# Why you should take your camera to family Weddings



## DCM1024 (Oct 2, 2012)

Just got back from my daughter's wedding in Brooklyn and so glad I took my camera! She told me she wanted me to just relax and enjoy the fun, but I took the camera and got shots of the family events and pre-ceremony, when the paid photographer wasn't there. In addition, I got the shots of her coming down the aisle, which he missed completely. Said his card filled up (persnally I always change cards immediately before the ceremony). He had a 5d2 and a 5dc, so I'm not sure why he didn't switch to camera 2, perhaps it was too tight due to a telephoto lens.


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## shadowsatnight (Oct 2, 2012)

Congratulations on getting the shots 

Genuine question though, from someone who's never been to a wedding, let alone photo'd one - how on earth do you fill up your cards before the bride's coming down the aisle? I thought that happened fairly near the start?


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## Stewbyyy (Oct 2, 2012)

shadowsatnight said:


> Congratulations on getting the shots
> 
> Genuine question though, from someone who's never been to a wedding, let alone photo'd one - how on earth do you fill up your cards before the bride's coming down the aisle? I thought that happened fairly near the start?



Photographing the bridal party getting ready, the crowd gathering outside the venue, the bride arriving, moments before the ceremony starts etc. Coming from a photographer who has never photographed a wedding and only attended one: he was very stupid to not have changed cards. I'd be changing cards every single chance I got I'd be that worried about one filling up and me missing things!

Congrats on getting the shots! Thank God you were there, you saved the day for your daughter!


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## BruinBear (Oct 2, 2012)

shadowsatnight said:


> Congratulations on getting the shots
> 
> Genuine question though, from someone who's never been to a wedding, let alone photo'd one - how on earth do you fill up your cards before the bride's coming down the aisle? I thought that happened fairly near the start?



Depends whether youre shooting the whole day or just the ceremony. A lot of people prefer to have photographers there while the bride/groom are getting prepared (putting on make-up, etc.), family members arriving, and other events leading up to the ceremony. So its possible to have a ton of shots by then.

But, it is NEVER acceptable for a wedding photographer to run out of memory/batteries/etc. and miss shots especially at the walk down the isle.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 2, 2012)

This photographer was quite expensive, so she didn't try to hire him for pre-ceremony. It was a morning wedding and they did formals before the ceremony, so I guess that's what filled up the card. I used the 5d2 for the family cookout the night before and pre-ceremony, then switched to the Sony RX100 for the actual ceremony (yes, I did end up getting it and I love it). I would have continued using the 5d2 had I known that he would miss those crucial shots, but at the time I was remembering that she had asked me to be Mom and not the primary photographer.


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## BruinBear (Oct 2, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> This photographer was quite expensive, so she didn't try to hire him for pre-ceremony. It was a morning wedding and they did formals before the ceremony, so I guess that's what filled up the card. I used the 5d2 for the family cookout the night before and pre-ceremony, then switched to the Sony RX100 for the actual ceremony (yes, I did end up getting it and I love it). I would have continued using the 5d2 had I known that he would miss those crucial shots, but at the time I was remembering that she had asked me to be Mom and not the primary photographer.



Good thing you didnt listen to her! You saved what wouldve been a pretty crappy situation ;D


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## Chris_prophotographic (Oct 2, 2012)

It happens, i love helping out and being the save the day guy!!!


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## gbchriste (Oct 3, 2012)

Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card. I still changed cards just before the processional started. Unless the photog faints during the ceremony they should capture everything from start to finish. If not, you deserve some kind of rebate for failure to deliver.


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## bdunbar79 (Oct 3, 2012)

I've shot two football games in a row in full RAW on one 32GB card. Go big or go home ;D ;D


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## pierceography (Oct 3, 2012)

It's fairly ridiculous that a professional would run out of room on a memory card right when the ceremony is starting. I'm nowhere near a professional, and I can say that when I'm shooting various events I always keep an eye on my remaining photos.

But even then, what about switching to the backup camera? Or why wouldn't you have a spare card on you? Especially for such an expensive photographer.

But having just recently gotten married, and having such a wonderful experience with the photographer my wife and I hired, perhaps I'm just spoiled.  The photog even gave me all the RAW photos in addition to his edited JPGs. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I've come to understand getting the RAW files is not all that common.

