[help] my friend ask me to help him shoot on his wedding dinner


takahashi

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Jun 11, 2011
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i've picked up photography since last year and is still not very good. however, i really enjoyed shooting.

recently, i have a friend who approached me to ask if i can help him shoot on his wedding day, the dinner portion only. he has his own photographer for the rest of his shoots except for the dinner part. he's tight on budget and his photographer quoted him seperately to include shooting at his dinner too.

i really wanted to help him, but i'm so afraid that i'll screw up as i've never done anything like that before..

any advise on this for me? =(
 

Say no if you are not confident in doing it. Else your friendship will be at stake, should the photos come out in a mediocre state.
 

Say no if you are not confident in doing it. Else your friendship will be at stake, should the photos come out in a mediocre state.

i rejected him when he first asked me. but he was persistant and kept coming to me on the topic =/
 

Tell him your concerns, then let him decide. If he still insist on you shooting, then it's his call
 

i rejected him when he first asked me. but he was persistant and kept coming to me on the topic =/

If it is those table to table and group/friends shots, okay-lah as long your friend know that anything else is consider bonus.
 

takahashi said:
i rejected him when he first asked me. but he was persistant and kept coming to me on the topic =/

u can pm reportage for some pro tips
 

Just say you value his friendship more than anything else in the world, even if it means you have to turn him down gently.

Alternatively, show him AND his partner your WORST event photos: wrong WB, under-powered flash, bad composition, deer in the headlights faces, cut off head, cut off arms, wide-angle distorted faces etc and say that this is an average of what you can deliver. SOME shots MIGHT be better, but on average, this is what you will get.

Seriously, how much more for that photographer to cover the dinner as well? Or hire a competent student/freelancer that has a reputation for being responsible, or a budget Wedding Dinner photographer.

Also, do a search on topics like 'first time shooting a wedding', 'friend asked me to shoot his/her wedding', 'company/boss asked me to shoot an event' and so on in CS and you might get some tips and hints, including how to say no tactfully.

Also google 'Shooting a wedding dinner/banquet for the first time' or something like that and learn as much tips and hints if you really cannot say no.

All the best. :)
 

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u can pm reportage for some pro tips

I do not do weddings, unless the person is someone i know very very well. Wedding Photography in general takes a lot more patience and diplomacy compared to general events and sports photography.

I am pro enough to recognize that wedding photography is not my niche.

To TS, if you and your friend are very close ask how much to top up for the wedding dinner photography and see if you are able to top up the difference. If cannot, look up the services section for a wedding photographer with a reasonable portfolio within constraints of the budget. You and this photographer can joint do the dinner together.

Books and the Internet can show how to and what to do but its you who is going to take the pictures. From a personal standpoint, your hiring the photographer would make a better wedding gift.
 

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I do not do weddings, unless the person is someone i know very very well. Wedding Photography in general takes a lot more patience and diplomacy compared to general events and sports photography.

I am pro enough to recognize that wedding photography is not my niche.


To TS, if you and your friend are very close ask how much to top up for the wedding dinner photography and see if you are able to top up the difference. If cannot, look up the services section for a wedding photographer with a reasonable portfolio within constraints of the budget. You and this photographer can joint do the dinner together.

Books and the Internet can show how to and what to do but its you who is going to take the pictures. From a personal standpoint, your hiring the photographer would make a better wedding gift.

damn. next lvl of proness. how i wish i can attain that lvl.
 

i've picked up photography since last year and is still not very good. however, i really enjoyed shooting.

recently, i have a friend who approached me to ask if i can help him shoot on his wedding day, the dinner portion only. he has his own photographer for the rest of his shoots except for the dinner part. he's tight on budget and his photographer quoted him seperately to include shooting at his dinner too.

i really wanted to help him, but i'm so afraid that i'll screw up as i've never done anything like that before..

any advise on this for me? =(

advise on what?

how to reject him nicely?

or

console you so you have some confident to shoot the wedding dinner?

or

a crash course for you to shoot the wedding dinner?




anyway, a word to those wedding couple always say about "budget issue", this excuse is so 老套, can it be more creative a bit or not?
throwing a wedding dinner cerebration is spending somewhere 35k or more, the couple and parents can recover about 25-30k from the ang pow receivable, spending another $500-$800 for photography on wedding dinner is less then 3% of the overall budget, and this is the only thing that the wedding couple and their parents able to keep for many years, whatever they eat or drink during the dinner, it will end up in sewage in two or three days time the most.
so please tell me, does it make sense to spending the money on photography or not?
 

tell him boh pow. then show him your worst photos to prep him mentally. if he is ok, have fun shooting. get fast lens and practice some if you can.
 

Ask you friend if he wants you to work for him or does he wants you to be his guest and enjoy his wedding dinner. Remind him that because there are many things to look out for and shoot, that is why there is a profession call wedding photographers, if it is so simple as just take a camera to shoot, there will not be any wedding photographers

PS* I'm not promoting wedding photographers, I've stop shooting weddings long ago.
 

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BTW, for your info, there are many things happening during a wedding dinner:
the march in
first dish enterance
stage toasting
table to table toasting
request from parents/relatives for photos
sending off guest
etc.

On top of these you have to:
work within a small space
juggle with amb lights against your flash
balance b/g against subject exp
white balance
and these are just the basics.

Depanding on the number of tables, at most you will get to eat maybe 2 to 3 dish. And if the photos do not turn out at least OK, the parents and their relatives will be nagging about it for years to come.
 

U can help, but ask Yr friend to get photographers to be involved, so that u won't be the only photographers. It will reduce Yr burden doing everything.

Most impt, master your flash techniques first
 

TS

after reading all the comments and advices, ultimately it's down to yours and your frend's decision

discuss with your friend, then come to an agreement

if agree to shoot, then try your best during that day. Read up on photography techniques and also practice more before the shoot.

Don't have to worry about screwing it up, since you already have your friend's assurance

If really you screw up on that day(due to inexperience), and your friend screw you too.... than.... that's one friendship not worth keeping