I do portraits now and I can't tell you how many times I've gotten comfortable taking photos full open and when I have an opportunity to take pictures of a big group I don't stop down. this is optimal for those crispy shots.
Great tips! I just shot my first wedding last weekend. It was a small one but the pre communication was key. The couple and I were on the same page and it made the day flow so smooth. I wish I would of documented the shot list instead of just winging it but I will do it next time. Thanks!!!
John, I've been shooting weddings for 6 years now, and during this time I've always tried to improve, always strived to get better. I've seen countless, countless videos talking about how to shoot weddings and how you need to do this and that, and NONE of them really taught me anything or provided some insight. All I've ever learned was the hard way, through experience and many many shoots. I was really interested in hearing out what you had to say when I saw your upload. My mind was BLOWN brother! You managed to touch on and explain how to avoid every hard lesson I had to learn all those years, and while I didn't learn anything new, I got confirmation that how I approach my weddings is the right way. You can't believe how much strength your videos give me to keep on going, keep preaching!! Thank you!!!
@@FotisAthanasopoulos SO SOOOO AWESOME! Thanks for sharing and I'm glad that I'm able to confirm what you've already learned. It's hard sometimes when all you see/hear is everyone talking about gear and things but then you know you take a different approach to things. Keep doing great work!
Exposure triangle, understand your camera setting, shoot raw, backup of your gear, 1) communicate before wedding, meet couple and talk to know what they want 2) plan your timeline and photos (zooms, wide, closeup etc ) 3) list for family portrait (names, people combinations) 4) f stop down for group photos (f3.2) 5) use single point auto focus and move it around 6) pay attention to background, remove distractions eg: water bottles etc 7) be in control, decide by yourself dont take extra suggestions.
Some great tips! One huge one for us is making sure we visit the venues prior to the wedding, and if possible with the couple so you can talk things through there. The best plan is to attend the rehearsal if you can. This also means you can work out lighting, rain contingencies etc prior to the actual event.
Yeah this is clutch advice. I've been shooting weddings for well over a decade, and started doing this more the past couple years. It makes foreshadowing ideas and shots and planning light coverage so much easier.
i was thinking about going in stealth alone to know what i'm doing but i like the idea to go with the couple or maybe even just the planner or something. Thanks for the idea.
I haven't done any weddings in YEARS, but enjoyed hearing your suggesting. One thing that I used to request of my couples is that they ask a family member to assist me; maybe even one from each side of the family (bride's & groom's). Their role was to round up all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, etc. and have them available for the family portraits. That family member would definitely know much better than I would, who was who, and could wrangle them for me according to the time schedule that I provided them, allowing me and my assistant to keep the photos moving as quickly as possible. It always worked like a charm.
@@jusunas it went well. These tips definitely helped! I think the hardest thing isn’t necessarily the photography, but making sure you’re communicating well and rolling with the punches. There were a lot more unexpected scenarios than I thought there would be.
Exact same thing here. I'm sixteen and my old teacher just messaged me and asked if I could jump in in the place of a wedding photographer who was supposed to come next week
@@hannahallen8779 Good Luck!! Really don't be afraid of asking people to move around a little for better composition/light!! Especially during group photos. You can take a couple of pictures in the location they wanted but if you have a better vision don't mind bossing them around just a little. I realised while editing the pictures just how big of a differense good light from the beginning really makes, it was so much faster in the editing process than with some other pictures!
Excellent tips, love the 80% customer service comment. I feel like a lot of times people/videos focus so much on the technical aspect, and forget the human factor.
This video is GOLD. Packed with great tips, and not a bunch of empty fluff like most YT content. Thank you for getting right to your points, and giving really helpful explanations, and examples. I'm probably at least six months from even considering jumping into photography for pay, as I still need to really master the basics, but seeing this video helps me to understand at least some of what I don't yet understand. The largest impact tip for me is probably the 80% customer service tip. I totally get how important that will be.
Great video John. Only one thing though pertaining to continuous AF 100% of the time. As a wedding photographer who shoots Sony, I do shoot in continuous AF 90% or more of the time because the Sony bodies do have the face registration feature where you are able to register the face of the bride and the groom so the camera does place AF priority on them if they are in the frame. This is especially handy for any shots that are not stationary like ceremony entry & exit, couples walking from or away from the camera, you moving, first dances, and other fast moving reception and final exit shots.
On focus/recompose, becoming familiar with back button focus changed my game considerably. Makes everything so much easier and once you master it, you'll never know how you lived without it.
I was a wedding photographer for 17 years and got out of the business. Now that I’m fully retired I am revisiting going back into the business. Great advice to beginners and it even reminded me on a few dos and don’ts. The only thing I like to add is not to take pictures at the reception while people are eating.
Thank you so much for sharing and your added tip is a great one. It’s something I do as well. Aside from if the couple is doing something, right when the food comes out basically is a small break for myself.