It's good to hear you were able to get the shots the photog missed! I was tempted to bring my camera to my own wedding, but I'm fairly certain my wife would have killed me. ;-) Though I've attended weddings where I was asked to bring my camera, and yeah... I might annoy the hired photog, but I wind up getting shots they missed. Definitely worth it!


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## TexPhoto (Oct 3, 2012)

shadowsatnight said:


> Congratulations on getting the shots



Yea, that and congratulations on your daughter getting married.


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## expatinasia (Oct 3, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> he missed completely. Said his card filled up



That is worse than Amateur. When did he tell you that happened? If it was after the wedding, then there must have been another reason. I doubt anyone would/could be stupid enough for that to happen.

I carry a few spare cards with me no matter what I am doing, but even then...

If his card was full when they were walking down the aisle, what did he do for the rest of the wedding?

Ps. Congrats for your daughter!


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## nightbreath (Oct 3, 2012)

It might have been that kind of situation when photographer works three days in a row, 14 hours per day. Though it's not acceptable to miss those shots.


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## swannd (Oct 3, 2012)

If you aren't the primary photographer, it really pays to find the shots that the 'pro' is likely to miss. Examples include:

* Wide / ultrawide shots of the bridal party / posed group shots with all the onlookers, church, etc
* Young kids waiting around (get down to their level)
* General candid conversations

Swanny.


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## pwp (Oct 3, 2012)

gbchriste said:


> Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card.



Professional event photographers still shoot with 8Gb cards? Phew! That's not a lot of shots on a 5D3 unless you are a JPEG shooter. 
I'm still frequently surprised how fast a 32Gb card fills on the 5D3. 

-PW


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## dr croubie (Oct 3, 2012)

I think I might forward this thread onto a friend of mine see if I can borrow his 5D3 for a wedding in 2 weeks. (hey, he won't be using it at the time, he's the Groom).

I'm not sure what to think about the photog though. Sure, it's an amateur mistake to not have enough cards/space, and anyone should have done better, but maybe that's the first time he's done it in 20 years? (i'm sure even Ansell Adams went on a 2-day hike once and then went, "oh crap, i've forgotten the plates!").
Still, the more photographers the better, as long as they don't all step on each other...


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## Kernuak (Oct 3, 2012)

pwp said:


> gbchriste said:
> 
> 
> > Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card.
> ...


I think a lot of professionals think in terms of a card becoming corrupt and less to lose on a smaller capacity card. There are also some that think larger capacity cards are less reliable. There was probably a time when that may have been true, but I think it is less so now. Many pros aren't all that tech savvy though, they just want to shoot with tools that do the job.


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## cps_user (Oct 3, 2012)

I shoot weddings on 2 5d3, each with a 64gb sd for raw and 32 cf cards for raw too. I usually only have to switch one card during the whole day. And I always look out for the right moment to do so. 

congrats on your daughter by the way!


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## celliottuk (Oct 3, 2012)

You really have a duff photographer. Anyone who relies on a 8Gb card should be able to change it more quickly than a Navy SEAL re-assembles his assault rifle after a beach landing. If he ain't that quick, then he should use bigger cards, or change them(Whether they need it or not) before each and every major "Chapter" in the wedding "Story"
The fact that you were there to pick up the pieces is great for your daughter, but doesn't absolve him of his responsibility to document these unique family moments. I would copy all these comments to him and ask for a huge discount, he hasn't got a leg to stand on


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## LightCrafterPhotography (Oct 3, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> I got the shots of her coming down the aisle, which he missed completely. Said his card filled up


Good thing you had your cameras. It's not acceptable for any professional photographer to miss a shot due to lack of memory space. It's preventable and in the photographer's control. For an 8-10 hour event, a single 64 gig card is sufficient 99.9% of the time. Shooting with 5D2 or 5D3, the card has enough space for approximately 2300 full size raw files. If the shoot rate is 100 images per hour, the card will not even be filled 50% capacity. Plus, a good pro photographer carries extra cards too for added security and freedom of shooting. But then also, if the photographer was shooting in raw, he could have switched to jpegs as soon as he realized he did not have enough memory space, and should have been able to cover those last crucial shots which he obviously missed.


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## Northstar (Oct 3, 2012)

There is no excuse for the pro but we all make mistakes so how about improvising by quickly deleting a couple RAW shots and then switching to jpeg medium?

This would take 10 seconds and free up space for plenty of jpegs.

