Becoming a wedding photographer
Rox-off
How did you get into it? Did you just decide to take the risk and do one,
or did you serve some kind of "apprenticeship"?
The reason I ask is because there seems to be a lot of money in this game.
I am amazed at the prices charged by certain locals in relation to the
amount of effort that they put in.
Prices are obviously very different around the world, but for instance a
local photographer can charge anything up to R10k (about US$1,500) and
only provide in the region of 180 prints, including a few A5 and A4
enlargements. The cost of shooting that one job on 35mm, which is what
they all seem to be using, is probably less than R1k, including a Henzo
album.
If you do three or four of those a month you're making more money than I
can make in an entire month of sales of my regular business! And with far
less stress and overheads!
Mark˛
"Rox-off" <ro...@empirerods.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.07.15....@empirerods.com...
Less stress???
What's less stressful about having one chance to capture a
once-in-a-lifetime day...with stressed out mothers, fathers...grumpy
brides...up-staging bride's maids...and etc.?
Sounds rather stressful to me...
:)
Joseph Meehan
Most professional photographs consider weddings the bottom of the pit
when it comes to desirable work. That is why it seems to be so well paid.
Most charge a lot because they don't want to do it. Trust me it is a pain.
It is a pain most professionals would like to be able to avoid but it is
money and that is what any profession is about.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia duit
Rox-off
> Less stress???
>
> What's less stressful about having one chance to capture a
> once-in-a-lifetime day...with stressed out mothers, fathers...grumpy
> brides...up-staging bride's maids...and etc.?
>
> Sounds rather stressful to me...
> :)
I hear you, but try the stresses of owning your own business and going
through the inevitable "quiet" periods that the building industry is
famous for! Sales slow down but the overheads don't go away!
We're not having a very good month right now and doing the odd wedding
every month at the prices I mentioned could cause me to re-think my
primary source of income!
Paul Bielec
It is expensive.
I was lucky that I got married in a small town, not in Montreal. so I
paid only 600 CAD. The was 3 years ago. All most important pictures were
taken in medium format. In addition, he took few 35 mm rolls. And he
gave me all negatifs.
But in Montreal, I've heard it costs around 2000$.
BTW I'm wondering how you get into this too. At some weddings, the
photog has an assistant and this is something I'd like to try.
Skip M
Where did you get the idea that it's less stress????? You have to meet
with the client, sell them on not only your skill as a photographer, but
your artistic outlook, ability to make their budget constricted wedding look
like something the Royals went into debt for, and charm their socks off.
Then, you have to go to the rehearsal, deal with the crabby dad who's
getting socked for all this money and can't understand why Cousin Jimmy, who
just finished his first year of photography, can't do this and save some
change, deal with an old school Irish priest who threatens to throw the
photographers out of his church if they violate "his rules" but steadfastly
refuses to reveal just what those rules are, find out that there's a stand
of flowers and a video cam tripod between the happy couple and the ideal
spot for you to get "the shot."
Then, the wedding day. The bride arrives 40 minutes late for the "before
pictures," the groom arrives 10 minutes before that, half in the bag,
because the sleeve fell of the rented tux, you now have 10 minutes before
the ceremony to shoot the (separate, because they "don't want to see each
other before") two of them and get the wonderful, fairy tale image of the
bride. Then the ceremony, congratulations, family pictures of a clan that
can run as many as 75 "immediate" family members, the reception, Aunt Mabel
singing her rendition of "Love Will Keep Us Together." And you only get one
shot at it, no do overs.
Then, you go back, d/l the images to the computer, post process, endure
several calls from the bride, asking when you will have her images done,
meet with the couple to present your artistic gem, sell them on an album,
take several more phone calls from the bride, changing the order for the
images, yet more, asking when their prints and album will be done, all the
time shooting two more weddings, with all the attendant gerfluffle and
enduring phone calls from those brides, while calling prospective clients to
set up interviews, collect deposits, and get wedding details.
Yeah, there's no stress...
--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
Skip M
Despite my above post, we do enjoy what we do, and started the business to
overcome the inevitable slow down in the plant/nursery business. And it
does provide a very nice, welcome, side income.
We jumped into it feet first, but most of the people I know doing it started
by assisting other wedding photographers.
Skip M
news:db8a4s$973$1...@dns3.cae.ca...
Here in SoCal, the general run is between $1000 and $3000, and up.
Tom Hudson
I've recently been asked by a friend to cover their wedding next year,
so that's one way.
--
sing, not snig if you want the mail to get to me.
Paul Bielec
flash I want though.
I did weddings for family and friends but just as a backup to the
official photographer or for reception shots.
Owamanga
<tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>I've recently been asked by a friend to cover their wedding next year,
>so that's one way.
Have you known them for long?
..what a shame..
