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#1
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
I am not sure where to start.
This was a non=traditional wedding to say the least. I arrived in New Jersey about four hours before the wedding, and learned that it would not be posssible to get with the bride before she arrived at the venue. I decided to go earlier and check the layout, find the best spots, etc. I couldn't imagine a place that was less conducive to good photography. The room was old, and not in the way of a grand old hotel, more like old and mangy. The walls were had about 6 feet of "what was once white" wainscoating, topped with maybe four feet of the darkest brown paneling I had ever seen, with a smoke yellow suspended ceiling. The lighting was about half open flourescent, with a number of wall sconces with incadesecnt bulbs covered in some sort of sheer material as a decoration for the wedding. They helped cast a gray dingy glow around the room. The "alter" was an extremely fragile metal archway flanked by two hungry potted palms. Behind the archway was a bedsheet, hanging from the ceiling, to about four feet off the floor, with the top secure, but the bottom waving in the breeze. There was a projection of ocean waves crashing on the beach on the sheet. This place was incredible in that there was virtually no angle that I could spot that did not have something offensive in the background. I took a number of shots to try to choose the right settings for the occaision, and to perhaps capture any anticipation that was building in the room. I got a few nice shots of the grooms men and most of the guests (mostly hanging out at the bar). I had tried to get to talk to the preacher ahead of time but was unable to spot him. It turns out that he was the cousin of the groom and got ordained on line. There would be no advice coming from him. When the bride arrived, I decided to go out and get pictures of her arriving, but got shood away. It seems she was told it was bad luck to be seen before the wedding (by anybody, I guess?!) Instead, I set up for the bridal procession. Unfortunatly, the entrance was in a corner, with the kitchen on one side, an open exterior door on the other. She would be coming out of a door with a flourescent "BAR" sign directly overhead. There will be a lot of closely cropped portrait type shots from this wedding. I took several photos of all the bridal party arriving. I had taken some of your advise and shot at a higher ISO with my fastest lense so that I could manage without a flash. The odd thing is that nobody would have noticed the flash. At least half of the guests has cameras (many pretty nice ones) and everybody was flashing away. I ended up putting mine on too. It was obvious nobody was going to notice my restraint, and the other flashes were messing with my photos. The ceremony was strange, at least, and some though disrespectful. The person officiating often strayed from the norm to crack a joke or two about the groom. Flashes were firing at a rate of about thirty a minute. After the ceremony, the bride and groom had a posing session for everyone to thake photos. I did not try to direct it in any way. I felt a little shell shocked by now. While people were preparing to eat, I took a number of pictures around the room of the guests at there tables, the gift table. I couldn't find a cake and figured that they didn'y have it in the budget. I had planned on taking the ceremony pictures and putting them in a digital frame at this point, but they had a plan that was better. On the sheet behind the altar, they now displayed pictures that were important to each of them. It really was a nice touch if not done as well as it could have. It was then that I learned of a few sub-plots circling the event. While photographing an exchange between the mother of the groom and the step mother of the bride, I see throough my viewfinder, the step mother mothing the words "F**k you, B**ch!" It seems step mother's real daughter got de-invited to the wedding (she was to be the maid of honor) about a month before the wedding. It seems they had an argument about some of the plans. I later learned that the step mother put presents on the gift table that the bride had brought to their home for family christams presents! (I guess those pictures will not make the album). There were other intrigues as well, but I will not go further into the black hole. If I should only be posting this in rec.soapopera.rediculous, I am sorry. It turned out that there was a cake (two actually), that they cut in the kitchen without telling anyone. I was surprised, because they went to the trouble of getting a cute little bride and groom for the top. So much for getting the traditional reception photos. Others in the family were offended by the service, the lack of a real preacher, and some traditions, so I had to leave early. It is a shame, too, because some of the young people were really starting to have fun. I would have liked to record some of that, too. One of the bridesmaids just came alive when the lens was pointed at her. It was hard not to hang around her. She would have, at least been the source of some interesting photos, if not soft porn. I went in thinking that I might get lucky and have a few shots that would replicate a professional photographic experience, but left wondering if any of you pros could have done anything to makle this look good. I am sure that some of you could, and would like to see how, I just haven't the experience to be able to imagine it. A week or so after the wedding, I called to bride, mostly to see if she was starting to recover, but to my surprise she said, "It was the most perfect day of my life!" I don't know if I am too old or was watching too close, but I am glad. I hope that she feels the same about my album. __________________________________________________ ______________________* : the next generation of web-newsreaders : http://www.recgroups.com |