Ooh that's a good one. I made that mistake with our first wedding. However, I will say I have have a couple ask for the shots of the buffet at the wedding. But then that's usually like 7 shots that we shoot almost as a reflex. Then again in my country this happens during the photo session
Thank you SO MUCH for all of this!! I was hired to do my first professional photography gig, which of course is a wedding. So definitely feeling pressure, and I'm so thankful for your content and all the other amazing content I'm able to find to help me 🙏 Truly, THANK YOU.
Can’t thank you enough for all of your informational videos. You’re the man!! I have been mostly hobby photographing for a couple years in my free time. I’m doing my fourth wedding today and I still find myself searching for tips. I’m loving your channel! Amazing tips.
Totally agree with your comments about street photography and would love to see a video on this subject. Also, do you share your street photography anywhere?
Great video. Some thoughts : 1) it took me nearly 10 years before I dared to do a wedding. I did amateur models and concerts before. 2) depth of field doesn't only depend on the f-number but also on the distance to the subject, the focal length etc. I'd say f 5.6 is the best on a 50 mm lens for outdoor group shots 3) if you choose manual for shutter speed, aperture, iso ... about 90% of your shots will be over/underexposed. there is nothing wrong in using Av or Tv and over/underexpose when needed
This is great, my friend asked me if I could be her wedding photographer, im a little overwhelmed. I have never done portraits or anything really with people. I'm more of a landscape and astrophotography kind of gal. So this video helps so much. The wedding is in 3 weeks so I best get to practicing street/portrait photography.
I'm going to be shooting my cousin's wedding this weekend so excited and nervous I've been doing family get togethers and doing photography using different camera filters with my daughter and they always come out great. A wedding is on another level thank you so much for the tips! Love your videos
"None of the tips had to do with photography" no, but they answered 80% of the questions I had about wedding photography so... I see this as an insanely helpful video! thank you!!
I do all kinds of photography, but not weddings. My vision is not that good, and most everything I can handle, but I know I could miss something at a wedding. I admire what you guys do!
So true! The "soft skills" as I like to call them are paramount. Most of the best wedding photographers that I have met are ok or decent photographers but incredible at the customer service and instilling confidence in them and making people feel good.
YEEEEESSSS!!! This is the truest. The soft skills are what’s MOST important when it comes to any customer facing style of photography. And just like you’re saying the photographer’s who are out here getting the most work, and have the best word of mouth and such overall honestly aren’t always the best photographers. Honestly I don’t even think I’m like “top caliber” photographer. But the soft skills are what sell.
Very timely - my first wedding tomorrow. Am going visit venue today to see my working site and prep in mind. Never done formal events. Thanks for your tips. Look forward trying wedding. And I guess I need some good rest before event.
I want to say thanks for the run down of what to do. I have been shooting for 7 years but only recently started to shoot weddings. Having two weddings now under my belt and I can say that the advice is spot on and I wish I knew that beforehand.
I did my first wedding a week ago! It was a blast! But if weddings are something I'm gonna continue to do, a second body is a must. I love my R5 with my RF85mm. But there were many times I wished I would of had my 15-35 or even a prime 35 on hand! Also the 70-200 would be nice for the ceremony.
I always told myself that zooms matter more than Primes. You only buy Primes when you know your favorite focal ranges, not when you're just starting out.
@@bahaatamer1245 i do alot of portrait work so my 85 is a must but I definitely want more of a zoom telephoto lens not only for weddings but for wild life!
Thank you for this video! Not only does it have very good info, but also knowing about photography and your camera BEFORE going into wedding photography is something a lot of people don't talk about! I've seen so many people say "we all start somewhere" ... true, but a wedding is not a place to practice. People should know more than just the basics. The should have a camera more than just 3 months before doing weddings! This is a great video and I will watch your other videos today! I also followed you on Insta!
I've never seen a more organized video than this. Love your notes with links for resources. You must be a joy to work with and hell to live with lol. Thanks for the help. Peace.
hahah gonna shoot my first wedding this saturday! great timing! though ive been a subscriber a long time, i dont really shoot weddings, im scared of doing events haha. im a travel and portrait photographer and this is my first wedding shoot. thanks
I'm shooting a wedding this upcoming week for my cousin and it's special on many levels. Watching this, like another viewer to get ready on another level and give my best. Thanks a million!
I agree with all your tips 100%. I have bumped into the divorced parents situations, and other people trying to control your work, etc. Also about knowing your equipment by heart because almost every single wedding they will be running late and everything happens on the fly.
Thank you ! I’ve done one wedding and I didn’t even get people centre in the picture due to nerves or not asking for a list of shots so it was a shambles and I sweating so bad ! But single person modelling I’m fine at and enjoy so much !! I have another wedding in November !! And never even used my flash before on my Sony Aiii
Amazing tips man thank you ! One that springs to my mind immediately is pre scouting the location from the church , the reception and surrounding area beforehand as you have weeks if not months before the day. Even bring sons friends along and take test portraits to see what works
You are so confident. I admire that. I would be a nervous wreck on the first day of wedding shoot. So you are right, not everyone can be a wedding photographer.