(okay, a little unfair, maybe you are a pro and know what you are
doing.)
But seriously, this is happening more and more now it seems. When I
got married, a MF camera was a mandatory requirement. Since, I've been
suckered into shooting a wedding on 35mm. I just threw rolls and rolls
at the problem, and it turns out I didn't screw it up too much.
Luckily for me less than 20 people were involved, half of them
rednecks from the mountains - so it made for some interesting shots.
Now, another friend of mine who just picked up a D70 last month,
doesn't even fully understand aperture vs shutter speed, and can't
even process a RAW file will be shooting a wedding for $800 USD next
month.
WTF?
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Tom Hudson
There's a year until this one, I think I'm about as ready now as I'll
ever be prior to doing it, and with a year to go I think I'll be fine.
If I get the opportunity to do a practice on another wedding before that
I'll definitely take it though <:-)
The biggest problem I face is that I don't have any backup equipment
right now - I'm intending to get spares over the next year though.
Whatever happens I won't do it unless I've got backup equipment.
I had my first nursery shoot a couple of weeks ago (photos to sell to
the parents). It didn't go as well as I'd hoped but I know what I did
wrong, I've learned a lot from it and next time the opportunity arises
I'll do better.
Tom
Tom Hudson
> On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 15:06:56 +0100, Tom Hudson
> <tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>I've recently been asked by a friend to cover their wedding next year,
>>so that's one way.
>
>
> Have you known them for long?
>
> ..what a shame..
>
> (okay, a little unfair, maybe you are a pro and know what you are
> doing.)
>
I've got a lot of learning to do photography-wise (I got my first camera
a little over 3 years ago), but I'm okay and people like my stuff, which
is a good start.
I've got a website with a lot of my older stuff on if you're curious.
The following isn't a plea for non-harsh judgement, feel free - merely
fore-warning - the site is mostly a family album type thing that I
started sticking other stuff on, and mostly I haven't deleted anything
I've posted on there since I first got a camera.
I haven't got around to posting some of my latest stuff so I'll try and
do that later tonight if I find the time.
I should really get around to cleaning it up, getting rid of the chaff.
> But seriously, this is happening more and more now it seems. When I
> got married, a MF camera was a mandatory requirement. Since, I've been
> suckered into shooting a wedding on 35mm. I just threw rolls and rolls
> at the problem, and it turns out I didn't screw it up too much.
> Luckily for me less than 20 people were involved, half of them
> rednecks from the mountains - so it made for some interesting shots.
>
> Now, another friend of mine who just picked up a D70 last month,
> doesn't even fully understand aperture vs shutter speed, and can't
> even process a RAW file will be shooting a wedding for $800 USD next
> month.
>
> WTF?
>
2 month's practice with it before the day? Ouch, I've had my latest
camera a few months and I feel like I'm just starting to get to grips
with it.
I gave up on RAW, I've come to the conclusion it doesn't suit my way of
working. It's the long processing times, I'd rather just take my chances
with jpg and try to get it right in-camera.
Matt Clara
I don't do it for a living, but I shoot several weddings every summer. I've
already shot three this summer, and one more coming up. As for the prices
you quote, I know wedding photographers here who charge US $5000 for their
most "complete" package. I think they're mostly ripping people off, but
some of them are indeed very good.
I got into it when a friend of my wife said, "It's you or it's nobody." I
shot their wedding for free, and only messed it up a little.
You can't charge full price for your first wedding, and it is hard,
stressful work.
Gotta go, wife's bitchin' at me! ;-)
Owamanga
<tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>There's a year until this one, I think I'm about as ready now as I'll
>ever be prior to doing it, and with a year to go I think I'll be fine.
>.... I don't have any backup equipment...
>....I had my first nursery shoot a couple of weeks ago (photos to sell to
>the parents).....
Kids *before* the wedding? ...How modern!
There doesn't appear to be any problems with the equipment...
;-)
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Paul Bielec
Nice. They'll have wedding photos they'll never forget.
Paul Bielec
I wouldn't even want to do it for money. Not at the beginning at least.
Just for fun of taking pictures and to learn. Being able to take
pictures of a crowd without anybody asking why I'm doing it.
Since, I'd be shooting digital, wouldn't cost me anything and I could
get paid a little for the pictures that make it to the client. If I'd
eventually make some money out of it, I'd use it for new gear.
Gordon Moat
Wedding photographers seem to get sued a bit more often than other
professionals. Check into liability insurance.
Ciao!
Gordon Moat
A G Studio
<http://www.allgstudio.com>
Gordon Moat
> . . . . . . . . . . . .
:-)
Wuv . . . twue wuv . . . is what bwings us here toogether . . . . . . . . .
Glad to see you are enjoying yourselves. ;-)
Ever thought of doing a bloopers, or humorous out takes sampler?