Anyway, I'm glad you saved the day!


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## pwp (Oct 3, 2012)

Kernuak said:


> I think a lot of professionals think in terms of a card becoming corrupt and less to lose on a smaller capacity card. There are also some that think larger capacity cards are less reliable. There was probably a time when that may have been true, but I think it is less so now. Many pros aren't all that tech savvy though, they just want to shoot with tools that do the job.



Let's do a quick timeline here on this subject. Early this century when we were all shooting with 256Mb or 512Mb CF cards, the new HUGE 1Gb cards started shipping. Cautious photographers said, " Oh no...we'll stick with the smaller cards and spread the risk. You can't put all your eggs in one basket". Exactly the same conversation happened on forums when 2Gb, 4Gb, 8Gb etc CF cards started shipping. 

Ten years ago I got caught with a too small card on my first job with the 1Ds, a massive 11.4 Mp camera. I've never been caught short again; glad to have a pocket full of fast high quality 32Gb cards. And in 12 years shooting digital, touch wood, I've never had a card failure. All my CF cards get retired after 18 months maximum. They are always top-end Sandisk or Lexar. They're never dropped, and always formatted in camera. They get a deep full format in the computer 2-3 times a year. This all may be complete overkill, but face it, the reliability runs are on the board. Against the possibility of messing up a job or even losing a client, CF cards are cheap.

In this day and age, it's inexcusable for any professional shooter to run short of space at the wrong moment. Part of your professionalism is to anticipate, and up to a point, predict the (near) future.

OP, I'm glad you brought your camera to the wedding. And you got the shot!

-PW


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## pierceography (Oct 3, 2012)

cps_user said:


> I shoot weddings on 2 5d3, each with a 64gb sd for raw and 32 cf cards for raw too. I usually only have to switch one card during the whole day. And I always look out for the right moment to do so.
> 
> congrats on your daughter by the way!



How's your performance on the 64GB SD cards? I recently forgot to take a CF card with me when I ran to the park for some dusk shots -- I wasn't worried, since I only planned on shooting for a half hour -- and had to use my 32GB SD backup card. I found the performance really frustrating. I knew the SD slot wasn't UHS, but trying to review shots after I took them was horrible; Some very obvious lag when pulling up images for immediate review. I definitely won't be using the SD slot for serious shooting in the future... Only for after I've filled up my CF cards. A real shame, there.


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## tron (Oct 3, 2012)

I use three 32Gb Sandisk Extreme cards with my 5DMkII. I shoot only in Raw (max resolution) and each card holds more than 1000 pictures. One card is permanently on a Sandisk keychain it came with. That key chain is attached to my car keychain which is at my pocket. And ... I am an amateur! So this is not acceptable for a professional. Unless he found an excuse...


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## Viggo (Oct 3, 2012)

Did she sprint down the isle for him not to have time to switch cards?? No excuses for that... I use my second slot as a pure backup. 

Maybe cameras being used for sports and weddings should have a warning in the VF (with variable setting) when this and that many shots left?


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## Nishi Drew (Oct 3, 2012)

"Oh my card filled up" may not be true though, he might have figured that statement sounds better as "it's a technical problem that could easily happen since I take so many shots!" But what the duck, my first wedding went better than that, I was inexperienced but did it for a next to nothing for a couple I knew, and even though I was worried my two 32GB cards might fill up, I was a little more worried that my single camera could fail. Not very wise that I had only one body, but I got all the important/required shots (it was a small venue anyway). Though, I did miss some nice dancing/candid moments due to my AF just not locking on and missing, now that's a technical problem that everyone can have trouble with.

And @ Viggo, a little warning might benefit some, but any photog who isn't just machine gunning away should be well aware of how many more shots they can take


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## agierke (Oct 3, 2012)

absolutely inexcusable. i shoot weddings every weekend, sometimes multiple weddings in a single weekend. for that reason i carry with me (at all times) over 100gb of 8gb CF cards split between 2 cameras. i keep them in a soft card case (Tenba) that is attached to my belt for quick and easy access.

i typically log anywhere from 2500-3000 shots per wedding and am constantly checking the frame count of both my cameras and the cameras of the second shooter. i dont use anything larger than an 8gb card simply for the reason that i dont want to run the risk of a card getting lost or damaged and i lose too large a portion of the event. granted...any lost shots are a disaster but its about damage control. (another reason why having 2 shooters is so important).


