Help me /p/, I just bullshit my way into a job as a professional photographer and I know absolutely jack shit about taking pictures beyond tossing a camera in auto mode. I start in two weeks and I need to know how to set up a collapsible 'studio' for doing portraits, and how to take decent wedding photos. I'm going to be a Nikon D4S and a bunch of random lenses that were in a case, I think there were about 15 of them, he said they were mostly prime but had a few zoom. FUCK This job pays really well and I didn't think I was going to get it
How can I learn to be a pro in like a week?
Haha nah, fuck you. Have fun!
>>2878074
what lighting equipment do you have?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s0JQfoMZbTM
>>2878074
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>>2878079
I'm angrier than I should be that they didn't even fucking try
>>2878074
>sleazy guy desperate for a job thinks he can "bullshit" his way into photography
>finds out he can't do it and asks us for help
Keks
>>2878074
You'll be fine as long as you won't have to deal with a customer who is into photography. Just act like you know what you're doing and some dumbs idiots will stay pay for your shots. If you're working for a company, chances are that most of their employes suck at taking photos.
>>2878074
You cant become a pro in a week, but you can learn the basics, and that could be enough for a job you need to do. It is possible to pull this off, if you have somebody to guide you.
I could give you some classes, for a small fee(i live in Eastern Europe, it will be cheap for first worlder standards). I never shot weddings, but i have a college degree in cinematography, so i am more then qualified. Contact me if you are interested.
you are so fucked
>>2878074
come on op, just calm down and learn one thing at a time
if youre gonna do a portrait shit just do some homework and watch a shit load of videos about everything youre gonna have to do and try get some practice
then for the next shoot do the same again for whatever they are expecting
its a gift and youll be pro in no time as long as you have a small amount of talent
if you have no talent, then yea you are fucked and you prob fucked a decent photographer out of their dream job
>>2878074
Cram this website as fast as possible for the basics on operating the camera, but don't get too hung up on it:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com
And then cram this guy's tips and tricks as fast as possible:
http://neilvn.com/tangents/
He has some excellent tutorials on using flash and portraiture and how to get nice results fairly easily.
Remember that for pros time is money, so don't waste time messing around with shit or dropping spaghetti during the actual job. Set things up, get it over with, and on to the next thing.
Come clean and go look for a job you can handle.
Trying to get a job you know you're not qualified for is retarded and I'm amazed by how many fucking idiots do it.
>>2878116
>sleazy guy
>employer too stupid to ask any questions that would pertain to Anon's past experience with a camera
The firm deserves everything it gets.
Anon might actually be decent when he gets his shit together.
>>2878074
Okay you're fucked but wedding photographers are kind of dumb to begin with so you should be fine
I do freelance photo assistant work and a lot of "pros" shoot in aperture priority really often
Just look up tutorials on all shooting modes for the camera you get, and look up how portraits look at different focal lengths
As for the collapsible studio just grab 2-3 strobes/model lights, back drop, some bouncers and a few diffusers and you should be good
As long as they don't expect you to edit photos you're fine
It would be impossible to learn how to edit photos well in a week
>>2878697
Also buy a haze lens filter because soft portraits hide acne scarring and wrinkles
>>2878697
>As long as they don't expect you to edit photos you're fine
lol this is the one thing OP should be most worried about
>>2878697
there is literally nothing wrong with aperture priority
Breath man, you got this.
Here's a list of links you should check out:
http://www.bocphotography.com/guide-aperture-shutter-speed-iso-exposure-triangle/
https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/16d5az/what_is_something_you_wish_you_were_told_as_a/ (sue me)
http://www.gizmag.com/camera-lens-buying-guide/29141/
https://youtu.be/9DQXlRpY2qc
https://youtu.be/ChDxNmBfdeI
https://youtu.be/_10qnAqkK20
If you really want this then take time out of your day to thoroughly go through all of these
Get Photoshop, that's a whole other thing that you're going to want to dedicate time to as well
Also just get out and experiment man, give yourself as much time as possible to become familiar with this stuff, go outside and shoot.
>>2878074
If you're a good enough bullshitter it won't matter how bad your photos are. Most people don't know or care what a good wedding photo looks like as long as they think you know what you're doing.
Take this guy, for example: >>2877532
He claims to have his own photo business and his photos are terrible. If he can do it, so can you :^)
>>2878932
there is literally everything wrong with letting an inanimate fucking object do the thinking for you.
>>2879218
awww cute, he's still in his "manual-only" phase
you're fine. as much as everybody on here wants you to believe that photography is some difficult task it absolutely isnt. that camera and a case of quality lenses will literally do the job for you.
just make sure to take way more pictures than you think you need. you'll be sure to have a decent set if you just keep the camera constantly firing.
1. learn to shoot in shutter mode (the "tv" knob on the camera), then shoot no slower than 1/125
2. learn how to set the camera's maximum auto iso to 1600 (it'll tend to stay below that anyway).
boom. your camera will do the rest to keep pictures top notch. the rest is just common judgement for composing shots.