William Graham
"Mark˛" <mjmorgan(lowest even number here)@cox..net> wrote in message
news:2DMBe.9073$Eo.663@fed1read04...
easy as Rox-off seems to think. You would have to worry about several
things, and part of your success would depend on the work of others, and
that (from my own experience) isn't much fun. As a matter of fact, anytime
you have to deal with the general public, you are in a stressful
environment. Several amateurs are going to be asking you for the impossible,
or for something that you know from your own experience they won't like when
they get it. You will have to sell them after the fact on what they may have
already decided they won't like, and they are going to blame you for
anything, regardless of who's fault it really is. I am glad that I am
retired, and don't have to make a living dealing with these kinds of
situations. Many years ago, when I had a paper route, I found out that I
didn't want to have to deal with the public in my chosen occupation. That
was a very good decision on my part. (one of the few good ones)
Mark˛
"Gordon Moat" <mo...@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42D80F7F...@attglobal.net...
"So...chewish youw waf... Dow you hav the wing?"
Mark˛
"Mark˛" <mjmorgan(lowest even number here)@cox..net> wrote in message
"Wauv...twoo wauv...will fowow youuu fouevah..."
Walt Hanks
"Gordon Moat" <mo...@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42D80F7F...@attglobal.net...
> Skip M wrote:
>> with the client, sell them on not only your skill as a photographer, but
>> your artistic outlook, ability to make their budget constricted wedding
>> look
>> like something the Royals went into debt for, and charm their socks off.
>> Then, you have to go to the rehearsal, deal with the crabby dad who's
>> getting socked for all this money and can't understand why Cousin Jimmy,
>> who
>> ........with all the attendant gerfluffle and
>> enduring phone calls from those brides, while calling prospective clients
>> to
>> set up interviews, collect deposits, and get wedding details.
>> Yeah, there's no stress...
>>
>> http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
>
> :-)
>
> Wuv . . . twue wuv . . . is what bwings us here toogether . . . . . . . .
> .
>
> Glad to see you are enjoying yourselves. ;-)
>
> Ever thought of doing a bloopers, or humorous out takes sampler?
>
> Ciao!
>
> Gordon Moat
> A G Studio
> <http://www.allgstudio.com>
>
Sounds like nothing much has changed in the 27 years since I was doing
weddings for a living. My less than stellar performance last month not
withstanding, I did a pretty good job and was in demand. But dealing with
the family just drove me crazy! Constant demands, they all know better than
you, "don't make me look fat," "don't get my wrinkles," - it gets my blood
pressure up just thinking about it. And, nobody wanted to pay, at least not
what my time was worth.
Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at the Church and
were all driving to the reception when the limo carrying the newlyweds was
t-boned by an out of control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
I don't know if any amount of money could draw me into that game again.
Rox, are you really sure you want to do this?
Walt
Mark˛
"Walt Hanks" <walt...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:woydnfjWeoU...@comcast.com...
Answer: "It wasn't me, mam, it was the burgers and fries..."
:)
Skip M
We may do that, some day, soon!
Skip M
> Matt Clara wrote:
>
>>
> I wouldn't even want to do it for money. Not at the beginning at least.
> Just for fun of taking pictures and to learn. Being able to take pictures
> of a crowd without anybody asking why I'm doing it.
> Since, I'd be shooting digital, wouldn't cost me anything and I could get
> paid a little for the pictures that make it to the client. If I'd
> eventually make some money out of it, I'd use it for new gear.
Hehehee, "use it for new gear." I'm still chuckling.
The first wedding we shot for pay, we did for $200. The second through 5th,
$250. 6th through 10th, $500-800. Now our price ranges from a low of $1000
to a high of $3600, though we haven't booked one of the latter, we have 5
booked for October at $2500. As far as "use it for new gear," in the last
year, we've bought 2 20Ds, 1 28-135 IS (already had one) 1 new laptop, grip
for one 20D, strobes, flashes, 1 16-35 f2.8 L, 1 24-70 f2.8 L, backdrops,
backdrop stand, a LOT of CF cards, batteries, flash frames, and spent god
knows how much on rental equipment. "Use it for new gear, indeed!" ;-)
Andrew Price
<tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>I've got a website with a lot of my older stuff on if you're curious.
Just had a look:
<http://singular.org.uk/People/IMG_2470>
Is that the station in York?
Gordon Moat
Cool . . . I would enjoy seeing that. ;-)
Ciao!
Gordon Moat
A G Studio
Tom Hudson
Why yes, it is indeed.
Tom
Owamanga
<tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>http://singular.org.uk
>
>I should really get around to cleaning it up, getting rid of the chaff.
You've got some real gems there, esp. in the early pages of the
abstract stuff...
http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/BLS
http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/IMG_2913
http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/IMG_3389_2
http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/Holly_drip
Great ideas.
