 · 9 answers · asked by learning...learning...pro 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Photography
You don't say how much photography experience you already have If you are experienced and skilled already it is possible to learn it on your own, with some effort and dedication on your part . Without experience, it is not impossible, but more difficult and the road is fraught with peril. I would not recommend jumping into wedding photography to start. You need a thorough understand and command of exposure and technique first. So if you just got your first digital SLR last week, you are nowhere ready to think about doing weddings.
The problem with striking out on your own is the wedding couple has no safety net. You're shooting your first wedding as an assistant to the pro. You made some detail shots before the reception inside the very well lit fellowship hall, then go straight to the balcony to capture the ceremony. Problem is, you forgot to change your camera settings, (you were in a hurry, after all) and your ceremony shots are underexposed by 4 stops. Unfortunate, but the pro captured good ones and it's a learning experience for you to check settings, check settings, check settings. Oh, wait. You are shooting alone? Oops. The bride and groom now have no usable ceremony shots.
Also it is helpful to learn pacing and direction from someone who knows. Posing is another thing that takes trial and error and extra time for the novice photographer. No matter how skilled you are as a photographer, weddings are another kettle of fish. Not so much for the technical skill involved, but for the people side of things and the hectic pace. There are no second chances and no do-over if something flubs., you can't plan a re-shoot for next week.
Assuming you have the equipment, (which means backups of everything, camera bodies, fast lenses, flashes, cords, brackets, diffusers, etc etc), you will have to build a portfolio. I would hire some couples to dress up and practice posing and directing. Play with lighting and practice your flash and low light technique. Once you have several mock weddings, then look around for someone with no budget who would otherwise have no photographer. Shoot it for free. Then find someone else. Shoot for free. Repeat as necessary.
Another thing you need to know and understand is post processing and RAW work flow. No matter how great you are, dSLR images need a bit of post work to look their best. That means you need Photoshop and a good computer able to handle the large files required. I hope you are well versed in color management. The bridesmaid's dresses can't be violet in some shots and indigo in others.
There are several tutorial series on wedding photography. Bambi Cantrell has one and there are others. Also you can check your local bookstore for manuals on posing and photography in general. Also check out pro websites and the bridal magazines for ideas on contemporary wedding photography.
Wedding photography is not for beginners. It is not brain surgery, but the images are laden with emotion and are among the most important of a person's lifetime. It requires skill and knowledge to produce quality images, and even having skill and technical expertise does not guarantee good results. Please get some experience before shooting them as the primary.
2007-09-01 01:55:51 · answer #1 · answered by Ara57 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-20 18:11:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was going to say something but Ara said all that and more. Thumbs up to her. The only thing I can add is if you cant find someone to shoot weddings for, maybe you could shoot someones wedding rehersal, or reception, or do an engagement sitting with the couple, think of ways to get fiance`s together to pop a few pics.
But honestly Ara has the best answer here by far.
2007-09-01 02:11:11 · answer #3 · answered by cabbiinc 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Start with a good SLR camera.
The way I did it, I start looking for experiences right away. Any relatives wedding I attend, I'll bring my camera and start shooting. Sooner or later you'll learn what is the do and don'ts in wedding photography.
And the fact that you brought SLR camera will make people think you're a photographer - and some of your relatives might want to ask you for help with taking photo for some occassion.
2007-09-01 01:13:03 · answer #4 · answered by dodol 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If you are a good photographer you can show some of the pictures that you have taken to Friends and rely on the word of mouth or if you need to improve your skills you can enrol in College . Or you can purchase books related to photography and learn that way.
Remember this "Where there is a will there is a way"
2007-09-01 01:15:32 · answer #5 · answered by bornfree 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Shadow a local professional photographer, ring them up and ask if could shadow them for a couple of weeks. Maybe try a few different professional photographers to see all their different ways?
2007-09-02 02:30:01 · answer #6 · answered by jh902 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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2017-03-09 05:29:52 · answer #7 · answered by Lindsey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ARA has done very well for you.
My angle and it might sound weird to some but theres always photography school - worked for me,
a
2007-09-01 13:15:16 · answer #8 · answered by Antoni 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You must practice your skill and have some experience by reading at Wedding Photography Book,also have passed photography titles from ARPS(London),APSNY(New York). It sometime like me,I didn't attend Digital Photography Courses and computer courses couild be able to use Digital Camera,computer's software, Adobe Photoshop,etc.
2007-09-01 02:19:50 · answer #9 · answered by victor98_2001 4 · 1⤊ 4⤋