Critique Please

[nash30]

Shot my first wedding on Saturday and would like some critique on these shots. I think I'm going in the right direction. Please let me know your thoughts.... constructive preferred.

These are low res shots and I have since desaturated them as I believed they were too colourful.

Thanks guys and gals

James

[Admin]

Hey James,
Well done shooting your first wedding. With the second shot the facial expressions don't look that natural on three of the women - sometimes this is the photographer's direction, and sometimes it's just that some people never look natural in photos. Also, perhaps a bit more cropping could tidy them up. For example in the first shot there's a hint of red in what the bride is carrying, but we don't see what it is, so does it serve purpose in the image, or is it a bit of a distraction from the natural tones created by the tree. The bottom image composition is interesting in some respects (the line that the heads together forms), but in others it's a bit untidy (positioning of the bouquets, cropping of the shot in general).
It's all just opinion and I'm sure our fellow Hellophotographers will have other opinions. Keep up the good work, though - the more you do, the better you'll get.

[nash30]

Thanks so much Admin. I've got many more shots to go through and process. Yep the red item was her shoes in her hands. I will crop that up to reflect that she is not carrying them.
I think I got some better shots of the girls, I'm still at that stage of giving them too many to choose from, than giving them only the best. Might need to cut out a few more.

In total I took 742 images. I'm aiming to give them 150 plus. That's a good number right?

[Adam]

Are you getting paid for the photos?

If yes, you should probably have agreed beforehand how many photos you would be providing, and have agreed any that were "must haves". I have never shot a wedding, and never intend to. Well done for doing this, but I would practice a bit more before the next one. Work on expressions, lighting, posing (or not posing if possible).

For these two shots, the first one looks pretty average, and doesn't really flatter the bride. In the second, the bridesmaid on the left will not like her expression. The others are pretty good. In the first photo, the blacks are too dark. Both photos are over saturated and you should really post the ones you desaturated instead of these. Putting up work you know is substandard is probably not a good look.

Sorry to sound harsh, but you need to know right?

[nash30]

Thank you Adam. I realise they were too black but I didn't have the saturated images on me when I posted this. I have made some significant changes.

Yes I'm getting paid for this but I am a friend of the bride and groom so it's also a favour to them that I took their wedding.

Admittedly yes this is my first wedding and the first image is part of a triptych I will put together of the bride and groom having a bit of a clown around.

[Arthurhh]

Power to you for taking on a wedding.

I have had a little fiddle with the first shot to suit my eyes and ideas, not so great on a low res image but it gives an idea. (BTW I am no Post Processing expert)

[Organicpete]

I find them hugely over saturated and heavy on the contrast.
The last one seems to have broken up into blocks though might be downsized for web ?
I like the compositions.
Cheers
Pete

[chrisgin]

The first one looks out of focus, and the pose seems a bit strange (as if the groom is backing away from the bride trying to kiss him). The second one looks over saturated to me as well, and the light on the bride seems really harsh (especially on the dress).

[nash30]

Hi guys

Thanks for your critiques so far.

I have listened and changed the images around a little bit to suit. The bride and groom have expressed that they like the pictures and love the darkness to some and the colour also. They are not so fussed on desaturated so I guess I'm filling the bride and grooms criteria in some respects.

I have many many many pictures of them and I'll admit these are not the best images I have taken....they were carefully chosen as a sneak peak of how they looked to show the bride and groom and I did not want to give away the best of the best.

Once I've done more I will add to this critique thread.

[nash30]

the broken up into blocks one is not my processing. if you look it's the user who decided to have a fiddle with it. I posted a low res image and they doctored it so sadly not my doing on that one.

[Organicpete]

The bride and groom have expressed that they like the pictures and love the darkness to some and the colour also. They are not so fussed on desaturated so I guess I'm filling the bride and grooms criteria in some respects.

..

Giving people what they want is the best policy !
Pete

[Organicpete]

the broken up into blocks one is not my processing. if you look it's the user who decided to have a fiddle with it. I posted a low res image and they doctored it so sadly not my doing on that one.

Ah sry I missed that

[nash30]

Thanks muchly Pete.

[Jos]

Maybe better next time put up the end results for us to have a look...

[Adam]

The bride and groom have expressed that they like the pictures and love the darkness to some and the colour also. They are not so fussed on desaturated so I guess I'm filling the bride and grooms criteria in some respects.

Whilst this may be OK in the (very) short term, you should aim to ONLY put out photos YOU are happy with, and that fit YOUR style. This way, you will attract clients that like your work, and you will gain confidence if you are repeatedly producing photos in your own style. The danger of over saturating/processing photos is that other potential clients will not like what they see and you will lose out in the longer term.

You need to find a style that is YOU and market it accordingly

Good Luck

[nash30]

Whilst this may be OK in the (very) short term, you should aim to ONLY put out photos YOU are happy with, and that fit YOUR style. This way, you will attract clients that like your work, and you will gain confidence if you are repeatedly producing photos in your own style. The danger of over saturating/processing photos is that other potential clients will not like what they see and you will lose out in the longer term.

You need to find a style that is YOU and market it accordingly

Good Luck

Fair enough I think I jumped the gun adding images to this thread that weren't completed......

Here is one that is completed though....Just of the bride -

[nash30]

Okay....it errored........weird.

Here's a link to it

http://www.redbubble.com/people/nash.../8416957-bride

[rjd]

Fair enough I think I jumped the gun adding images to this thread that weren't completed......

Here is one that is completed though....Just of the bride -

1st - this is a place you can post pictures and get advice before your client sees them, but post what you think are correct and finished, we arnt paying you for them but we can give what we think is good advice.

2nd admin is right, you will make your living in wedding photography from your style, whatever it is, and people will employ you to shoot this way, takes time to figure it out though! Go to some active wedding photog forums (fm, potn etc there are several worth a look) and look at how others are shooting.

A fair chunk of the skill is working the people, one in which I can give little advice!


Now for the shot of the bride.

Nicely done processing and exposure, she looks a little pensive which can work as a before shot? I like the shot though nicely done.

[nash30]

Hey Thanks so much for that. I agree and I do have a style but I'm so used to adding it to my landscape photography.....so I understand about finding a new style to do weddings with.

Mostly I do moody landscape work and had to adapt a different style for my architechtural and real estate shots......

Seeing as this is my first real wedding I'm finding it a challenge....the photos that I have done I am not deviating too much from the originals now.