I'd dump the 'people bit' entirely - or move it to a different site.
The snapshots obviously mean something to you, and nothing to me.
The lighting to most of your flowers bit is too bland (blame the UK
skies) for my taste, and each of your insect shots could have been
cropped a little more powerfully.
>I gave up on RAW, I've come to the conclusion it doesn't suit my way of
>working. It's the long processing times, I'd rather just take my chances
>with jpg and try to get it right in-camera.
Each to his own. At least you *tried* RAW and came to that conclusion
on your own.
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Paul Mitchum
> Now, another friend of mine who just picked up a D70 last month, doesn't
> even fully understand aperture vs shutter speed, and can't even process a
> RAW file will be shooting a wedding for $800 USD next month.
>
> WTF?
That couple just hired a bunch of Nikon engineers to photograph their
wedding. At best.
Ron Todd
wrote:
...
>How did you get into it? Did you just decide to take the risk and do one,
>or did you serve some kind of "apprenticeship"?
>
...
FWIW
Rox-off
Ever run a business selling materials to the building trade? People
building their dream houses at massive expense? Dealing with African
labour who don't really give a shit that the colour of the paving they are
making today is completely different to the colour you told them to make,
or dealing with customers who refuse to allow your cartage contractor to
offload the materials in the only place that is physically possible for
them to offload, or getting a call at 6pm advising you that the 350m2 of
expensive product the paving contractor has put down is not what they
ordered?
Trust me, weddings are not even in the same sport when it comes to stress.
Rox-off
> Sounds like nothing much has changed in the 27 years since I was doing
> weddings for a living. My less than stellar performance last month not
> withstanding, I did a pretty good job and was in demand. But dealing with
> the family just drove me crazy! Constant demands, they all know better
> than you, "don't make me look fat," "don't get my wrinkles," - it gets my
> blood pressure up just thinking about it. And, nobody wanted to pay, at
> least not what my time was worth.
>
> Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at the Church
> and were all driving to the reception when the limo carrying the newlyweds
> was t-boned by an out of control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
>
> I don't know if any amount of money could draw me into that game again.
> Rox, are you really sure you want to do this?
>
> Walt
Wow, that's pretty tragic what happened to that couple.
Skip M
That doesn't sound any more stressful, not any less, either. My day job is
as an Area Sales Manager for a wholesale nursery, selling to many of the
American versions of the same clients you do. So, while I haven't done
exactly what you do, it's similar.
And try getting that phone call at 5 am, rather than 6pm... ;-)
The only way being a wedding photographer is less stressful, is that you are
not as dependent on others to perform. Remember what you mention is worst
case, what I'm talking about is week in, week out.
Bandicoot
>
> Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at
> the Church and were all driving to the reception when the
> limo carrying the newlyweds was t-boned by an out of
> control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
>
No wonder that was the last one you did, even if only because it made you
stop and think.
One of my aunts was going to be married by her father, who was a priest. He
didn't arrive for the wedding and, after some hurried consultations amongst
the family, another family member, also a priest, stepped in. Everyone was
told that the parents had had a car accident. My aunt was only told when
they got back from their honeymoon that her father had been killed on the
way to the wedding.
Still makes me very sad just to think of it.
Peter
Bandicoot
>
> Ever run a business selling materials to the building trade?
> People building their dream houses at massive expense?
> Dealing with African labour who don't really give a shit that
> the colour of the paving they are making today is
> completely different to the colour you told them to make, or
> dealing with customers who refuse to allow your cartage
> contractor to offload the materials in the only place that is
> physically possible for them to offload, or getting a call at
> 6pm advising you that the 350m2 of expensive product the
> paving contractor has put down is not what they ordered?
>
> Trust me, weddings are not even in the same sport when it
> comes to stress.
I can certainly see the stress in that, but there are two big differences:
1. However much the cost, hassle, etc., that paving can be taken up and
replaced. The wedding can never be done again. That 'one chance to get it
right' aspect is a major part of the problem.
2. Only one family is involved in house. Two, often with very different
agandas, are involved in the wedding - along with all their grandparents,
aunts and uncles.
Oh, and at weddings, there's alcohol involved...
;-)
Peter
Bandicoot
[SNIP]
>
> Wedding photographers seem to get sued a bit more often
> than other professionals. Check into liability insurance.
>
Good point. My professional indemnity insurance is part of a package along
with public liability and my gear insurance. When I told the insurers that
I never do weddings, the insurance became 40% cheaper - even including the
gear.
Peter
Skip M
the '70s?) nearly 30 years in the nursery business. Oddly, I never got into
shooting flowers as much as I did cars...
http://www.pbase.com/skipm/image/44537077/large
--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
"Bandicoot" <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote in message
news:112152770...@eunomia.uk.clara.net...
