Don't always blame the photographer if he (or she) is ill-prepared, inexperienced, etc.
If your own mother needs to have her gall bladder removed, and you go and hire a vet or butcher to do the job, really what do you expect?
If the couple is willing to hire someone whom they know is obviously new at this (because he is cheap and/or a friend/relative), then they themselves must be aware of the possible risks and if the photographer messes up, then they have no real right to be angry with him. In such cases, the onus should be on the couple to ensure that they themselves come up with a back-up plan. You can't just ask for favours from photography enthusiast cousin Joe, and suddenly heap all the responsibilities on his shoulders to deliver. The photographer is also human, and he would be naturally acutely aware of his responsibilities. No need for us to remind him about this, and we don't have the right to tell him not to take up the job. If don't start somewhere, how to learn?
So to the total newbie wedding photographer: If you have been tasked to shoot a wedding, first, make clear to the couple your level of experience. If they are okay with it (because some couples are really chin-chye type), then go for it. Don't burden yourself with getting extra gear that you don't have and/or cannot afford. Unless of course, you WANT to buy extra gear, then by all means get them. Otherwise, if you need a back-up plan, just use a digital compact.
Anyway, I observe that most of the time when newbies ask "is my gear enough for wedding photography", whatever it is they own, for their level, it is ALWAYS enough.
well said.
2 days old thread .. sorry to bring it up again.
firstly, let me tell you my story. i never had any formal knowledge in photography. i just shoot and shoot. play around M, A, P, S, AUTO.
i wasted a hell lot of film when i was using my minolta SLR. then i switched to a fuji s5500 prosumer. it was there that i got a little serious. using my minolta, i took some shots of my cousin's wedding .. extra extra only.. turned out.. pathetic . maybe 10 out of the 100 shots were great.
then i moved to my d50. my friend's wedding in june last year. i took as a backup photographer, as the photographer he hired was at the girl's side ..and i took shots in his side. turned out better than expected. though back then my style was still shoot .. and shoot.. i only used up 3gb of memory. RAW+ Jpeg shots. i was blessed to with a friendly photographer who taught me a little or two.. tips and gave me way to shoot too. but he used WA lens, and I didnt. after some editing and all, i dare say maybe this time 1/4 of the shots were better- the rest were candid, NOISY or OOF.
then came my cousin's solemnisation at Mosque. i was actueally there on behalf of my dad, representing him since he was working on that day and by chance, there was NO OFFICIAL photographer. i took the shots. it was after friday prayer and i happened to bring my gear.
this was better.. 3/4 of the shots were good.
then came my cousin's wedding quite recently.. again i was blessed with a good photographer crew.. gave me tips, and shot backdrops at her house gave tips lots of it.. gave me some way and even told me a thing or two about wedding photography.
one of the advices he told me .. " Everyone wants to shoot a wedding.. but nobody wants to edit the pictures."
quite true.its more of a pain in the *** to edit than take the shots.
for this wedding.. 90% of the pics were good. IF you asked me waht gear i used... surprise surprise..
im not using a 450d, which is NEW to the market.. im using a d50+d70 + KIT lens . YES kit lens 18-55 with my sb-600 . certain shots were shot in Aperture priority. the rest in M mode.
no fancy gear. and d70 is by far, noisy compard to your 450d. even my d50 and d70 are much older models.
what im tyring to say is.. it boils down your skills.
If you're gonna do this for your friend.. show him what you have. if they dont mind, then its good luck to you. If i was in your shoe and he made me photographer and I have no experience.. 0 experience, i'll find somene to do it, and shoot with him/her and learn at the same time. wedding is once in a lifetime... the shots u missed cannot be retook.. neither can the entire wedding