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## cayenne (Oct 3, 2012)

pwp said:


> gbchriste said:
> 
> 
> > Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card.
> ...



Thank kind of caught my eye too...I'm a complete noob, starting out with the 5D3 as my first DSLR...and from everything I read and studied before buying....well, let's put it this way, I've not bought anything less than 32GB....just wait till they go on sale, and pick up a couple here and there...both SD and CF.

I've been doing video too...so, I know how fast they can fill.....saving for 64GB ones....

I can understand if you have 8GB cards laying around from awhile back....waste not want not, but I'd think those would largely be relegated to just home use...not out on a job where you need capacity...?

C


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## Canihaspicture (Oct 3, 2012)

To the original poster... So, are we going to see some of you're non pro wedding pics???..


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## sb (Oct 3, 2012)

Kernuak said:


> pwp said:
> 
> 
> > gbchriste said:
> ...



That. I almost exclusively use only 8GB cards for that reason, but I also keep checking my shot count all the time. However whoever can't or doesn't want to keep monitoring space usage should by all means use larger cards. Either way people need to be obsessive compulsive when it comes to preparations because it's too easy to screw up.


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## Chuck Alaimo (Oct 3, 2012)

A couple things -- I kind of wish the actual photog was here to explain what actually happened. I can say on a few weddings I have second shot, I have missed shots --- why? Because I was not allowed to shoot on my own cards and one of theres took 2 shots then read full. I had the pouch in my pocket so i quickly shifted cards but the moment got lost. they weren't huge cards either, 1 8GB and 4 4 GB.. Later in the day I reformated the card and things it worked fine, but still --- sometimes there are errors.

I am just saying its real easy to throw the photog under the bus when he/she isn't here. Even easier seeing as though we have not seen these pics that saved the wedding!

Other things too ---

2 weddings ago my second shooter had a rented lens - this lens worked fine but at times the camera would error out saying ---the lens contacts were dirty or just overused ---either way, through the night she had to take the lens off and put it back on again several times. Just saying, lots can happen and this photog isn't here to defend him/herself - we don't know what went down and why it went down.

With that said though, really not sure why this tog didn't have a pouch of cards on him (ok, I can think of 1 reason --- if he had one of the card holders that closed via velcro, I would not want to be that guy making that velcro tearing noise at any point of the ceremony!)

To those who said just delete a few and switch to smaller file size...that isn't something you can do as the bride is coming down the aisle. That's for the tail end, after snapping a few thousand dancing shots, but the B&G are still going off on the dance floor and you've fill all the other cards already ---thats when you delete and switch file sizes (I always shoot in mRAW at weddings, full size RAW is overkill I think for anything but the formals). If your in that place, your only solution is to run run run (or, as someone else mentioned, this tog had 2 bodies, couldn't he have used the classic? Or, just snagged the lens from the classic and put it on the mk2? I think thats the biggest reason I wish this tog was here, because he/she had a solution ---hell that's why we have backup second bodies right? that didn't get used. Or even easier ---why not just use the card from the classic? Pretty easy and quick to make that switch. So yeah, I have to wonder if there was some other problem that his this togs camera had, and when asked about it is was just easier to say ran out of memory than to explain error messages..

And finally, lets see these shots that 'saved the day.' We're throwing this other tog under the bus based on a fishy excuse and the claim of day saving images that we haven't seen!!!!!

EDIT --- if your shots are good, and this guy did totally miss that ---instead of bragging here ---contact the tog and offer to sell him the shots!!!!


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## Mooose (Oct 3, 2012)

Our photographer died of a heart attack about a week before our wedding. He didn't name a backup. Talk about unprofessional.


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## jalbfb (Oct 3, 2012)

gbchriste said:


> Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card. I still changed cards just before the processional started. Unless the photog faints during the ceremony they should capture everything from start to finish. If not, you deserve some kind of rebate for failure to deliver.



I just recently finished shooting my first wedding with my 5d3 and I had 3 CF cards and thank God the camera has that second slot for an SD as well, despite changing cards before each separate event (pre, ceremony, etc) I still ran over during the ceremony and the 5D3 automatically switched over the the SD card otherwise I would have missed the bride and groom walking out as the ceremony concluded!!