> "Skip M" <shadow...@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:C1PBe.14709$HV1.2332@fed1read07...
> [SNIP]
>>
>> Despite my above post, we do enjoy what we do, and
>> started the business to overcome the inevitable slow down
>> in the plant/nursery business.
>
> Hmmm, didn't know you were a plants person. Another of my great loves -
> as
> you might have guessed from what makes up a large part of my photographic
> stock work. I get to grow a lot of my own subject matter...
>
>
> Peter
>
>
Skip M
news:23hnq2-...@barley.site...
> Rox-off <ro...@empirerods.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Ever run a business selling materials to the building trade? People
>> building their dream houses at massive expense? Dealing with African
>> labour who don't really give a shit that the colour of the paving they
>> are
>> making today is completely different to the colour you told them to make,
>> or dealing with customers who refuse to allow your cartage contractor to
>> offload the materials in the only place that is physically possible for
>> them to offload, or getting a call at 6pm advising you that the 350m2 of
>> expensive product the paving contractor has put down is not what they
>> ordered?
>>
>> Trust me, weddings are not even in the same sport when it comes to
>> stress.
>
>
> that
> to any angry bride whose wedding you've screwed up.
>
> Nick
Compare that to the angry bride who is the daughter of a prominent lawyer.
A couple of years ago, several wedding service people were pretty much put
out of business because a lawyer decided he didn't want to pay for his
daughter's wedding, after the fact. The lawsuits, some of which were
successful, some were not, bankrupted all of them with legal fees.
Owamanga
<"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:
>"Walt Hanks" <walt...@comcast.net> wrote in message
>news:woydnfjWeoU...@comcast.com...
>[SNIP]
>>
>> Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at
>> the Church and were all driving to the reception when the
>> limo carrying the newlyweds was t-boned by an out of
>> control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
>>
>
>No wonder that was the last one you did, even if only because it made you
>stop and think.
It was hardly skips fault was it? No reason for it to be a
life-changing event for him really.
Skip, if you got some shots of the accident scene, I suggest you
publish the whole series in a book - nice wedding piccs with a rather
shocking ending. It'd make a great engagement gift for people I know -
they'd expect nothing less from me.
<Owamanga runs and hides as a group from the village start gathering
forks, stones and burning torches...>
>One of my aunts was going to be married by her father, who was a priest. He
>didn't arrive for the wedding and, after some hurried consultations amongst
>the family, another family member, also a priest, stepped in. Everyone was
>told that the parents had had a car accident. My aunt was only told when
>they got back from their honeymoon that her father had been killed on the
>way to the wedding.
Accidents suck bigtime, and they have a habit of coinciding with major
family events.
That reminds me, I know someone - a business associate (the groom in
this case) who's father died *in the church* during the wedding. Bride
and groom had to practically step over his dead body to get to the
alter. Amazingly (and good for them) they finished what they started.
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Owamanga
<"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:
<construction vs weddings>
>Oh, and at weddings, there's alcohol involved...
You've obviously never done any bricklaying...
;-p
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Mark˛
"Owamanga" <owamanga-n...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ucjid1df63k4p1p0b...@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 16:51:07 +0100, "Bandicoot"
> <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:
>
>>"Walt Hanks" <walt...@comcast.net> wrote in message
>>news:woydnfjWeoU...@comcast.com...
>>[SNIP]
>>>
>>> Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at
>>> the Church and were all driving to the reception when the
>>> limo carrying the newlyweds was t-boned by an out of
>>> control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
>>>
>>
>>No wonder that was the last one you did, even if only because it made you
>>stop and think.
>
> It was hardly skips fault was it? No reason for it to be a
> life-changing event for him really.
>
> Skip, if you got some shots of the accident scene, I suggest you
> publish the whole series in a book - nice wedding piccs with a rather
> shocking ending. It'd make a great engagement gift for people I know -
> they'd expect nothing less from me.
>
> <Owamanga runs and hides as a group from the village start gathering
> forks, stones and burning torches...>
Sheesh.
No wonder you don't think it should effect Skip!
(Throwing stones your way...)
Andrew Price
<tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>> <http://singular.org.uk/People/IMG_2470>
>>
>> Is that the station in York?
>
>Why yes, it is indeed.
I thought so - I'd seen it once on a visit to the UK about 15 years
ago. Your photo clearly shows how the station was built on a curve in
the line, and how the centre tracks have been removed.
Owamanga
His post did made me stop and think about death actually...
I think I'd like to die like my Grandfather.. peacefully in his sleep,
...and not screaming in terror like all his passengers.
<shields UP!>
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Walt Hanks
> <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:
>
>>"Walt Hanks" <walt...@comcast.net> wrote in message
>>news:woydnfjWeoU...@comcast.com...