Good points, haven't done a wedding yet but have done events where you don't control the flow of events, i.e. the event needs to move forward on time, like you are a fly on the wall, and what you have pointed out is spot on. If you haven't taken 10s of thousands of photos on a proper manual camera (pro/semi pro) and know how to adjust it, don't take on a wedding, it is a big job.
I'm going to have my first photography wedding in just for days, my neighbor ask me to take a photo of them. I'm so nervous on what to do so I searched on YT and found your channel, I felt relieve watching your vids.
Excellent video John. Doesn’t matter what you shoot there are brill too tips here. I’ve shot 3 small weddings this year all went well but I can certainly improve with better planning. Only tips I can think of is plenty of batteries and SD cards.
I appreciate this video, I'm doing my first wedding on Friday and I'm a bit on the nervous side (shot with the bride in the past, she loves my work, but still its a new area). So I appreciate this.
Binge watching your videos. Just did 1st engagement shoot and the wedding is the end of November. Definitely communication, this makes all the difference.
That's just another 20 mins that I'm supposed to be working but watching a valuable content of yours instead. It's worth it! haha. Doing my first prenup + wedding in a few days. Thanks bruh!
My first wedding is the next month and I’m happy to find your video, I appreciate your help which you took your time to explained us everything ❤️ I’m watching from Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
your videos are top notch and so helpful. I have been in school/dance/group photography for 40 years and let one of my long term customers talk me into photographing her son's wedding. I've been watching your videos and taking notes to be sure that the day goes well and that they get great memories that they will enjoy for years to come.
Brilliant advice John. My sister in law asked me to do her wedding, as I like taking pictures lol She knows it won't be like if an professional done it, but I am confident. Your video's help me a lot.
My coworker insisted that I do hers, even tho I’m a beginner with only 2 baby showers and a few portraits under my belt. Even still, I’m very nervous. I’m glad I saw this video and has given me a base to stand on.
Your last tip is one of the very reasons why I stopped doing any photography. Busy bodies trying to BE the photographer and telling THE photographer what and how to do. So now I do photos of nature, landscapes, and abandoned buildings. These things have brought my love for photography back. 📸
Once again another great lesson , video and awesome teaching. So I currently have my Fuji X-T4 with 16-80mm and I just ordered a fuji 35mm 1.4, and I ordered a EF to FX fringer Pro 2 for my 50mm 1.8 and 10-18mm and 24mm and my 55-250mm, I did not want to loose all those lenses. KEH has been superhelpful and I used your 5% code, also got Honey book up and running and my website with square space. Used all the discount codes , thank you John for helping me set my business up In the right way.
Ive been looking to dip my toes in photography. I stumbled upon this video and glad i found it. You communicate very well and are very relatable. I can tell you know what you are doing as well as someone who has dealt with a non perfect world. Keep it up!
Thank you so much for this.. some of these things really helped us with handling our wedding photography.. hope we could do this on the wedding day smoothly..
I've never photographed a wedding, but a friend has asked me to photograph a rehearsal dinner. I ran across this video while doing some research and I really enjoyed how you presented the information. I definitely learned some things that should help me out in the future.
I’m shooting my first wedding/elopement today and I’m relieved that I had thought do most of these things like the detailed shot list, asking about parents status names etc. Do wish I’d found your page sooner tho 😊
I've been shooting for 6 years and im always curious on everyones opinions and thought/do process. So yes im here to educate myself in every valuable way. Once i seen your starting price, i figured i needed to take notes lol
Having to watch this video because I know I'm going to kill my first wedding on Saturday but I've got NERVES. thank you for having videos like this. I've seen it probably 10 times to calm myself down
Hi there! Just wanted to say your content and photography is amazing! Shooting my first wedding here in a few weeks. I've been watching your videos over and over and over for the past few months! Looking forward to getting better!
Spot on! These points are so important! The timeline stuff is so vital to get right. Make sure the couple understand how much time they need to leave between the wedding day's milestones.
Hey John. I enjoy watching your content and learning all that I can from you. I’ve been a photographer for about 6-7 months now. I wanted to know if you could do a video on street photography and also a video on how you talk to your clients about your type of photography style and expectations and lastly a video on setting up a wedding timeline. PSA: Can you drop another full wedding day video. I really enjoyed the first one and I want to see more
Shot my first wedding on Monday. Your videos helped so much so thank you ❤ lots of valuable lessons learned from taking it on. Is there anyone here who suffers from FND? or facial weakness? Mine really flared up during the ceremony leaving me unable to use the viewfinder at all
my first wedding shoot was back in 2007-2008, it's really important to know everything on the camera settings from exposure , to know how slow shutter speed one can use on a focal length. Jpg is ok, as long you can nail the exposure right, remember shooting raw means extra step in PP.
Nice! Been filming weddings for years. Doing commercial photography, studio, portraits, event photography, but never wedding photography. Photographing my first wedding next month. Shooting with Fuji’s too, so this was clutch. Thanks for reaffirming!