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## shadowsatnight (Oct 3, 2012)

jalbfb said:


> I just recently finished shooting my first wedding with my 5d3 and I had 3 CF cards and thank God the camera has that second slot for an SD as well, despite changing cards before each separate event (pre, ceremony, etc) I still ran over during the ceremony and the 5D3 automatically switched over the the SD card otherwise I would have missed the bride and groom walking out as the ceremony concluded!!



What size cards were you using?


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## preppyak (Oct 3, 2012)

Chuck Alaimo said:


> EDIT --- if your shots are good, and this guy did totally miss that ---instead of bragging here ---contact the tog and offer to sell him the shots!!!!


Yeah, this is a great suggestion if you like receiving emails that tell you where you can stick your head


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## Mooose (Oct 3, 2012)

preppyak said:


> Chuck Alaimo said:
> 
> 
> > EDIT --- if your shots are good, and this guy did totally miss that ---instead of bragging here ---contact the tog and offer to sell him the shots!!!!
> ...



Yeah why not cut out the middle man and extort money directly from her daughter.


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## jalbfb (Oct 3, 2012)

shadowsatnight said:


> jalbfb said:
> 
> 
> > I just recently finished shooting my first wedding with my 5d3 and I had 3 CF cards and thank God the camera has that second slot for an SD as well, despite changing cards before each separate event (pre, ceremony, etc) I still ran over during the ceremony and the 5D3 automatically switched over the the SD card otherwise I would have missed the bride and groom walking out as the ceremony concluded!!
> ...



Shooting RAW, I had 3 CF cards of 16, 16, 8 and the SD card was 16. I took over well over 600 pictures all told for the day's event. 10 bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen, 2 flower girls, 3 "ring bearers", two huge families, etc. I shot on continuous silent mode, but I didn't do a lot of rapid continuous shooting except for certain critical situations. I made the "mistake" of using the CF 8 for the ceremony.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 3, 2012)

Chuck Alaimo said:


> EDIT --- if your shots are good, and this guy did totally miss that ---instead of bragging here ---contact the tog and offer to sell him the shots!!!!



I am the mother of the bride - I have absolutely zero profit motive in this matter so of course I just gave the photos to my daughter.

I'm going to ignore the rest of your rant other than to say that I don't even know the photogs name, so he hasn't been identified and had his reputation tarnished due to being publicly critisized. I know things go wrong, but I do think he should have changed his card prior to the ceremony. If he still had an issue, he should have switched to his 5dc. There were no restrictions on what equipment he provided and used.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 3, 2012)

My sincere Thank You to those who took a moment to congratulate me on my daughter's recent wedding. They are so obviously in love that it was a time of great joy that will be remembered forever.


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## preppyak (Oct 3, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> My sincere Thank You to those who took a moment to congratulate me on my daughter's recent wedding.* They are so obviously in love that it was a time of great joy that will be remembered forever.*


And that's the important part. Plus, you have some great photos to remember the day by


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## Chuck Alaimo (Oct 3, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> Chuck Alaimo said:
> 
> 
> > EDIT --- if your shots are good, and this guy did totally miss that ---instead of bragging here ---contact the tog and offer to sell him the shots!!!!
> ...



Then give them to her! Sorry if you feel that what I said there was a rant --- note I did bring up things like - "With that said though, really not sure why this tog didn't have a pouch of cards on him (ok, I can think of 1 reason --- if he had one of the card holders that closed via velcro, I would not want to be that guy making that velcro tearing noise at any point of the ceremony!)" --- and " why not just use the card from the classic? Pretty easy and quick to make that switch." So, if it was in fact that this photog is just dumb and didn't have cards on him and mystically forgot that he had a perfectly good card in the 5dc, then yeah by all means he deserves all the bad negativity he's getting. All I am saying is that there may have been a larger issue (the 5dc is a great camera but nowhere near as good in low light as the mk2 ---but then again that's easily countered by the fact that a lesser quality shot is still better than no shot at all). I can't shake the idea though that it may have been some other issue going on (again, why the hell couldn't he just use the card from the 5dc????...or just use the 5dc ????).... I'm not arguing, just speculating.