>>[SNIP]
>>>
>>> Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at
>>> the Church and were all driving to the reception when the
>>> limo carrying the newlyweds was t-boned by an out of
>>> control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
>>>
>>
>>No wonder that was the last one you did, even if only because it made you
>>stop and think.
>
> It was hardly skips fault was it? No reason for it to be a
> life-changing event for him really.
>
> Skip, if you got some shots of the accident scene, I suggest you
> publish the whole series in a book - nice wedding piccs with a rather
> shocking ending. It'd make a great engagement gift for people I know -
> they'd expect nothing less from me.
>
That was my story O, not Skips. And, no, I didn't try to capitilize on the
tragedy. In fact, I made matching albums and gave them to the parents at no
cost. It was the least I could do.
BTW, that happened in 1979, so I don't think there would be any interest in
it now.
Walt
Mark˛
I think you might have your own little personal hell waiting for you...
...one with thousands of little needle-size pitchforks weilded by all the
folk you teased.
First they dip em in tobasco, and then they dip em in your eyeballs...
Owamanga
<walt...@comcast.net> wrote:
>That was my story O, not Skips. And, no, I didn't try to capitilize on the
>tragedy. In fact, I made matching albums and gave them to the parents at no
>cost. It was the least I could do.
Sorry, Walt, I didn't read the thread properly. When I read the story
I did think to myself, hmmm.. how would I have handled that, and I
came to the same conclusion that you obviously did.
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Owamanga
I have always said, no matter where I go next, I'm gonna want to take
some of those handy Mexican chaps with me too. In this case, they can
mix up the tobasco...
----
<Fluidmist> so, who wants to come to mexico with me?
<technophobe> i would, but i dont speak mexican
<Fluidmist> i thought you spoke spanish.
<techophobe> i do, i dont speak mexican though
<Fluidmist> are you serious?
<technophobe> what? yes
<Fluidmist> who wants to be the one to explain this to him?
----
* Avatar|NO3 gives Crispy a can of Lone Star beer
<Crispy> never heard of it
<Avatar|NO3> It's vile. Even Mexicans won't drink it.
<Avatar|NO3> In a choice between Lone Star and piss, 80% of people
chose piss. For the flavor.
<Zurvan> and the other 20%?
<Avatar|NO3> The other 20% thought both cups had piss.
----
rdKittoa: just ate at taco bell.
Nitefallzz: i hope you get some kind of mexican disease and die
LrdKittoa: taco bell isn't mexican food.
LrdKittoa: calling taco bell mexican food is like calling micheal
jackson black. It's sort of true, but... no, not really.
----
yke`: Bush's national security adviser is named Condoleezza Rice
Myke`: wth kinda name is that?
dodee: sounds like a mexican side dish.
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Gordon Moat
If you don't mind me asking, what are you paying per year for liability? How
much coverage? You can reply off group, if that is easier.
Thanks!
Bandicoot
> On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 16:57:01 +0100, "Bandicoot"
> <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:
>
> <construction vs weddings>
> >Oh, and at weddings, there's alcohol involved...
>
> You've obviously never done any bricklaying...
>
If you'd ever seen any of my bricklaying, you'd just assume alcohol had been
involved...
Peter
William Graham
Skip M
It wasn't me,it was Walt Hanks who wrote that. Thank god the most tragic
thing that has happened on one of our weddings was the sleeve of the groom's
tux fell off...
Skip M
news:uuudnRngfaH...@comcast.com...
Mark˛
"Bandicoot" <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote in message
news:11215667...@eunomia.uk.clara.net...
You can lay a brick?
Wow. Sounds painful...
Now you could lay an egg, now THAT would really be something...
William Graham
Say guys.....Why don't we start a, "One Liner Club"?
Mark˛
But I thought you always told the truth!
William Graham
"Mark˛" <mjmorgan(lowest even number here)@cox..net> wrote in message
news:ZCmCe.9887$Eo.3538@fed1read04...
good at.......
Tom Hudson
> On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 16:39:11 +0100, Tom Hudson
> <tom_h...@snigular.org.uk> wrote:
>
>
>>http://singular.org.uk
>>
>>I should really get around to cleaning it up, getting rid of the chaff.
>
>
> You've got some real gems there, esp. in the early pages of the
> abstract stuff...
>
> http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/BLS
> http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/IMG_2913
> http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/IMG_3389_2
> http://singular.org.uk/Abstract/Holly_drip
>
> Great ideas.
>
Thanks. I like experimenting, though I haven't done so much for a while.
Been too busy preparing for the nursery shoot (setting up an ordering
system and the like).
> I'd dump the 'people bit' entirely - or move it to a different site.
> The snapshots obviously mean something to you, and nothing to me.
>
I was thinking something similar the other day.
What I'm intending to do is set up a separate site and put only the good
stuff on it, then I can make the current one just a family album. I just
need to think of/find a good URL for the new one.
