Almost a month later and I have completed my fourth wedding. It took place at Silchester and was a pleasant day.
The weather this week has been all over the place, raining cats and dogs, and Stuart and I were wondering if the weekend would be nice and sunny. For most of the day it was, which was good.
I met Stuart at his house at noon, with only some biscuits I ate in the car for a lunch, though I took some sandwiches with me. I didn't take my camera today as there hadn't been much point as I had been using Stuarts. When he saw me without it, he agreed, which was good because I imagined him saying just to bring it incase.
We firstly drove to the church where the wedding was being held in Swallowfield not too far from the reception venue.
The church was beautiful; flint work on the outside and a warm cream, statue carved interior. Maybe it is not exactly as elaborate as that but if you ever go there your expectations will be raised. We arrived early so we could get some pictures of the groom, best men and ushers. Naturally this was done round the back of the church with the men leaning casually on the wall and looking like good pals. I took in to account how, though it was a wedding how casual and relaxed poses and help reduce nerves and create a calm atmosphere.
All the brides posse arrived on a Horseman coach and there were a lot. The brides maids came in a car and were dressed head to toe in baby pink. I observed Stuart as he took their picture and the bride as she arrived in her ribboned BMW. Meanwhile I was to set up the tri-pod at the front of the church. Some guests had already come in and I felt proud that I was part of the setting up and made me feel like I was doing a useful job. Cheesy?
The service was on it's way and as normal, I stood at the back to capture any key moments. I also had a go at taking some photos of the bride as she came into the church - she was in focus, her dad wasn't...ahhhh ooops. Maybe pulling a face and biting my lip wasn't a good idea for the odd guests who were generally watching.
I managed to take some better photos during the ceremony but looking back I could have stood to in the centre of the aisle rather than cutting out half the left side. I felt like a real amateur photographer then, I wondered what Stuart would have thought once he got home and uploading the pictures. I still felt a bit embarrassed but how can I improve if I don't make mistakes? There is a lot of pressure to be that gets piled on with wedding photography. I was thinking this morning if this is really what I thought it would be. It's hard word. I have probably mentioned this before, but every job is hard, but I still feel I wouldn't enjoy a job quite like this.
There is huge nerve build up before the service - there is the bride to capture as she arrives, the groom and best men, the guests, making sure you have everything you need, there is plan, you are on time and so much more. Fortunately, Stuart was giving a few tips about this and was agreeing how there is a lot to think about. With three Canon's there are different set ups and they can easily be disrupted and changed, so there is that too think about as well.
He was also mentioning in the car, on the way to Silchester that it is best to give couples a realistic expectation of what they have ordered for the day. When a wedding is fairly local to Stuart he is able to take the photos, go home and then edit and give the couple one of pictures as a sample of the finished albums. If he were to set a high bar, then there would be more pressure to keep that status.
The day has been similar to all the weddings I have been to of course and I never want to repeat myself in a way that totally bores the mind. On a short note, there was a private photo shoot for the newlyweds (as normal). Stuart likes to experiment and try unique things such as on the outskirts of the ground there was some long grass, which we asked the bride to stand in and looks as if she was blowing in the wind. It was very elegant.
To finish off the day there were group shots and my mind wondered over the day and what I had learned. It was more theory than practical. Any practical aspect was already mentioned but we had a long talk about settings, editing and just being organised. You don't want to feel like you are bullying or nagging away to guests or the bride and groom to make them do things. You still have to be firm and direct in a polite and reasonable manner otherwise people will never do anything. That is what you are being paid for.
I'm still not being paid but I don't think I'm good enough yet. On the other hand there is a festival in Wallingford that I have been asked to do over next weekend(still unpaid). Stuart told me he can't make it as he is going to a higher paid festival on the same days. This will hopefully give me a chance to relax a bit and go at my own speed, taking photos of interesting and exciting things.
I am to look out for happy people, interesting stalls, music acts and basically illuminate the a village festival feel. I also need to remember to change my camera settings too at least ISO 1000 to get enough light for the night time acts.
That is pretty much what I have to say today, as I will be going to my fifth wedding shoot tomorrow.
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