Awesome content dude, I love how it's very descriptive, using personal experiences and insight and you're not afraid to express the truth of wedding photography. I have my first wedding gig coming up next month as a second shooter, this video definitely helped me out a lot in my preparation.
@@jbivphotography thanks brotha, I just finished watching your behind the scenes wedding photography. The hour went by so quickly. Yeah, you should definitely do it up, it would be super helpful for less experienced photographers to get their careers going.
single af is slow and face af is one of the best features of the milc cameras over dslr-s. When the camera choose the wrong face, just touch the screen. That is still faster then selecting focus with a joystic all the time...
I do sports photography and my Boss Man at the company likes me a lot and he wants me to shoot his friends daughters wedding in a few months. This video is exactly what I'm looking for. The photo side is easy peasy. I'm trying to figure out how to survive the day and what I need have prepared going in.
personally, my first year as a wedding photographer teach me a lot of things. First mistake that I learn is not doing any pre wedd communication with the couple. During the family portrait, I call for everyone from the bride's family and just realize her dad had pass away. That the most awkward moment for me. I did apologize to the couple after the wedding, not a big deal to them but it did affected me till today.
I was reading about a photographer who charged a flat rate, for a specific amount of time, to shoot the wedding, and when finished, he hands the memory cards to the groom, and that is that. Works for me.
Which tip do you think will have the largest impact on you as a wedding photographer?
Staying in control 4 sure
I do portraits now and I can't tell you how many times I've gotten comfortable taking photos full open and when I have an opportunity to take pictures of a big group I don't stop down. this is optimal for those crispy shots.
Great tips! I just shot my first wedding last weekend. It was a small one but the pre communication was key. The couple and I were on the same page and it made the day flow so smooth. I wish I would of documented the shot list instead of just winging it but I will do it next time. Thanks!!!
John, I've been shooting weddings for 6 years now, and during this time I've always tried to improve, always strived to get better. I've seen countless, countless videos talking about how to shoot weddings and how you need to do this and that, and NONE of them really taught me anything or provided some insight. All I've ever learned was the hard way, through experience and many many shoots. I was really interested in hearing out what you had to say when I saw your upload.
My mind was BLOWN brother! You managed to touch on and explain how to avoid every hard lesson I had to learn all those years, and while I didn't learn anything new, I got confirmation that how I approach my weddings is the right way. You can't believe how much strength your videos give me to keep on going, keep preaching!!
Thank you!!!
@@FotisAthanasopoulos SO SOOOO AWESOME! Thanks for sharing and I'm glad that I'm able to confirm what you've already learned. It's hard sometimes when all you see/hear is everyone talking about gear and things but then you know you take a different approach to things. Keep doing great work!
Exposure triangle, understand your camera setting, shoot raw, backup of your gear, 1) communicate before wedding, meet couple and talk to know what they want 2) plan your timeline and photos (zooms, wide, closeup etc ) 3) list for family portrait (names, people combinations) 4) f stop down for group photos (f3.2) 5) use single point auto focus and move it around 6) pay attention to background, remove distractions eg: water bottles etc 7) be in control, decide by yourself dont take extra suggestions.
Thanks a bunch for listing this out for everyone!
Some great tips! One huge one for us is making sure we visit the venues prior to the wedding, and if possible with the couple so you can talk things through there. The best plan is to attend the rehearsal if you can. This also means you can work out lighting, rain contingencies etc prior to the actual event.
Yeah this is clutch advice. I've been shooting weddings for well over a decade, and started doing this more the past couple years. It makes foreshadowing ideas and shots and planning light coverage so much easier.
i was thinking about going in stealth alone to know what i'm doing but i like the idea to go with the couple or maybe even just the planner or something. Thanks for the idea.
@@anthonywallace319 x2 on this. The more you nail down your scene/program in collaboration with the clients, the better.
I always forget people have wedding rehearsals in the US!
do you bill for the time spent at the rehearsal?
I haven't done any weddings in YEARS, but enjoyed hearing your suggesting. One thing that I used to request of my couples is that they ask a family member to assist me; maybe even one from each side of the family (bride's & groom's). Their role was to round up all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, etc. and have them available for the family portraits. That family member would definitely know much better than I would, who was who, and could wrangle them for me according to the time schedule that I provided them, allowing me and my assistant to keep the photos moving as quickly as possible. It always worked like a charm.
Same here. Makes controlling the stragglers/tipsies much easier 👍
This! I always ask them to choose an usher, someone who will know everyone's name and will help round people up!
Photographing my first wedding for a friend in a couple weeks. I’ve been binging your channel lol. Thanks for all of these tips!
Awesome!! You're going to do great with your first wedding. Glad you're enjoying the content.
Same here I’m shooting my first wedding in a few weeks and your videos have been so much help!!
How’d it go? I may have my first one soon as well.
@@jusunas it went well. These tips definitely helped! I think the hardest thing isn’t necessarily the photography, but making sure you’re communicating well and rolling with the punches. There were a lot more unexpected scenarios than I thought there would be.
