Billy Idol – White Wedding

I’d be crazy to not kick things off with this gem. Billy Idol’s White Wedding album. While many have claimed that this song was written to voice displeasure with his sister’s fiancé, Idol maintains that is not the case.

photographer unknown

Duran Duran – The Wedding Album

Definitely a different direction of the design and photography used on this Duran Duran cover from 1993. Designed by acclaimed visual artist Nick Egan, the cover of this album features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.

photographers unknown

John Lennon and Yoko One – The Wedding Album

This experimental album was released on October 20, 1969 and contained two tracks – one per side. The record came as an elaborate box set designed by John Kosh, including sets of photos, drawings by Lennon, a reproduction of the marriage certificate, a picture of a slice of wedding cake (inside a white sleeve), and a booklet of press clippings about the couple. (from Wikipedia).

photographer unknown

Fleetwood Mac for Rolling Stone

This image of taken by Mark Seliger was for the 25th anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine. Technically, it’s not an album cover, but it’s just such an iconic “wedding” image used in a non-wedding manner we had to include it.

©Mark Seliger

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple

This photo, also not used as the actual album cover art, was taken by Los Angeles photographer Beatrice Neumann. According to Beatrice’s website, this series of images was created in about 45 minutes.

©Beatrice Neumann

Well, there you have it. “Wedding photography” used in a very non-traditional sense. I bet you have more examples of this concept. If so, let us hear about ‘em in the comments below.

Seeing as how the single most important thing in any relationship is communication, today’s topic focuses on the relationship between wedding photographer and the couple who hires him or her. Since there aren’t exactly re-do’s of a couple’s first kiss as husband and wife, and there is no option to reshoot a scene a day or a week later, it is paramount to everyone’s happiness that a solid game plan be arranged prior to the big day. To that end, below is a list of things for wedding photographers to discuss with clients, and vice versa. You aren’t required to take our advice, but to steal the words of Ben Franklin, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Photographers, address these topics with your clients:

When is the wedding? Are they positive? If you sense any hesitancy, confirm with the venue.
Where is it? If there are two churches with similar names, verify the correct one. Also, verify the address. Don’t show up at “555 S Ave. E.” instead of “555 N Ave. E.” Are there multiple locations, such as a venue for the ceremony, one for dinner and another for the reception?
Who are the key players? Moms, dads, grandparents, cousins, etc., etc. should be tagged as “important” in your mind. Uncle Roy who just showed up for the BBQ and the beer … not so much.
What are the events of the day(s)? Make a play-by-play list of events WITH your client, and keep it on you when shooting.
Why are you being hired for this job vs. any other photographer. Identify your specialty, and discuss your style and approach with you clients. Let them know what you can do, and more importantly, what you can’t do.
How are you going to shoot this event? Lights, no lights, video, time lapse, photo booth? Is this what your client wants?

After covering these basics, go through the chain of events in your head and brainstorm possible scenarios to address with your client. Here is a “get-the-wheels-spinning” list of questions for you to ask them (and yourself).

What is the agreed upon dollar amount for your services?
Do you require a deposit? If so, when is it due?
How should they pay you?
Does the bride want shots while getting dressed? Does the groom?
If yes, where will each be while dressing?
When and where will the group photos be taken? Who is in the group photos?
If a large group is requested, who is going to wrangle all the people?
What if it rains?
When will your job be considered finished?
Are you allowed to eat their food?
Will yo need a second shooter? If so, make sure client is aware of this.
Do your clients understand what they are getting for the money they are spending? Explain that they DO NOT own the copyright to your images.

Engaged couple, address these topics with your photographer:

Who is going to be shooting your wedding? Is it the owner, or will it be assigned to a hired shooter? Is a second shooter required?
What do you get for the money you are spending? Does the price you were quoted include prints, a book, a web gallery, travel expenses, a video, digital archive services etc.?
When will the photographer show up? When will he/she want the wedding party to be in place for individual and group shots?
Where will your photographer be during the event(s)? If you want their presence to be minimal, explain this prior to the wedding day. Where does the photographer want to shoot formal portraits (if any)?
Why are you hiring this photographer vs. any other photographer out there? Do you like their style, their price, their availability? If there is a solid reason, make sure you communicate this to them. Also, check to see if they belong to any professional organizations such as ASMP, EP, or PPA.

How do you want your photographer to shoot your wedding? Are you in love with “artsy” looking photos, black and white images, or sepia-toned prints? Perhaps you demand your photographer create some images with a certain look and feel. Whatever your desired outcome, make sure you know what it is, and that you can accurately articulate it to your photographer.

Now, here is your “get-the-wheels-spinning” list of questions:

Is your photographer insured against possible damages caused to people or property during the wedding?
Do they have other clients you can talk to? References?
Where did they receive their education or training?
Do they have an office, a website, or at the very, very least business cards to legitimize themselves?
When will you see your photos?
How will you see your photos?
If prints are an additional cost, how much will each size print cost?
Is your agreement with your photographer in writing?
If disaster strikes and your photographer can’t make it, what is their back up plan? Who will step in and honor your agreement?