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## thepancakeman (Oct 3, 2012)

SLIM FINGER said:


> Too many holes in this story dear mother ... I am sorry but you are obviously a wedding photographer and there is no way you dont know the name of the offcial photog as i dont think you'll let your daughter pick one without consulting you as wedd photog !? - why else she would tell you to sit and enjoy the day or whatever she told you !?
> I just think you made some good shots of them walking down the eisle and thats all...
> Even on a first wedding and even as a second photog - no one is going to run out of memory on a begining of a church ceremony - thats just hard to believe , and the bigest reason is that a man is getting payed for what he does !
> 
> ...



Okay this is a first for me, but....GO AWAY!


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## jalbfb (Oct 3, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> My sincere Thank You to those who took a moment to congratulate me on my daughter's recent wedding. They are so obviously in love that it was a time of great joy that will be remembered forever.



Let me add my congrats on your daughter's wedding and advise you to ignore some of the "less generous" (I'm trying to be nice and civil) comments posted. My nephew and niece recently got married a week apart and I didn't bring my camera to either and my kids complained. They were hoping I'd take pictures of them and their spouses and SO's since they were all dressed to the nines! I won't make that mistake again.


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## gbchriste (Oct 4, 2012)

pwp said:


> gbchriste said:
> 
> 
> > Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card.
> ...



There's actually a couple of very valid, compelling reasons for shooting on smaller cards in this case. You want to guard against losing images due to a card failure or loss. If you have one giant card in the camera to capture the entire day and that card gets corrupted or lost, you've lost the entire day. Breaking the event up on to smaller cards provides an extra measure of protection. Smaller, multiple cards also provide you with a better opportunity to periodically download the images on to secondary backup media during the event. For a wedding, I have my laptop stashed away nearby and when a break in the action permits, I pop a new card in to the camera, and take the just removed one to the laptop and start a file copy over to the hard drive. Now I've got redundant copies of the files. I went through six 8GB cards in this fashion at the wedding I just shot.

Of course with the 5DIII you have the option of capturing simultaneously to the second SD card but if you're shooting raw to both cards, that can significantly slow down your capture rate and you still have to concern yourself will filling up the second card as well.

In my case, I use a 32GB SD card in the second slot but set up to capture large JPG to that card. This gives me the capacity to shoot the entire ceremony on that card with out having to swap. In my workflow, the primary purpose of the JPGs on the SD card is as a last-ditch safety feature in the event my raw workflow and card rotation scheme for shooting on the 8GB CF cards gets hosed up.

The JPGs also let me do a very quick image review when I get home rather than having to import large raws into Light Room first.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 4, 2012)

jalbfb said:


> DCM1024 said:
> 
> 
> > My sincere Thank You to those who took a moment to congratulate me on my daughter's recent wedding. They are so obviously in love that it was a time of great joy that will be remembered forever.
> ...



Thank you. It is precisely because of some of the "less generous" comments that I will not post any of my daughter's pics here. Congratulations on your niece and nephew's recent weddings and certainly take your camera next time!

After asking me to relax and enjoy, my daughter looked upset when I put up the 5d2 and got out the RX100, but I promised her it takes good pics, too. Facebook feedback hasn't indicated that anyone noticed a big difference in quality, though a trained eye can certainly see the difference.


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## sanj (Oct 17, 2012)

gbchriste said:


> Inexcusable!!! I shot a wedding last weekend. Just before the ceremony, my 5D3 was reporting I still had 160 frames of open capacity on my 8GB card. I still changed cards just before the processional started. Unless the photog faints during the ceremony they should capture everything from start to finish. If not, you deserve some kind of rebate for failure to deliver.



Absolutely.


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## RLPhoto (Oct 25, 2012)

Nice. When I've been invited to weddings, I would usually just take my 5Dc (my FF camera before my 5D3) + 50L. It got some really solid photos the primary photog couldn't achieve. Yes, I was that Uncle Bob. ;D


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## studio1972 (Oct 25, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> Just got back from my daughter's wedding in Brooklyn and so glad I took my camera! She told me she wanted me to just relax and enjoy the fun, but I took the camera and got shots of the family events and pre-ceremony, when the paid photographer wasn't there. In addition, I got the shots of her coming down the aisle, which he missed completely. Said his card filled up (persnally I always change cards immediately before the ceremony). He had a 5d2 and a 5dc, so I'm not sure why he didn't switch to camera 2, perhaps it was too tight due to a telephoto lens.



Personally, I would say the number 1 reason for missing that shot, is a relative stepping out into the aisle to get the shot with their iPhone/point n shoot/cheap dslr and standing right in your view. 