#3
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
In article , George Kerby
wrote: Don't feel bad. It could have been worse: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2oaf79 Just imagine. You could have the photographer at this wonderful event: http://www.slideshare.net/raz0r/cajun-wedding/ I've considered writing a book about my wedding experiences...like the time the bride's dress caught fire...or when I caught the bride & groom smoking dope...it's a long list. |
#4
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
George Kerby wrote:
Don't feel bad. It could have been worse: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2oaf79 Just imagine. You could have the photographer at this wonderful event: http://www.slideshare.net/raz0r/cajun-wedding/ The "Cajun Wedding" gives a whole new meaning to the term Shotgun Wedding. The "Ducks on a Pond" wedding cake (Image 22/25) is very impressive! Dave Giv -- There's a fine line between stupid and clever. |
#5
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
Dave Devine wrote:
George Kerby wrote: Don't feel bad. It could have been worse: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2oaf79 Just imagine. You could have the photographer at this wonderful event: http://www.slideshare.net/raz0r/cajun-wedding/ The "Cajun Wedding" gives a whole new meaning to the term Shotgun Wedding. The "Ducks on a Pond" wedding cake (Image 22/25) is very impressive! Dave Giv Yup Nicely theemed but woud be a horrer to shoot prehaps a nature photograher would have had a better chance? Love the camerflage it did work in blending the wedding party into the bacground -- http://cooze.co.nz home of the RecyclerMan aka Robert Cooze / __/ / / / / /__ / / ___/ / __/ / / / |/ / /__ / / / / /_/ / / /_/ / _-' / __/ / / / /_/ / / /| / _-' ___\ ____/ ____/ /___/ /____/ /_/ ___\ ____/ /_/ /_/ |_/ /___/ |
#6
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
On 2008-01-16 09:54:10 -0800, "RecyclerMan (Robert Cooze)"
o m" said: Dave Devine wrote: George Kerby wrote: Don't feel bad. It could have been worse: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2oaf79 Just imagine. You could have the photographer at this wonderful event: http://www.slideshare.net/raz0r/cajun-wedding/ The "Cajun Wedding" gives a whole new meaning to the term Shotgun Wedding. The "Ducks on a Pond" wedding cake (Image 22/25) is very impressive! Dave Giv Yup Nicely theemed but woud be a horrer to shoot prehaps a nature photograher would have had a better chance? Love the camerflage it did work in blending the wedding party into the bacground Just the place to use my camouflage covered lenses. -- Waddling Eagle World Famous Flight Instructor |
#7
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
On 2008-01-15 03:45:37 -0800, "Juan Moore Beer" said:
I am not sure where to start. This was a non=traditional wedding to say the least. Well, the bride seems easy to please, at least. :-) You have to admit, we tried to warn you. A lot of guys absolutely refuse to do weddings because of this sort of thing. -- Waddling Eagle World Famous Flight Instructor |
#8
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
On 2008-01-15 15:50:05 -0800, George Kerby said:
Don't feel bad. It could have been worse: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2oaf79 Just imagine. You could have the photographer at this wonderful event: http://www.slideshare.net/raz0r/cajun-wedding/ Dogpatch $8 weddin.' -- Waddling Eagle World Famous Flight Instructor |
#9
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
C J Campbell wrote:
On 2008-01-15 03:45:37 -0800, "Juan Moore Beer" said: I am not sure where to start. This was a non=traditional wedding to say the least. Well, the bride seems easy to please, at least. :-) You have to admit, we tried to warn you. A lot of guys absolutely refuse to do weddings because of this sort of thing. In a local park last summer I came across a photographer of a wedding party standing on a ladder to get a group shot. Sounds simple enough, but it took a very long time and I could see he was struggling hard with two conflicting emotions, one being to burst into tears, and the other being to hurl his camera at the guests and run away screaming and gibbering :-) -- Chris Malcolm DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/] |
#10
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Reluctant Wedding Photographer - The Story
Great story, Juan, I feel like I was there! But, I'm glad I wasn't and I'm
sorry you had to be... "Juan Moore Beer" wrote in message ... I am not sure where to start. This was a non=traditional wedding to say the least. snip of great description of a bad wedding) |
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