It should be known that this is not an all-inclusive list of things to discuss with your photographer or client, but hopefully it will get the wheels spinning. Do you have other questions you would ask? Please share them in the comments below.

Like yesterday, the goal of today’s post is to get the wheels turning on ways you can create fun, engaging imagery at a wedding. This can be helpful if you are a wedding photographer looking to deliver your client a little something extra, or if you are planning a wedding and want to create something unique during your event. I’m talkin’ about time lapse photography!

While certainly not groundbreaking or new to the world of wedding photography, creating a time lapse of your party, ahem, your “special day” is a great way to relive the memories down the road. Unfortunately it is also too easy for this task to fall through the cracks unless you have a solid game plan. So to save you the time of researching HOW to pull off a time lapse, here are a few different methods with different cameras to get you headed in the right track.

Using A DSLR:
There are many advantages to using a DSLR to create a time lapse. Typically the files created will be larger, the image quality is usually better due to a better lens selection, and most DSLRs shoot in RAW and JPG modes allowing you lots of freedom in the post-processing phase. Of course, there are factors which might be considered downfalls of using a DSLR. These include their price, learning curve and the fact you might need an additional piece of equipment to make a time lapse happen. If you are a part or full-time wedding photographer I will assume you are using a high end DSLR to do your job, but you might not have two of these beauties. And if you are a novice (or have even ventured down the camera aisle at your local electronics store), you know that professional-level DSLRs aint cheap. So having two DSLRs at your disposal – one for shooting the wedding, and one for a time lapse – might not be a reality.

For this article, let’s assume that using a DSLR is your method. Most likely you will need an additional gizmo called an intervalometer. If you break that word up into pieces, Interval-O-Meter, you can probably guess what it does. Yup, it lets you control the intervals at which your camera takes an image. For example, the Canon TC-80N3 acts as a self-timer, interval timer and long-exposure timer and can be set anywhere from 1 second to 99 hours, 59 minutes, or 59 seconds. For use at a wedding, try finding a good vantage point that will not be easily disturbed (aka, NOT the dance floor) and set your camera on a tripod. Dial the intervalometer to take a photo every 5, 10, or even 30 seconds and walk away. Of course, you will need a full battery and a high capacity, empty memory card to make sure you can capture all the images.

Using a Point and Shoot:
It’s far more likely you have a digital point and shoot camera in your possession than it is likely you have brand new Canon 5D mk III. No problem! Many P&S models have built-in intervalometers and are ready to create time lapses straight out of the box. A potential downside to using a P&S however is that you can’t dial in a fixed exposure. Rather, the camera will try to figure it out, which means you are essentially rolling the dice with your efforts. If you are going this route at an upcoming wedding (especially if it’s your own), you will want to identify the make and model of camera and practice using it BEFORE the big day rolls around. The Canon G Series (G9, 10, 11, 12) are great cameras for creating time lapses. Beware however, that some third party firmware called CHDK may be required depending on the model. The G9 will allow you to make a time lapse, but creates a movie file rather than a collection of individual images. This could be a speed bump after the fact if you aren’t sure how to handle the file.

Using a Go Pro:
No, just because you use a Go Pro to create a time lapse doesn’t mean you have to get married while base jumping, skydiving or surfing Mavericks. All it means is that you enjoy creating fantastic, cool images with very little hassle. We’ve mentioned these little gems on the blog before and notice that they are creeping into our collective consciousness more and more. Recently at the opening of Andrew Nixon’s exhibit in Rocky Mountain School of Photography Gallery, we used a Go Pro to create a timelapse of the evening. This would be perfect for a wedding since the set up takes about 3 minutes. And at $299, it may be possible to add a couple of them to your bag without selling the farm.

Time lapse photography is a great way to show a changing landscape, stars moving through the night sky or a long event in a short amount of time (aka: a boring 18-hole game of golf). It is also perfect for capturing Uncle Roy’s sweet dance moves at a wedding. Have you ever created a time lapse at a wedding, or have your photographer do so? If so, we’d love to see it … assuming Uncle Roy doesn’t mind. Please share with us in the comments below!

The best part? There is no right or wrong way for a photo booth to work. The only requirement is that it DOES work. It should require little or no maintenance on your part and be totally intuitive for your guests. And it is also worth mentioning that – despite the name – an actual, tangible “booth” isn’t required. Below you will find a few examples of how you can pull off a photo booth either at your own wedding, or a wedding you might be photographing.

