Re: Video vs photo
 

Great list and pretty accurate.

I don't have the personality to be a wedding photographer. (I'm too laid back and don't like directing people)

Plus, that is super high stress because everyone expects the photos to be awesome.

Hitting on the part about the equipment - that is true in that it takes considerably more $$$ on our end to make a nice video. That's something most people don't realize. Plus if you're running a 2 or 3 man crew it's even more $$$ and we haven't even gotten to editing yet!

There is simply no way I'd do wedding photography. I just would not enjoy that. But, I do enjoy filming them because it's much more of a relaxed feeling (for me). Especially when you've got 1 or 2 other guys helping who you know are getting great stuff also. It also gives me peace of mind knowing that if a camera fails or something it's not too big a deal because there are 4 or 5 other ones going and we can recover. (Thankfully that has never happened in 14 years, which I think is a miracle)

Re: Video vs photo
 

I get sick of being called the 'video guy' - just yesterday I made a point of introducing myself to the photographer as soon as he turned up (5 minutes before the ceremony) and although I remembered his name throughout the day he insisted on calling me 'video guy' - really pi***s me off!

Re: Video vs photo
 

Competition is more fierce for photographers for that reason - it's way cheaper to set yourself up as a photographer and (IMO) people wanting to get into it think it's easy ' surely modern cameras do it all automatically don't they?'

At a rough count I've got about £15K in gear - I've seen photographers turn up with a 550D and a flash!

Pete

Re: Video vs photo
 

Hi Pete

That must have been one of the more classy ones! Last weekend the photog showed with a 550D, no lenses apart from the kit lens and no flash! Just the pop up the camera has.

Chris

Re: Video vs photo
 

Most photographers here output to the clients a medium quality JPEG files which are in the 2 to 4 mb in file sizes. Plenty big enough to make them digitally designed printed albums that have like 100 images in them in small sizes like 4X4 to 8X10. Huge enlargements are never ordered anymore and many clients just want medium quality JPEG, something like the 550D is more up to the task to deliver. My last weddings in photography were done on my aging 20d"s that only have an 8mp sensor, but the images are great. It is really the eye behind the camera that makes the difference. Crop wisely and think BEFORE you shoot. Many delivered images are batch enhanced in Lightroom, clarity/vignette etc. I am seriously thinking to even reduce my carry gear weight with the new Panasonic LX100 that also shoots 4K video. Gee, if that only had a mic input.
I can just picture myself doing a wedding ( photo or video) with a pocket camera. At last.

Re: Video vs photo
 

Same here! That is why I try my best to refrain from photography. LOL!

Re: Video vs photo
 

I guess everyone is different. I love interacting with people whether I'm doing video or photos. One of my trademarks with my wedding videos is a video guestbook for the bride which involves going around to guests either during pre-dinner drinks or at the tables and asking them for comments and congratulations. The bride's love the short clips as they form a "live" guest book and there you have no option but to be fun, chatty and happy with lots of prompting to get them to say something cute!

Doing a stills photoshoot for me is therefore second nature as I can chat to the bride and groom and interact with them. I also do a romantic video shoot and that again requires interaction to get them to do what I need to make a nice video.

I seriously cannot see how you can shoot a wedding without lots of interaction and chat?? Obviously the ceremony and speeches don't need any direction but everything else surely needs lots of two way conversation. How do you guys do a wedding staying almost silent the entire day/night??

Chris

Re: Video vs photo
 

" How do you guys do a wedding staying almost silent the entire day/night??"

Easy, I do it all the time. Not completely silent but conversing as little as possible.
I don't do interviews. I shoot candid almost 100%, I am allergic to photographers so I keep my distance, let the photog pose and fetch. I did a lot of that in the past.
I make sure the client knows well in advance that I am being as unobtrusive and silent as possible.
My best compliments are the ones telling me how I managed to get all that content without being there ( invisible).
I am not into directing anything, I just shoot what I see is important and keep a low profile.
The next camera I get will be very, very small. Like shirt pocket size. They make them in 4K now with all purpose fast zoom ( Lumix LX100 for example). Call me whatever, but my days of cumbersome, attractive, large, heavy gear to haul are over.
The client knows I will not be intruding or request interviews.
That's exactly why they hire me.