Of course their camera is usually totally incapable of getting a decent shot in that situation, but by their selfish actions they block your chance to get a really great shot for the bride and groom.

I think this happens much more often than the pro messing things up and a relative saving the day with their snaps.


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## tron (Oct 25, 2012)

studio1972 said:


> Personally, I would say the number 1 reason for missing that shot, is a relative stepping out into the aisle to get the shot with their iPhone/point n shoot/cheap dslr and standing right in your view.


In that case the pro could take a snap to show how a relative/friend has spoiled the picture. Otherwise it will seem that it is the pro's fault.


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## gary (Oct 25, 2012)

DCM, had you been at my first wedding it may have been my only one. 

I had a personal friend take the photo's, he was quite talented and very excited about being asked. Some two weeks after the wedding I asked how long the photo's would take, he sheepishly backed away whilst telling me that he hadn't had enough money to buy any film ( 1980) so there were none. I asked the obvious questions, he explained he was too embarrassed to ask for money for the film and yes we did all the shots you would have expected. I then spent days calling everyone who was there trying to scrounge up some pictures and we ended up with around 10 or so. Needless to say the marriage ended as it started in disappointment and upset, so my advice would always be, if you have a camera, take it as you just never know what might happen.


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## magic koala (Oct 25, 2012)

I have to admit, I feel for both sides. The pro on his/her job, and the friend/relative wanting to capture the best moments. I'm not a pro but I shot my first wedding this Saturday. The situation was such: the wedding party's hired/committed photographer canceled a week prior leaving the bride and groom in a bind. They asked my cousin if she could shoot as a favor. My cousin readily agreed and said she'll do it as her wedding gift (which was very generous, I thought). My cousin doesn't have wedding photography experience nor did she have the enough gear so she asked me for help, advice and equipment. 

I was willing to give her tips (again, I'm just an amateur), loan her equipment but I was really concerned that she might not produce the "great" (suitable for framing) photos everybody usually expects from the photographer so I said I'll shoot the wedding with her just so we can double our chances.

Needless to say, it was very difficult. Thankfully, I read through all your posts and advice on wedding shoots and consulted many books and albums on how to shoot a wedding. But yes, many of the guests did block our paths (walking the aisle, cake cutting, etc.) and us noobs obviously didn't have hands-on experience on proper positioning and jockeying for the primo spots. Also when doing group shots, many of the subjects were looking at the other cameras (not ours), so we have group photos where all the eyes are askew. We quickly learned to bark instructions and do hand movements to direct them where they should be looking at. I would say guests with other cameras do create a distraction and are obstacles for the designated photographer.

However, I also feel that since my cousin and I did this as a favor, we also feel that as non-pros we also did a very good job in producing the shots, and had we been guests with SLRs, we probably would've made a good showing shooting from our seats (except of course we'd be annoying to other guests).

In the end, the bride and groom were very happy to receive very great photos of themselves at no cost to them. My cousin was happy to have come through and her wedding gift was much appreciated. And I was happy that my cousin was able to deliver what was promised. My reward? Chicken or Beef.

P.S. I refused to do any post-processing and said that somebody else can do the post-processing.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 25, 2012)

I see this thread became active again, so just to clarify: the pro reported to my daughter that he hadn't gotten photos of her coming down the aisle due to his card filling up. In his defense, he offered to recreate the scene and was refused by her as the emotion of the moment had passed. I didn't learn of any of this until I had already left the wedding. I live out of state and sent them money to help out, but was not involved in any of the planning whatsoever.

I have also had the issue of friends and relatives blocking me during a (paid) wedding. I have been known to tap them on the shoulder and then point to my camera. Luckily no one has decked me yet. I'm not normally rude or pushy, but I do it because I feel I have a duty to the bride and groom to get the photos they are paying for. In the case of my daughter's wedding, I packed away my 5D2 once it was time for us to meet up with the pro. The photos I got were shot with the RX100, which has now saved memories from two weddings (a different story). The pro was in position, at the front, center aisle. I didn't know he was experiencing a problem at the time. My photos were shot from the first row, second seat. I'm not claiming they're the best wedding photos ever, just the only ones of she and her dad coming down the aisle.


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## preppyak (Oct 25, 2012)

tron said:


> In that case the pro could take a snap to show how a relative/friend has spoiled the picture. Otherwise it will seem that it is the pro's fault.