Finding a ready-made solution for having a booth at your disposal is as easy as finding anything else in the modern world. The only requirement is that you spell “Google” correctly. That’s right, start with a Google search for “photo booth.” You will notice that many solutions are instantly at your fingertips. Most every photo booth company that offers a booth as an event rental provides a physical booth, print options, a scrapbook and usually some way for the images to be viewed and even purchased online. Obviously, the ability to relive the good times once you are back home on your computer is a great addition to the whole package. To shorten your search time, here are some links to a few sites that caught my eye:

Capture Pod – Aside from being “sleek” and “elegant,” the “Pod” (as it is referred to) is distinguished by its lighting capabilities, which Capture Pod describes as being “designed by professionals.” It definitely doesn’t resemble the booth of yesteryear, instead has “rounded edges, opaque plexiglass walls and an aluminum frame.”

Digital Photo Booth – If I had to choose one word to describe Digital Photo Booth it would be “modern.” In fact, the whole mechanism resembles an overgrown iPod. A cool feature of The Digital Photo Booth is the ability to project images immediately onto a large screen. Check out the videos in the “Installations” section of the site.

Open Air Photo Booth – Why be limited to an indoor location, or the predetermined background of a booth? The Open Air Photo Booth can be set up anywhere there is power. According to the website, it’s the “smallest and lightest photobooth on the market.”

Photobooth.net - Interestingly enough, photobooth.net isn’t an actual site where you can rent a booth from directly, rather their site is “the most comprehensive photo booth resource on the internet.” They have an extensive list of movies, TV shows, songs, magazines and books which include a reference to the photo booth as a cultural icon. It’s nothing short of amazing. Do yourself a favor and check out photobooth.net. (Author’s Note: There are definitely times when I am amazed by the info available on the internet. Finding this site was one of them.)

But maybe you don’t have the time or interest in hiring a photo booth for your wedding. Does this mean you are out of luck? No way! If you are a do-it-yourselfer, it is rather easy to come up a photo booth solution for a wedding. From hanging a disposable camera from the ceiling with a string, setting the self-timer, and lining it up with a background, to the more technical method of using Pocket Wizards, a DSLR and a tripod there are many solutions available. Heck, you could even do this.

At my own wedding, I wanted something like a “booth,” but without having to do too much work or research. Being a photographer, I knew the solution wasn’t too tricky, so I used my own equipment and built my own “booth.” (See images below to view a few “booth” examples). In a nutshell, I put a Canon 5D on a tripod, inserted a Pocket Wizard receiver in the hot shoe mount, and connected the two with a cord. Then, each guest that wanted to take a photo simply pressed the “test” button on the Pocket Wizard Transmitter, which they held in their hand. Simple! Here’s a video that gives you an idea of how it all works with Pocket Wizards.

For a backdrop, use a colorful (and cheap!) piece of fabric.

Give your subjects the transmitter to take their photo with.

Encourage people to take their own photos!

Photo booths – of any kind – are totally fun and provide a great solution for getting a certain kind of photo from a wedding. Do you have experience with a photo booth? Let us hear about it in the comments below.

Weddings can be like your college days. Now that they are over, they’re totally fun to talk about! And undoubtedly one story will lead to 10 more, so we encourage all of you to get engaged (excuse the pun) with these posts over the next few days. If something you read makes you laugh, cringe or cry, you are encouraged to share your thoughts. If we touch on something, and you have more to say, let us hear it!

To kick things off, we’d like to give a little love to every wedding photographer out there, and present a list of 9 things for a guest at a wedding to NOT do to the wedding photographer! Why 9 and not 10 you ask? Well, it’s simple really … we’re saving # 1 for you to contribute!

In no particular order, here goes:

10) DO NOT ask the photographer to share the details of their camera. Discussions about megapixels, sensor size, crop factor, digital zoom or any other technical detail take place every day on the internet. Consider joining one of these conversations instead. There are many, many opportunities online to get your tech fix.

9) DO NOT shadow the wedding photographer. The last thing any professional photographer needs while shooting a wedding is an “assistant” they did not hire.

8) DO NOT ask the photographer if they are “gettin’ any good shots?”

7) DO NOT tell the photographer to “get a shot of this ____ or that ___.” They’ll be just fine on their own. (The exception here of course is if you are the bride or mother of the bride. In this case, you’re allowed!)

6) DO NOT tell the photographer their camera takes really nice pictures. In fact, never do this to any photographer!

5) DO NOT show the photographer the back of your camera expecting them to be  in awe of your incredible photo.

4) DO NOT nudge your way past the photographer in order to get a better shot for yourself. Seriously, would you tell the umpire at a baseball game to move so you can get a better seat?

3) DO NOT ask the photographer to take a photo of you with your spouse, kids, cousins, friends, etc., and then say the words  “email it to me.”

2) DO NOT stand anywhere near the photographer when he or she is taking a group shot to try to get your own shot of the group. Most likely, you’ll attract the attention of a few people, and then everyone will be looking at different cameras.

1) DO NOT ……..

Wedding photographers out there, what can you contribute to this list?  Go!