@@MrShuaiGuy do you think you could give some examples and what you did to tackle them? i might shoot one for a friend and i’m so nervous
I'm 16, and I'm excited to be the photographer and videographer in a weeding next week, I'm supper excited.
How did it go
Exact same thing here. I'm sixteen and my old teacher just messaged me and asked if I could jump in in the place of a wedding photographer who was supposed to come next week
I have a similar situation. I’m 15 and I have a wedding to shoot in a little over a week!
@@hannahallen8779 Good Luck!! Really don't be afraid of asking people to move around a little for better composition/light!! Especially during group photos. You can take a couple of pictures in the location they wanted but if you have a better vision don't mind bossing them around just a little. I realised while editing the pictures just how big of a differense good light from the beginning really makes, it was so much faster in the editing process than with some other pictures!
@@alvatillback9263 thank you so much!! I really appreciate you
Excellent tips, love the 80% customer service comment. I feel like a lot of times people/videos focus so much on the technical aspect, and forget the human factor.
This video is GOLD. Packed with great tips, and not a bunch of empty fluff like most YT content. Thank you for getting right to your points, and giving really helpful explanations, and examples. I'm probably at least six months from even considering jumping into photography for pay, as I still need to really master the basics, but seeing this video helps me to understand at least some of what I don't yet understand. The largest impact tip for me is probably the 80% customer service tip. I totally get how important that will be.
Great video John. Only one thing though pertaining to continuous AF 100% of the time. As a wedding photographer who shoots Sony, I do shoot in continuous AF 90% or more of the time because the Sony bodies do have the face registration feature where you are able to register the face of the bride and the groom so the camera does place AF priority on them if they are in the frame. This is especially handy for any shots that are not stationary like ceremony entry & exit, couples walking from or away from the camera, you moving, first dances, and other fast moving reception and final exit shots.
I love your honesty , “wedding photography isn’t for everybody “. Great Content! 👍🏾
On focus/recompose, becoming familiar with back button focus changed my game considerably. Makes everything so much easier and once you master it, you'll never know how you lived without it.
I got my first wedding today!! And you can already guess what I’m studying...thanks for the awesome vids john!!wish me luck!
Totally right!! Love it! Ive done 52 weddings in 2022 and this is the BEST ADVICE! following!
OMG what a busy wedding year. 52 weddings is intense!!
I was a wedding photographer for 17 years and got out of the business. Now that I’m fully retired I am revisiting going back into the business. Great advice to beginners and it even reminded me on a few dos and don’ts. The only thing I like to add is not to take pictures at the reception while people are eating.
Thank you so much for sharing and your added tip is a great one. It’s something I do as well. Aside from if the couple is doing something, right when the food comes out basically is a small break for myself.
Ooh that's a good one. I made that mistake with our first wedding. However, I will say I have have a couple ask for the shots of the buffet at the wedding. But then that's usually like 7 shots that we shoot almost as a reflex. Then again in my country this happens during the photo session
Thank you SO MUCH for all of this!! I was hired to do my first professional photography gig, which of course is a wedding. So definitely feeling pressure, and I'm so thankful for your content and all the other amazing content I'm able to find to help me 🙏 Truly, THANK YOU.
Can’t thank you enough for all of your informational videos. You’re the man!! I have been mostly hobby photographing for a couple years in my free time. I’m doing my fourth wedding today and I still find myself searching for tips. I’m loving your channel! Amazing tips.
Totally agree! 80% of wedding photography is customer service! Love the content bro!
It really is!! Thanks for watching and I'm glad you're enjoying the content.
Totally agree with your comments about street photography and would love to see a video on this subject. Also, do you share your street photography anywhere?
same
Great video. Some thoughts : 1) it took me nearly 10 years before I dared to do a wedding. I did amateur models and concerts before. 2) depth of field doesn't only depend on the f-number but also on the distance to the subject, the focal length etc. I'd say f 5.6 is the best on a 50 mm lens for outdoor group shots 3) if you choose manual for shutter speed, aperture, iso ... about 90% of your shots will be over/underexposed. there is nothing wrong in using Av or Tv and over/underexpose when needed
This is great, my friend asked me if I could be her wedding photographer, im a little overwhelmed. I have never done portraits or anything really with people. I'm more of a landscape and astrophotography kind of gal. So this video helps so much. The wedding is in 3 weeks so I best get to practicing street/portrait photography.
how was the wedding? did you do it?
@@danielcabrera4605 It went really well, thank you so much for asking. The wedding was only 2 days ago Friday 3rd & I'm still on a high from it 😁
@@ShaunieMcNeil haha I bet you are! if you have an instagram account to see the wedding´s pictures that would be great :)
@Shaunie McNeil - hey there so i have the same issue as you so anything you can share other than the ones mentioned in video from your experience
I'm going to be shooting my cousin's wedding this weekend so excited and nervous I've been doing family get togethers and doing photography using different camera filters with my daughter and they always come out great. A wedding is on another level thank you so much for the tips! Love your videos
I was just reached out by a friend to do another friend's wedding in two weeks and this video gave me a little more confidence to do's and dont's!
