Family Shots at DVinfo.net

Tariq Peter · July 31st, 2012, 07:48 PM

I film a lot of Indian/Pakistani weddings and about 30% of the day is spent on family shots. This means me placing my camera on a tripod and filming groups of families on the stage behind the bride and groom, one family at a time. Ofcourse the photographer takes his shot while I just sit and watch, leaving my camera on record.

I understand its important to families and it's a must for pretty much all Hindu/Muslim weddings but the videos just look boring. I am thinking of ways to make the video look more interesting but am really struggling. I did try tracking shots with my glidetrack and DSLR but getting large families including children to look down a lens while the camera slides from left to right never seems to work.

Does anybody have any tips on a better way to approach this is?

Thanks

Chris Harding · July 31st, 2012, 08:38 PM

I did an Indian reception only here (they all prefer to go back to India for the 3 or 5 day ceremony) and yes that was one thing they did request!! I sorta shortened the clips a bit so each "sequence" showed just the last few stragglers coming into position on the stage and getting themselves posed and then leaving (also just the group actually breaking up and going out of frame) That made each family group a bit shorter and less boring cos it seems to take some time for the poor photog to gather up the correct people for group photos.. This seems to be a necessary requirement only for Indian weddings not Western style weddings...I'm not really sure how to make it more interesting but they were screening the Indian shot ceremony thruout the evening and they seem to be big on title sequences..during the ceremony the videographer probably had titles that lasted a good 2 minutes ..sort of '80's style with lots of flying fonts and red hearts.

The couple might be thrilled if you did the groups as clips and then added a fancy title before each family group shot....I think that would go down very well and also acknowledge each family's part in the wedding.

Chris

Nigel Barker · August 1st, 2012, 01:41 AM

Running two or three cameras so that you have a variety of shots will make it less boring. Have one camera in tight on the B&G then a wide central on the whole group & another to one side that you can zoom in & out for different views.

Nigel Barker · August 1st, 2012, 06:46 AM

Incidentally the last Indian wedding I did a couple of weeks ago had a fantastic wedding co-ordinator who had a long list of all the various groups shots & who was supposed to be in them & in a very loud voice ordered all the participants on & off stage like a Sergeant-Major. I have never seen photographers get through all the group shots in such short time:-)

July 31st, 2012, 07:48 PM	#1
Tariq Peter Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Manchester England Posts: 435	Family Shots I film a lot of Indian/Pakistani weddings and about 30% of the day is spent on family shots. This means me placing my camera on a tripod and filming groups of families on the stage behind the bride and groom, one family at a time. Ofcourse the photographer takes his shot while I just sit and watch, leaving my camera on record. I understand its important to families and it's a must for pretty much all Hindu/Muslim weddings but the videos just look boring. I am thinking of ways to make the video look more interesting but am really struggling. I did try tracking shots with my glidetrack and DSLR but getting large families including children to look down a lens while the camera slides from left to right never seems to work. Does anybody have any tips on a better way to approach this is? Thanks

July 31st, 2012, 08:38 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Family Shots I did an Indian reception only here (they all prefer to go back to India for the 3 or 5 day ceremony) and yes that was one thing they did request!! I sorta shortened the clips a bit so each "sequence" showed just the last few stragglers coming into position on the stage and getting themselves posed and then leaving (also just the group actually breaking up and going out of frame) That made each family group a bit shorter and less boring cos it seems to take some time for the poor photog to gather up the correct people for group photos.. This seems to be a necessary requirement only for Indian weddings not Western style weddings...I'm not really sure how to make it more interesting but they were screening the Indian shot ceremony thruout the evening and they seem to be big on title sequences..during the ceremony the videographer probably had titles that lasted a good 2 minutes ..sort of '80's style with lots of flying fonts and red hearts. The couple might be thrilled if you did the groups as clips and then added a fancy title before each family group shot....I think that would go down very well and also acknowledge each family's part in the wedding. Chris

August 1st, 2012, 01:41 AM	#3
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Family Shots Running two or three cameras so that you have a variety of shots will make it less boring. Have one camera in tight on the B&G then a wide central on the whole group & another to one side that you can zoom in & out for different views.

August 1st, 2012, 06:46 AM	#4
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Family Shots Incidentally the last Indian wedding I did a couple of weeks ago had a fantastic wedding co-ordinator who had a long list of all the various groups shots & who was supposed to be in them & in a very loud voice ordered all the participants on & off stage like a Sergeant-Major. I have never seen photographers get through all the group shots in such short time:-)