They do, but, it's not a shot most will deliver to the client unless there is a funny back story to it or its in a LOT of photos.

That said, there are a few hilarious ones in this thread. The b+w photo towards the end is sad though, because its a great shot without the woman and her p+s: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1113623/0


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## willhuff.net (Oct 26, 2012)

If for some bizarre reason you feel compelled to bring your camera to a wedding you are not paid to shoot, please do not be like any of the "Uncle Bobs" in that thread. It makes it more difficult for the paid professional to do their job.


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## PackLight (Oct 26, 2012)

willhuff.net said:


> If for some bizarre reason you feel compelled to bring your camera to a wedding you are not paid to shoot, please do not be like any of the "Uncle Bobs" in that thread. It makes it more difficult for the paid professional to do their job.



I usually take my camera and 70-200 to weddings. Not so I can capture the importan shots, I may not take a single picture. But it is fun to take it just in case the hired photog is a bit insecure. Intimidation by your presence.


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## Daniel Flather (Oct 27, 2012)

What did this guy do when it was 36 exposures a roll?


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## PackLight (Oct 27, 2012)

Daniel Flather said:


> What did this guy do when it was 36 exposures a roll?



He probably never shot film.
With the new Canon DSLR's you can set your camera to P "pro" mode and go right to work with little or no experience.


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## acafinecon (Oct 27, 2012)

*Re: Why you should take your camera to family Weddings - THE FEMALES1*

i CAN'T TELL U HOW MANY NUMBERS I'VE GOTTON FROM ATTRACTIVE WOMEN B/C I ASKED THEM TO GIVE ME THE nUMBERS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR ME TO SEND THEM THE PHOTOS.!


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## Northstar (Oct 27, 2012)

gary said:


> DCM, had you been at my first wedding it may have been my only one.
> 
> I had a personal friend take the photo's, he was quite talented and very excited about being asked. Some two weeks after the wedding I asked how long the photo's would take, he sheepishly backed away whilst telling me that he hadn't had enough money to buy any film ( 1980) so there were none. I asked the obvious questions, he explained he was too embarrassed to ask for money for the film and yes we did all the shots you would have expected. I then spent days calling everyone who was there trying to scrounge up some pictures and we ended up with around 10 or so. Needless to say the marriage ended as it started in disappointment and upset, so my advice would always be, if you have a camera, take it as you just never know what might happen.



What a crap friend


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## TAF (Oct 27, 2012)

*Re: Why you should take your camera to family Weddings (and funerals)*

This is going to sound a little creepy, but you should also bring a camera to family funerals (specifically the gathering that takes place afterward).

At least in my family, funerals are pretty much the only time we all see each other anymore (we're scattered all over the country), and our tradition is a large meal after the ceremony where we all get together and reminisce about the departed. Some of the photos I've taken at the last couple of gatherings are the last photos ever taken of a few of my other relatives, and everyone was glad to receive them afterward.

Ask the immediate family if it is OK, and if they're OK with it, take as many photos as you can of everyone. We're all going sooner or later, and you just never know when.


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## DB (Oct 27, 2012)

PackLight said:


> Daniel Flather said:
> 
> 
> > What did this guy do when it was 36 exposures a roll?
> ...



P = Program Mode on Canon DSLR cameras. The P for Professional is an urban myth. Just read the manual.


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## DCM1024 (Oct 27, 2012)

DB said:


> PackLight said:
> 
> 
> > Daniel Flather said:
> ...



Um - I'm pretty sure the P = Pro comment was intended to be sarcastic.


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## DB (Oct 27, 2012)

DCM1024 said:


> DB said:
> 
> 
> > PackLight said:
> ...



Sure, but perpetuates a myth that it is. Google it - you'll be surprised that 80%+ still believe that it stands for Pro. That's the problem with misinformation, it becomes a double hermeneutic.

edit: sarcasm works only when everyone knows it is sarcasm, people come to CR for factual info, when they see a comment like that, many will assume it to be true, because most do not bother to read their manuals, thus they see a throw away line and believe it - they then tell their friends and others that P is the Professional mode and word of mouth does the rest - hence it becomes a misinformed self-fulfilling prophecy and hence most people tell others on blogs etc. (see Google for instance). What starts out as a sarcastic line becomes regurgitated fact...unfortunately.


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