"None of the tips had to do with photography" no, but they answered 80% of the questions I had about wedding photography so... I see this as an insanely helpful video! thank you!!
I do all kinds of photography, but not weddings. My vision is not that good, and most everything I can handle, but I know I could miss something at a wedding. I admire what you guys do!
Love this video. Not only learnt to be a organized photographer, but also learnt how to be a boss of your business while still being professional!
Nice! I’m glad this was helpful.
So true! The "soft skills" as I like to call them are paramount. Most of the best wedding photographers that I have met are ok or decent photographers but incredible at the customer service and instilling confidence in them and making people feel good.
YEEEEESSSS!!! This is the truest. The soft skills are what’s MOST important when it comes to any customer facing style of photography. And just like you’re saying the photographer’s who are out here getting the most work, and have the best word of mouth and such overall honestly aren’t always the best photographers. Honestly I don’t even think I’m like “top caliber” photographer. But the soft skills are what sell.
@@jbivphotography getting what your customer wants makes you top caliber in my opinion. I watched two videos of yours by now and really enjoyed them!
Very timely - my first wedding tomorrow. Am going visit venue today to see my working site and prep in mind. Never done formal events. Thanks for your tips. Look forward trying wedding. And I guess I need some good rest before event.
I want to say thanks for the run down of what to do. I have been shooting for 7 years but only recently started to shoot weddings. Having two weddings now under my belt and I can say that the advice is spot on and I wish I knew that beforehand.
The great thing is you're so likeable...your advice is genuine , thank you
I did my first wedding a week ago! It was a blast! But if weddings are something I'm gonna continue to do, a second body is a must. I love my R5 with my RF85mm. But there were many times I wished I would of had my 15-35 or even a prime 35 on hand! Also the 70-200 would be nice for the ceremony.
I always told myself that zooms matter more than Primes. You only buy Primes when you know your favorite focal ranges, not when you're just starting out.
@@bahaatamer1245 i do alot of portrait work so my 85 is a must but I definitely want more of a zoom telephoto lens not only for weddings but for wild life!
It's love to see the shot list you send your couple. This way i can have a guide to build my own. I've never seen one as detailed as you described
Shooting my first wedding this weekend, so this is perfect timing! Wish me luck ✌️
NICE! You're going to do awesome. Have fun and take the day one moment at a time.
I hope you did well 🌸 ...was everything ok?
@@ehsanabdalsalam4877 for the most part everything went as planned and I got most of the shots I had in mind
@@JacobNates wow 🤩
You inspired me
Because I’m new at this ..
I hope you do well at the rest of them
✨🌸
Thank you for this video! Not only does it have very good info, but also knowing about photography and your camera BEFORE going into wedding photography is something a lot of people don't talk about! I've seen so many people say "we all start somewhere" ... true, but a wedding is not a place to practice. People should know more than just the basics. The should have a camera more than just 3 months before doing weddings! This is a great video and I will watch your other videos today! I also followed you on Insta!
I've never seen a more organized video than this. Love your notes with links for resources. You must be a joy to work with and hell to live with lol. Thanks for the help. Peace.
😂😂😂 LOL. I'm sure my wife would totally agree. Also, glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.
hahah gonna shoot my first wedding this saturday! great timing! though ive been a subscriber a long time, i dont really shoot weddings, im scared of doing events haha. im a travel and portrait photographer and this is my first wedding shoot. thanks
Good luck! You're going to do amazing. Just keep your wits about you and you should do amazing.
I'm shooting a wedding this upcoming week for my cousin and it's special on many levels. Watching this, like another viewer to get ready on another level and give my best. Thanks a million!
Hope it went well!
@@jbivphotography I was stressed, but able to deliver and they were happy afterwards. Thank you for your guidance!
I agree with all your tips 100%. I have bumped into the divorced parents situations, and other people trying to control your work, etc. Also about knowing your equipment by heart because almost every single wedding they will be running late and everything happens on the fly.
Thanks so much for your video!!
I actually have my First wedding today!! I am super excited but nervous at the same time!!
Thank you ! I’ve done one wedding and I didn’t even get people centre in the picture due to nerves or not asking for a list of shots so it was a shambles and I sweating so bad ! But single person modelling I’m fine at and enjoy so much !! I have another wedding in November !! And never even used my flash before on my Sony Aiii
Amazing tips man thank you !
One that springs to my mind immediately is pre scouting the location from the church , the reception and surrounding area beforehand as you have weeks if not months before the day. Even bring sons friends along and take test portraits to see what works
You are so confident. I admire that. I would be a nervous wreck on the first day of wedding shoot. So you are right, not everyone can be a wedding photographer.
It's normal to be nervous, shows you care about their day. With each wedding it gets easier for sure!
Good points, haven't done a wedding yet but have done events where you don't control the flow of events, i.e. the event needs to move forward on time, like you are a fly on the wall, and what you have pointed out is spot on. If you haven't taken 10s of thousands of photos on a proper manual camera (pro/semi pro) and know how to adjust it, don't take on a wedding, it is a big job.
