Quote (Xandriia @ Jan 25 2011 12:01pm)
Not at all.
You should honestly make sure theyre going to hire another photographer, with you being the secondary. That way you wont be nervous about messing something up, or missing something, and you can just concentrate on getting as good of shots as possible.
I did that for my first one, and they were really happy also because for minor things they could split us up, like Id go take pictures of the bridesmaids while the other photographer took pictures of the groomsmen. But when it came to the ceremony, reception etc we were both there so they were able to get different views.
But yeah, it took a lot of the pressure off when I was told there would be someone else also, I was able to be more free with shots.
The real professionals aren't afraid of a newbie. In fact, they love teaching (of course, there are exceptions). It's the arrogant semi-pros and 'good' photographers that are afraid of competition. Then there's the somewhat advanced amateurs (such as myself) who only started charging for stuff because people thought they were good.
First things first: Do you want to worry about shooting formal, posed photos or would you prefer a more 'photojournalistic' approach (meaning 85% candid, since formals are often expected anyway).
Deciding this may influence what gear you may need. Also, do you want to make this a business?
Start by reading this:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/609963It should answer most of your questions.
Finally, I will stress:
LEARN TO USE YOUR FLASH. You need at least one external flash source. Preferably 2 + your pop-up (which is emergency only!). You don't need the latest, fastest L series lenses if you can use flash effectively. I will provide you with a word file that explains it extremely well (i use it with interns) if you want it.
I think i'm one of the more knowledgeable wedding photographers here (I've interned with plenty, started my own business recently), so feel free to direct any questions to me. I'll share the industry secrets (most of which are found online anyway, but I can direct you to them)
Depending on your location, you can average ~60% profit if you run your home-based wedding business effectively just starting off.
This post was edited by onepagememory on Jan 25 2011 01:19pm