> The lighting to most of your flowers bit is too bland (blame the UK
> skies) for my taste, and each of your insect shots could have been
> cropped a little more powerfully.
>
I suspect most of the ones that could do with cropping are already
cropped to the point they're at max resolution (mostly taken with my old
P&S's). Either that or I thought they worked better with the context.
That said there're probably quite a few that are from earlier on and I
wasn't as aware of it as I am now.
>
>>I gave up on RAW, I've come to the conclusion it doesn't suit my way of
>>working. It's the long processing times, I'd rather just take my chances
>>with jpg and try to get it right in-camera.
>
>
> Each to his own. At least you *tried* RAW and came to that conclusion
> on your own.
>
It's only a few months ago that I stopped using it, it worked well for
me up until then. I think it's just that my needs changed.
Tom
--
sing, not snig if you want the mail to get to me.
Owamanga
wrote:
>It wasn't me,it was Walt Hanks who wrote that. Thank god the most tragic
>thing that has happened on one of our weddings was the sleeve of the groom's
>tux fell off...
Yeah, that confusion gets cleared up by Walt in a later episode... Sue
Ellen wakes up, it was all a dream, Owamanga had been painting the
spare-room between posts and blames his mistake on fumes from the
brush cleaner can, and there must have been something wrong with the
Chicken Kiev last night because he woke up drunk this morning, next to
his D70 (in bed) with three photos on it of a pile of clothes in the
corner. Owamanga has yet to discover where the damn lens cap is...
Sometimes, being me is darn strange.
--
Owamanga!
http://www.pbase.com/owamanga
Mark˛
Bandicoot
> Yep, counting 4 years of college (actually 5, but who kept
> strict track in the '70s?) nearly 30 years in the nursery
> business. Oddly, I never got into shooting flowers as much
> as I did cars...
>
Well, there's an awful lot of sickly sweet, or jsut plain bad, flower
photography to put one off. I do 'plants and gardens' as much as flowers
per se, and enjoy the still life of a dead flower or rotten fruit just as
much as the pretty and fresh bloom.
> http://www.pbase.com/skipm/image/44537077/large
>
That's an impressive Dahlia, interesting how different it is from the way
I'd have approached the same flower. Partly that difference is commercially
driven of course: I'd leave more blank space, and probably shoot it as a
vertical, and try to show some of the foliage. I'd probably have gone for
slightly lower contrasat too, but that's more a personal thing, and in this
case would have given you problems by bringing up the mauve flowers in the
background. Always interesting to look at the subtle differences that
constitute 'style'.
There's some _really_ old thumbs on my much-in-need-of-updating web-site
at:
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/Flower.html
At least one of those is firmly in the sickly sweet camp - but then there's
a market for those too... These are a bit more recent:
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/harlow%20carr%20-%20rudbeckias%20500%20-%20q.jpg
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/harlow%20carr%20-%20taxodium%20distichum%20-%20500%20-%20q.jpg
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/harlow%20carr%20-%20fallen%20leaves%201%20-%20500%20-%20q.jpg
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/harlow%20carr%20-%20fallen%20leaves%202%20-%20500%20-%20q.jpg
And a still life:
http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/bowl%20of%20filberts%20-%20500%20-%20q.jpg
Probably still not that representative (for one thing most of these are
rather contrasty), but I never seem to have much online that is... Anyway,
as I say, I find the stylistic differences in people's approach to similar
subjects fascinating.
I find Harold Feinstein's plant work fascinating (his book "Foliage" is a
treat), and of course in B&W Imogen Cunningham and Mapplethorpe. Slightly
more down to Earth, and a bit closer to my day to day work, is probably
Clive Nichols.
I was serious about growing my own subject matter - I try to forecast
demand, and grow what I expect to need shots of. Having them in my own
garden then means I can photograph them when the light is right, rahter than
travel to a place and then have to use what ever light there is on the day I
am there. (Though of course I travel too.) Right now the garden needs a
lot of work though, and I've been too busy with other things.
I did a little garden design at one time, but just don't have the time to
fit it in any more. Also, in this country, it has become a bit like wedding
photography: suddenly everyone thinks they can buy a computer programme and
start to do it themselves. So now I just make plans for my own garden, and
then wonder if I'll ever find the time to carry them out...
Peter
Bandicoot
[SNIP]
> the most tragic thing that has happened on one of our
> weddings was the sleeve of the groom's tux fell off...
>
LOL!
At my own wedding a friend who was (still is) a professional organist was
flying in from Norway to play the organ. He had specially arranged the
music for us (very kind) and had the music in his hand-luggage - but his
suit was in his checked-in bag, which the ariline lost.