These are such great tips! Especially stopping down! I just learned to be intentional about this and it has helped me improve group photos!
Recently landed my first wedding gig. All your videos have been so helpful!! I must say, starting to get nervous :D!!!
I'm going to have my first photography wedding in just for days, my neighbor ask me to take a photo of them. I'm so nervous on what to do so I searched on YT and found your channel, I felt relieve watching your vids.
i actually came here knowing u were not sharing photography tips.
this is exactly what i was lookign for, thanks John!
That's awesome to hear. I hope this was helpful.
Focusing and recomposing (with previously defined exposure) is what I usually do for ceremonies.
Good content and interesting video.
Excellent video John. Doesn’t matter what you shoot there are brill too tips here. I’ve shot 3 small weddings this year all went well but I can certainly improve with better planning. Only tips I can think of is plenty of batteries and SD cards.
Awesome thanks for sharing. More batteries and SD cards is ESSENTIAL! I totally agree there.
im gonna be the photagraper for my sisters wedding and im so nervous. thank you for calming my nerves with the video!
I've been shooting weddings for 10yrs and I totally agree with everything you've said. Well put video! You're awesome!
I’m glad to hear that a long time pro as yourself agrees with these tips! Thanks for watching.
Shooting my fist Wedding today! i feel WAY more confident after watching this. Wish me luck!
YESSSS!! You’re going to do great! I’m glad I could help out.
Loved the way you have explained the entire scenario.
👏👏 Thanks for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed!
I appreciate this video, I'm doing my first wedding on Friday and I'm a bit on the nervous side (shot with the bride in the past, she loves my work, but still its a new area). So I appreciate this.
I'm happy this video could help out. Those first couple of weddings when you're not used to doing them can be pretty stressful.
Binge watching your videos. Just did 1st engagement shoot and the wedding is the end of November. Definitely communication, this makes all the difference.
That's just another 20 mins that I'm supposed to be working but watching a valuable content of yours instead. It's worth it! haha. Doing my first prenup + wedding in a few days. Thanks bruh!
My first wedding is the next month and I’m happy to find your video, I appreciate your help which you took your time to explained us everything ❤️
I’m watching from Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
your videos are top notch and so helpful. I have been in school/dance/group photography for 40 years and let one of my long term customers talk me into photographing her son's wedding. I've been watching your videos and taking notes to be sure that the day goes well and that they get great memories that they will enjoy for years to come.
Shooting my first wedding in 13 days , so this is perfect for me since it's my first wedding
How did it go?
Brilliant advice John. My sister in law asked me to do her wedding, as I like taking pictures lol
She knows it won't be like if an professional done it, but I am confident.
Your video's help me a lot.
My coworker insisted that I do hers, even tho I’m a beginner with only 2 baby showers and a few portraits under my belt. Even still, I’m very nervous. I’m glad I saw this video and has given me a base to stand on.
Hey how did it go? 😁
Your last tip is one of the very reasons why I stopped doing any photography. Busy bodies trying to BE the photographer and telling THE photographer what and how to do. So now I do photos of nature, landscapes, and abandoned buildings. These things have brought my love for photography back. 📸
So glad you found what you love to photograph!
Once again another great lesson , video and awesome teaching. So I currently have my Fuji X-T4 with 16-80mm and I just ordered a fuji 35mm 1.4, and I ordered a EF to FX fringer Pro 2 for my 50mm 1.8 and 10-18mm and 24mm and my 55-250mm, I did not want to loose all those lenses. KEH has been superhelpful and I used your 5% code, also got Honey book up and running and my website with square space. Used all the discount codes , thank you John for helping me set my business up In the right way.
Ive been looking to dip my toes in photography. I stumbled upon this video and glad i found it. You communicate very well and are very relatable. I can tell you know what you are doing as well as someone who has dealt with a non perfect world. Keep it up!
Thank you so much for this.. some of these things really helped us with handling our wedding photography.. hope we could do this on the wedding day smoothly..
This isn't my first wedding but man this was so good , so helpful I'll never stop being a student when it comes to this .
Thanks so much
I've never photographed a wedding, but a friend has asked me to photograph a rehearsal dinner. I ran across this video while doing some research and I really enjoyed how you presented the information. I definitely learned some things that should help me out in the future.
I’m shooting my first wedding/elopement today and I’m relieved that I had thought do most of these things like the detailed shot list, asking about parents status names etc. Do wish I’d found your page sooner tho 😊
I've been shooting for 6 years and im always curious on everyones opinions and thought/do process. So yes im here to educate myself in every valuable way. Once i seen your starting price, i figured i needed to take notes lol
Having to watch this video because I know I'm going to kill my first wedding on Saturday but I've got NERVES. thank you for having videos like this. I've seen it probably 10 times to calm myself down
Hi there! Just wanted to say your content and photography is amazing! Shooting my first wedding here in a few weeks. I've been watching your videos over and over and over for the past few months! Looking forward to getting better!
