I think this is totally fascinating - the responses to wedding photography. I also have a side interest in psychology, so this is a great joy to read.
There certainly is a lot of paranoia around shooting events, and weddings in particular. I highly recommend getting someone with experience to do the job. But ...... The other day I got my camera into some mode and under pressure of the event, i had no time to figure out what the issue was. It turns out I hit one button and changed the white balance to daylight. But until I had time to come back home, read the manual, could I figure out what the heck mode I put the camera in. And then I put it into AI Servo and the damn camera would not take a picture when I pushed the button. What, I say, or WTF is the vernacular. RAW can save the day. The point being is that you think you know your camera, but do you really? OK AI servo won't let my camera focus, set the lens to MF and override it. Now you forget that and WTF the camera won't auto-focus. It is totally amazing how quickly one can panic in a pressure situation. If you don't know all the modes you can set the camera into, even though you never ever use those modes, you need to know when the camera is in one you did not intend and how to get it out quickly. And able to do it in the dark. Then there are those moment when you are no longer concerned with performance and things just click. You get into a creative groove and nail the moments with perfect people expression. What a rush. There is no greater satisfaction than being in that groove. Shooting events can be really joyous and creative, a lot of fun. There are no right answers on shooting a wedding. Dont' be discouraged from going ahead. Just buy as much insurance as possible. Just having a spouse willing to tote the camera bag around, take care of wandering kids, etc. can make a lot of difference. Anything that can help reduce things you need to keep track of. Me, I become myopic when I start looking through the viewfinder. I get great shots, but a tap on the shoulder and "hey look over here at what is going on." can be real helpful. If you decide to do the wedding, just have someone available to help out, watch the gear and have a second pair of eyes, and good luck. I've seen some wedding photogs become a real pain in the ass simply because they need to control the situation. And the photos all have that staged look. I really admire those skilled enough to be in the moment, unobtrusive, and come up with creative shots that really capture the moment. Just remember, an imperfect photo that captures real emotion of the moment will be much more cherished later than that perfect composed staged one with fake smiles. I remember the photo journalist, Nubar Alexanian, who was asked to shoot a wedding. He did, and told the couple you will hate the photos, but after a year, you will really appreciate the photos, and he was right. Sometimes photography can be brutally honest. Whether people really appreciate that is another matter. I could never really be a good wedding photography without allowing for imperfection, spontaneity and real emotion. During weddings people can let their guard down and be really expressive. I was able to shoot my daughters wedding because I knew that is what she wanted, capturing the real emotion. I shot a lot of misses, but one photo I really like: http://www.zuik.net/5D/w_MG_0337.jpg and this one of my grand daughter: http://www.zuik.net/5D/w_MG_0390.jpg So the decision really is for you to determine what is expected and is that what you can sign up for. I really appreciate that my Canon 5D and 480EX flash worked so well. I got lucky. Wayne * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