>>2879255
>you'll be sure to have a decent set if you just keep the camera constantly firing.
ayyyy lmao
>>2878932
>there is literally nothing wrong with aperture priority as long as you already have excellent conditions
FTFY
>>2878074
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqMBJ5gVQp0
Literally act confident, buy a shitton of magazines and a book and start learning
AND PRACTICE
Does anyone have /p/'s wedding photo checklist? I'm not at my home computer, otherwise I would post it.
>>2879455
OK, I got back to my home computer. Here it is.
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trollthread, you're stupid as fuck /p/
>>2879218
I suppose you don't use a meter, then?
>>2878433
lol is this a fucking joke
tell me his fireworks photos are good. please.
>>2878932
If you shoot in a priority mode or use TTL flash metering the exposure of your subject will only remain consistent if the lighting conditions do not change. If *anything* changes the camera will produce varying exposure.
Why does that matter? If you're hired to produce a set of images for someone they expect consistent results. To achieve that with your set of photos shot in a priority mode you now have to process them individually to correctly match the exposure. If you had shot in manual mode and/or manual flash exposure you may still need to apply exposure correction but it can be applied to the entire set at once.
Your time is money. Save money buy shooting in manual mode to reduce time spent on post.
>>2879475
I don't get the hate for wedding photography.
Yes, it's not art, but people tend to invest a lot in their wedding, so you can ask a lot.
Also, during almost all weddings, the woman is calling the shots, so you can expect very to rip them off easily
>>2878074
this is basically me
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>>2879515
A meter measures light you fucking retard.
You have to interpret the meter to get results.
>>2878074
I felt this way about every job I had, and ended up excelling. You just have to be determined.
But yeah, photography is different. You're fucked.
>>2879636
>Not using sunny 16
Just stop the bullshit and shoot like real men do: a handmade box with a hole and a bunch of film.
>Your shutter speed must be counted by heart, no fancy watches or sand clocks
>If you need a wide apperture you just make the hole bigger
>sunny 16 rule as your metering method
If you take the easy road and buy a camera you better just quit and kill yourself noob.
doesnt matter how much vids you watch or how much u read
its all about practice so go out everyday and shoot people on different light conditions
hint: youre gonna fuck up
>>2879636
You better be using the zone system then nigga, evaluative mode ruins your motif.
Anyone who thinks this guy can wing it as a wedding photographer has never met the Mother of the Bride.
I am sorry Anon, but I fear you are, indeed, as so many others have stated, fucked. Unless you have access to all the equipment you will be using, are preternaturally talented and practice -- not just study or watch youtube -- every waking minute from now until Day One.
>>2879526
Wow, it's rare to see somebody on /p/ who actually understands what manual is for in this day and age.
Yeah, what this guy says is right. You're not ignoring your meter, you're using it to set an initial exposure, and then essentially using M as an easier replacement for leaving your thumb on the AE-lock button for 20 minutes straight.
So yeah, I took most of your guys advice in this thread, the helpful stuff anyway and went in, the first few days have gone pretty good. Second day I told the owner "Hey.. I kinda over exaggerated my skill a bit.." And let him know I've only ever done a bit of shitty photography with an old dslr.
He looked like he was about to kill me for 5 seconds, then laughed and punched me (Not too hard). Told me that was how he got his first job, didn't even know how to load film in a camera and bullshit his way through before the internet was around to learn from.
Follow your dreams I guess? Haha.
>>2878074
Well you won't be able too, in a week's time you'll still be shit. But it's ok, if anyone hired some guy without asking basic questions and wanting to see a portfolio beforehand they probably don't know what the fuck their doing either.
>>2879658
>>2879526
>this retard doesn't know how to match exposure for an unlimited number of images in about three seconds in lightroom
You don't have to learn everything about photography to do a single job. Use a prime lens, somewhere between 85mm to 120mm. Set it to aperture priority and Auto ISO, then set the aperture to 4. Auto focus should be enough to get you by in that department, and exposure will be taken care of. With that set up you're essentially in point and shoot mode for portraits. For general wedding photos, go with a 50mm lens (or a zoom in that range) and set the aperture to 8 (or 5.6 if the environment is inside or a little darker).
If you're working with lights you'll need look up the basic technicals of setting up the light to give you what you want, but as far as actual lighting goes, front light is your friend. Light up their face from the front by either positioning your light in front of them or positioning them so that sunlight (preferably in a diffused manner) is hitting their face. If you're using an on camera flash and you're indoors, point the flash straight up to the ceiling and extend the little bounce card out of the head if it has one. Consider upping exposure comp. by 2/3 stop to give a bit of a brighter look (this can often look "more professional")
Posing is something that's hard to teach. Look up some basic poses online to get an idea, but just have fun with it, keep it natural looking, and try to get them to give you the expression you want. Don't "say cheese" but rather tell them a joke or make them laugh to get smiles.
Framing is pretty simple for portraits, just put them in the center and frame it tightly. Look up head shots and 3/4 shots to get an idea, and frame according to your need. General wedding shots are tougher to frame. Your best tools here are your feet- use them to get close to your subjects. Look up a checklist for must-have shots, frame them tightly and in a way that they don't feel lopsided, and just shoot anything interesting outside of that.
Follow this and practice according to it as much as you can beforehand, and you'll be fine.
