3.6.13

Thank God I loved it!

Last night was our first wedding shoot of the summer. I was so nervous about it for so many reasons:

A) What if I don't enjoy it...after we invested all of this money into videography equipment?
B) What if I suck at it and ruin someone's biggest day of their life?
C) What if Justin hates it and I am out a business partner/equipment assistant for the rest of the summer's shoots?

LUCKILY, so far none of the above happened. (Although, I haven't reviewed the footage yet, so I guess we'll have to wait and see if I suck or not!) Overall it was a pretty successful day of shooting. Sure there were a few setbacks, and a few "Ah Hah!' moments...but I'd expect that with a first time out filming a wedding.

I definitely learned a few lessons. I'm quite sure as the summer goes on, and the filming gets more extensive, I'll learn many more.

1. Don't be afraid to speak up and tell the photographer that their services aren't the only ones getting paid for here.        
-Seriously, the photographer at this wedding was the absolute worst. THE WORST I TELL YOU! Once I got past the brash personality and the nasally voice, I realized her social skills weren't any better. I can't even count the number of shots she ruined for me, or the number of times she would turn around and say "You can edit my butt out of that, right?". LITERALLY, every time I would find a great shot of kiddos playing in the corner, or a couple dancing on the dance floor, I would zoom in, (ready to capture the money shot), and then all of a sudden my viewfinder would go dark- because the photographer dressed in black had jumped right in front of me to capture the moment. 

2. Eat before, eat A LOT before.
-I had no idea how physically draining the day was going to be. 2 pm-11 pm is a long time to go without eating when those 9 hours are filled with stressed bridesmaids, drunk groomsmen, and never sitting down. I grabbed a couple of snack plates at the reception, (but that was totally not enough). Thank god for a husband who is willing to pick up cheeseburgers in a drive thru at 11 pm.

3. Have an exit plan, or even just a plan for goodness' sake.
-Honestly, first wedding shoot of the season (and also of my life), I was just wingin' it. I pretty much just  kept my camera rolling at all times and prayed I didn't miss anything. NEXT TIME, I will absolutely have a better strategy for what I'm shooting. Who knows, maybe I'll even carry a notebook, (or a clipboard because I feel like thats more professional.) Either way, there will be a plan in place for what needs to get shot and what doesn't. On top of that, I will be implementing a cutoff time. At this wedding the bride and groom weren't leaving in any sort of special way, they had just planned on partying through the night with the rest of the crowd. Next time, I will have a designated time to say, "Its Over.".


Regardless of all this, I must say, I HAD AN ABSOLUTE FANTASTIC TIME. I can't wait to start reviewing the film tomorrow, hopefully I'll have their highlight video up by the end of the week. Kris and Emily were an awesome couple to start off this summer of weddings with, and I wish them all the blessings in the world on their marriage!



2 comments:

  1. So glad you made it through AND you loved it! Weddings are definitely not for the faint of heart :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations! What a lucky couple to have you as their photographer!

    You brought up something I never considered: feeding the photographer! Excellent point and what a way for a bride to ensure everyone enjoys her wedding.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments, so please post away! In the drop down menu, choose what type of email or blog account you have to log in. OR you may post as anonymous.


Thanks for stopping by!