Poor Jamie ended up borrowing a suit from my (ex-) father-in-law which was
about four sizes too big for him. He's standing at the back in all the
pictures, trying to hide all the excess fabric. Actually, things like that
make for very good memories.
Peter
Skip M
loading dock, ready to be shipped. So I was cropping out the brown paper,
one of our reps wanted a picture of a couple of them, and I happened to have
my camera with me.
http://www.pbase.com/skipm/image/44535266/large
--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
"Bandicoot" <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote in message
news:112161895...@nnrp-t71-02.news.clara.net...
Rox-off
I seem to be missing a lot of posts that were made over the weekend.
Forgive me if I haven't replied to anyone.
Paul Furman
>
> And a still life:
>
> http://www.bard-hill.co.uk/yorkshire/bowl%20of%20filberts%20-%20500%20-%20q.jpg
Mmmm Hazel nuts. Chinquapins are probably as tasty, or have you ever
tried Huckleberries on a pancake mmmmmm.
Ii just started a new California native plant nursey & used a bunch of
my best flower pics on it. http://www.triteleia.com
I can understand how garden design is a lot like wedding photography;
pleasing the crowds and the bride & the groom... very difficult for me.
--
Paul Furman
Triteleia Natives
http://www.triteleia.com
Tony Polson
>Then, there was the last wedding I shot. We had finished at the Church and
>were all driving to the reception when the limo carrying the newlyweds was
>t-boned by an out of control tour bus. They were killed instantly.
I trust you asked for, and obtained, payment in advance.
;-)
Mark˛
Bandicoot
> One reason I cropped it so tightly is that the plants were in
> bags, on the loading dock, ready to be shipped. So I was
> cropping out the brown paper, one of our reps wanted a
> picture of a couple of them, and I happened to have my
> camera with me.
> http://www.pbase.com/skipm/image/44535266/large
>
Ahh, in that case it (the previous pic.) succeeds entirely, since I was
folled into assuming that it was of a bloom growing in a flower bed. The
second one is still a little contrasty for me, but again for your rep.'s
purpose it will show a buyer just what the bloom is like - again, I suppose
that is personal taste and 'style' more than anything else.
You just "happened" to have your camera with you, huh? ;-)
Peter
Skip M
touring our facilities, and I thought there might be opportunities to get
some interesting images. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to set up a
tripod, nor really space, so it was more limited than I thought.
Bandicoot
Hi Gordon,
Been trying to find my last renewal quote, and seem to have lost it
(oops!) - I'll email you something once I have the details.
Peter
Walt Hanks
I'm encouraged that the premium is low enough that you don't know it by
heart. Were the same question to be asked of any physician, I can assure
you they could tell you to the penny without needing to look up anything.
Walt
Bandicoot
>
> "Bandicoot" <"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote in message
> news:11217392...@nnrp-t71-02.news.clara.net...
> > "Gordon Moat" <mo...@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> > news:42D9848F...@attglobal.net...
> >> Bandicoot wrote:
[SNIP]
> > Hi Gordon,
> >
> > Been trying to find my last renewal quote, and seem to have
> > lost it (oops!) - I'll email you something once I have the
> > details.
> >
> >
>
> I'm encouraged that the premium is low enough that you don't
> know it by heart. Were the same question to be asked of any
> physician, I can assure you they could tell you to the penny
> without needing to look up anything.
>
LOL! I'm sure. Actually I can remember the renewal before last, but not
the current one - paid by direct debit so I don't have the mental reminder
that having written a cheque would provide. Also, I wanted to find the
details of the cover as well as just the premium for Gordon. (Excuses,
excuses...)
In general, my memory for numbers isn't so good any more... :-(
Peter
Tony Polson
>In general, my memory for numbers isn't so good any more... :-(
You should try Su-Doku.
;-)
Bandicoot
[SNIP]
>
> Despite my above post, we do enjoy what we do, and
> started the business to overcome the inevitable slow down
> in the plant/nursery business.
Hmmm, didn't know you were a plants person. Another of my great loves - as
you might have guessed from what makes up a large part of my photographic
stock work. I get to grow a lot of my own subject matter...
Peter
Nick Zentena
>
> Ever run a business selling materials to the building trade? People
> building their dream houses at massive expense? Dealing with African
> labour who don't really give a shit that the colour of the paving they are
> making today is completely different to the colour you told them to make,
> or dealing with customers who refuse to allow your cartage contractor to
> offload the materials in the only place that is physically possible for
> them to offload, or getting a call at 6pm advising you that the 350m2 of
> expensive product the paving contractor has put down is not what they
> ordered?
>
> Trust me, weddings are not even in the same sport when it comes to stress.
What's the worst thing that happens? The building falls down? Compare that
to any angry bride whose wedding you've screwed up.
Nick
--
---------------------------------------
"Digital the new ice fishing"
---------------------------------------