August 25, 2014

How to get through a wedding marathon - Monday post

Or how to survive a twelve hour + wedding.

I have the feeling, the longer the summer the longer are my weddings.
The first time I was on the phone and the groom announced that twelve hours will not be enough I felt a slight panic gripping me. I had surely accompanied Jan for longer weddings last year. But being a team and shooting all on your own is just a whole different game. 
I know I get tired and exhausted after a full day of carrying around two heavy cameras, plus lens & later with flash. I was quite afraid of not making it through the fourteen and half hours of this one spanish-italian wedding. I know my arms are not as strong and oh, a wedding day full of new turns in the time line can be, lets be honest, very tiring...
So, what do I do to stay on top of the game? 
I decided I need a game plan in order to tackle this marathon which creeped all I had within me... well, out of me. 
So here is my strategy:
It is still in the testing, but the last super long weddings have passed well and I thought it might help the one or other newby. ;)

Get a lot of rest beforehand. 
This is one great tip I read other photographers do. I try to have a quite Friday and get to bed real early. Even if I am bad at retiring early it helps a lot.

Have a lot to drink in the car.
For the warm summer days I have a cooler in the car. It is stacked full with drinks and power bars and all the food I could crave. I realised that when I am hungry I can get cranky... so this is one state I want to avoid. Whenever there is a switch of location and I have five minutes in the car I tend to eat while driving just to stay fit. Usually as soon as I am out of the car there is no time to rest and eat till dinner comes along.

When on a break, be on the break.
During the day and especially during the portrait session I can get really excited. This is cool for the couple because I make jokes, run around and entertain them (read make a fool of myself). At the same time this takes a lot of energy. Whenever I have the smallest break I try to wind down, slow my breathing to relax for a tiny bit. This is very hard and I am so not good at it. ;)

Drive home safe.
Two weeks ago between the time I closed the front door and I got back home where seventeen almost eighteen hours. There was a two and a half hour drive to and from the location and oh boy I was at my limit. Wedding days are kind of extreme so I get my last espresso at 11 pm and turn the music up good.
And lets be honest! There is nothing like driving in Stuttgart down town, with the rain coming down and the windows down for fresh air while Bonnie Tyler hollers I need a hero... in the middle of the night at you. Oh those beats... ;) 
Nothing.like.it!


Some instagrams from last Saturday : )



Have a great new week!!










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