Love this video and all your content. It has been so helpful to me from my first weddings to now.
That’s awesome to hear. I’m glad I could help out!
I’m making this my hobby now, will be watching and learning.
That's awesome to hear. I hope you have many years of amazing photos!
Spot on! These points are so important! The timeline stuff is so vital to get right. Make sure the couple understand how much time they need to leave between the wedding day's milestones.
Hey John. I enjoy watching your content and learning all that I can from you. I’ve been a photographer for about 6-7 months now. I wanted to know if you could do a video on street photography and also a video on how you talk to your clients about your type of photography style and expectations and lastly a video on setting up a wedding timeline.
PSA: Can you drop another full wedding day video. I really enjoyed the first one and I want to see more
You're the perfect yt channel cause ima be shooting with fujifilm-s1
Shot my first wedding on Monday. Your videos helped so much so thank you ❤ lots of valuable lessons learned from taking it on. Is there anyone here who suffers from FND? or facial weakness? Mine really flared up during the ceremony leaving me unable to use the viewfinder at all
Todays the day of my first wedding! coming back to your videos for the refresher!
YESSSSSS. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.
Shooting a friend's wedding tomorrow, its 2am amd im still studying, thx for all this info. Keep doing it :))
Hope it went well!
my first wedding shoot was back in 2007-2008, it's really important to know everything on the camera settings from exposure , to know how slow shutter speed one can use on a focal length. Jpg is ok, as long you can nail the exposure right, remember shooting raw means extra step in PP.
Nice! Been filming weddings for years. Doing commercial photography, studio, portraits, event photography, but never wedding photography. Photographing my first wedding next month. Shooting with Fuji’s too, so this was clutch. Thanks for reaffirming!
Awesome! You’ll probably roll right into weddings no problem at all. Thanks for watching and I hope this was helpful!
Shooting my first wedding on Saturday! Thank you!!🤟🏼
👏👏👏 Awesome! Have a fun time. You'll do great!
Awesome content dude, I love how it's very descriptive, using personal experiences and insight and you're not afraid to express the truth of wedding photography. I have my first wedding gig coming up next month as a second shooter, this video definitely helped me out a lot in my preparation.
Super awesome! Good luck with your first time seconding. I’m hoping to start making more videos specific for second photographers as well.
@@jbivphotography thanks brotha, I just finished watching your behind the scenes wedding photography. The hour went by so quickly. Yeah, you should definitely do it up, it would be super helpful for less experienced photographers to get their careers going.
single af is slow and face af is one of the best features of the milc cameras over dslr-s. When the camera choose the wrong face, just touch the screen. That is still faster then selecting focus with a joystic all the time...
tomorrow is my first wedding gig, and this is the over 5/6 time watching this. Thanks
Thanks for watching, you got this!
I'm just here and taking notes, these are awesome tips. it really helps a lot, I'm a beginner wedding photographer its great. thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful. The notes will do you good once you start getting in more work. Good luck to you!
Really appreciate these pointers and tips! Gonna have my first wedding shoot in couple months and this helped me out alot! Appreciate it
Thank you so much… I literally just booked my first wedding… TOTALLY by accident…. ❤
I am shooting my first wedding tomorrow! I am a bit nervous, but your tips helped me a lot. Wish me luck😁🤞
I do sports photography and my Boss Man at the company likes me a lot and he wants me to shoot his friends daughters wedding in a few months. This video is exactly what I'm looking for. The photo side is easy peasy. I'm trying to figure out how to survive the day and what I need have prepared going in.
I am doing my first wedding next saturday. I am super grateful for your advice!
Never really thought about all the different components of photographing a wedding, very helpful video!
That’s awesome to hear. I’m glad it was helpful!!
My first wedding is in two weeks! Thank you for these great tips.
personally, my first year as a wedding photographer teach me a lot of things. First mistake that I learn is not doing any pre wedd communication with the couple. During the family portrait, I call for everyone from the bride's family and just realize her dad had pass away. That the most awkward moment for me. I did apologize to the couple after the wedding, not a big deal to them but it did affected me till today.
So glad it was helpful!
Gold tips.I agree with u about customer service.
Love the way you explained this all John 😂.. your so funny .. Thank u can't wait to watch more of u in action
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope this was helpful for you.
Its a great help, i was asked to be a photographer on my friend's wedding
Good luck!
Thank you so much bro! Really appreciate your tips for wedding photography. Counting days for my first wedding photography, wish me luck. ^
Best of luck! You’re going to do awesome and I hope these tips really help out!
I was reading about a photographer who charged a flat rate, for a specific amount of time, to shoot the wedding, and when finished, he hands the memory cards to the groom, and that is that. Works for me.
Very smart and important ideas you have shared. I’m so glad to learn them
Thanks for watching!
Superb video! I couldn't stop nodding the entire time. Right on!
Awesome!!! I'm glad this was spot on.
I love your presentation and thanks for the enlightenment. Feels good to know all the tips you’ve mentioned
Thanks for watching