2+ Hour Behind the Scenes At A Wedding - What it's Like Doing Hybrid Photo + Video

[@kristinaburton3863]

So cool to watch my sister’s day from a behind-the-scenes perspective! As frazzled or thrown off by inconveniences as you may have been, you didn’t let it show or disrupt your work and that’s such an admirable quality! You guys were practically part of the party; truly loved having you be a huge piece of Jackie and Scott’s day!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks so much, Kristina! We definitely were thrown off at times, but how we adapt to that is part of the job. Loved celebrating with you guys and would do it all over again if I had the chance, even with all of the craziness that occurred. It was truly a lot fun!

[@justesmond]

Wow. What a great video this was to see another creator’s method. Excellent reflexes to adjust as needed. One observation…. You shoot quickly dude! Woah!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks my guy. Yeah, doing this long enough to know I don’t always get the time I scheduled. Not the most ideal situation to be in, of course, but sometimes you need to be quick on your feet, adjust on the fly and shoot quick when needed haha.

[@jerianlewis1708]

This BTS was worth the watch .... so many things to decipher ... thanks for sharing

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Working on another BTS now. Can't wait to share with you!

[@LunaBellaPhotos]

My wife took a command hook to our last wedding and I tell you that was amazing for the dress shot. I hate say the word game changer but it was. I was able to put the dress on a nice wall with the window light hitting the dress instead of on the actual window.

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Yeah that’s a good idea!

[@GoodNewsPromotion]

GREAT JOB. Thanks for taking us BTS with you. Question: What shoulder strap are u using?

[@madiseckel61]

This footage was awesome! Thanks for keeping it raw & real- you guys navigated that day like true pros 👏

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Raw and real is the way I know I’d like to learn if I was starting over completely. So glad you liked it and hopefully it was helpful!

[@lenaapple1974]

You gotta come to me... wow. power trip. We can't spend all day going back and forth to the event space lady! That is just odd. I understand the bathroom escort to keep people safe...but outside to the waterfall element? That is STRANGE. . Loving the video so far. It is raw and shows us how it really can be. I don't shoot as many weddings as I'd like to on my own. I mostly second shoot. I am ready though I think to go full throttle and do it up.

[@lenaapple1974]

I have been told by the DJ what they thought was happening with the bridal party so I know where to stand and then it changes last second. That stuff frustrates me. But in the end we get it all! :)

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Yes! It was all the things she was saying that made me just super annoyed and frustrated, and just slowed down my ability to document the day. I understand the bathroom rule, but needing an escort to go in and out just slowed everything down drastically and made it difficult. Give me a better solution or someone who will escort me in and out. I def ask the Dj every single wedding now if the group is lining up and where about it might happen, or if they’re going to seats. That was the biggest change we made going forward based on this experience.

[@candoraudio3159]

great job Josiah

[@prestonchristman5763]

Real & Authentic. This is what can happen during wedding days! It all works out in the end! Awesome stuff bro!

[@prestonchristman5763]

ALSO! First Looks are still EVERYTHING

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Nothing is perfect for sure, but it definitely works itself out. Loved this wedding despite some of the trickiness. Just gotta keep learning and getting better!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

And Hell Yeah they are!

[@paulastonphotography]

Great vid dude! I been shooting weddings for 7 years part time and finally gone full time this year, this vid has helped a lot. confirms to me that I am doing my job correctly in a good way! I love your vids! I wish we had first look here in the UK, I do love that little moment! The first look for bride and groom is normally as the bride walks down the aisle, which can be epic, but having that intimate time for them both is truly powerful and personal. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your day!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks Paul! I’ve heard from others in the UK that the first look is pretty non existent. Why is that do you think?

[@DebbieWatkins133]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video, thank you for sharing x

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Glad you liked it! Thanks Debbie!

[@mikeali5400]

I enjoyed and learned very much

[@LNBFilms]

Loved this behind the scenes! Interest to know what focus settings you use when taking photos, as you seem to be able to move so fast and nail it every time!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks! I use the Lock-On AF: Center or Eye-AF.

[@billysantos1]

Awesome!!! (whats the LED in 1:52:00?)

[@ThaoTrangPhotography]

Love the video quality!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Wish I had the ability to produce BTS videos like this all the time but paying someone to follow me for 9 hours gets expensive. Will definitely attempt to do more of this though once or twice a year is my hope.

[@ThaoTrangPhotography]

@@JosiahBlizzard Also, I like that you provide the gallery of the wedding! That was a unique feature that the client allowed you to show to us! Thank you so much for the video! You did a great job!

[@JRStarkey]

I even cried during the first look Geesh

[@waynosfotos]

Your a brave man doing both stills and video at the same time. Did you mic the bride and groom and how many mics did you use?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks! It’s taken a lot of practice to get it to be what it is today. I mic’d the groom for the first look and ceremony. I also ran sound out of the DJs speakers for ceremony and reception. The mic I used was the Hollyland Lark 150.

[@waynosfotos]

@@JosiahBlizzard what was really good about this video, it shows you the nuts and bolts of the day. I am pushing to get into this industry from long time IG and YT, so have the gear and camera knowledge. But the other things are a mystery. Great you showed this in this vid. I def wouldn't try a vid/stills on the same day. Great respect for that.

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Yeah we did only photo for years before jumping to adding video and I had a pretty extensive video background so it wasn’t a terrible tough thing to add. So glad the video was helpful!

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

Hi Josiah! This video helps and enlightens me more to do photo + video at the same time on weddings. i"m planning to do hybrid, im a photographer mysel and want to do atleast highlights video at the same time as one man job. atm my gear are a73 x2, 85mm 1.8, 24-70gm, 35 1.4. now because im gonna do video what would you recommend for me to buy first? a 70-200 lense? a new a74 camera? what would. you suggest? Thankyou so much!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Hi! Awesome man! Yeah, I’d say having a camera dedicated to just video is helpful plus the a74 does 4k 60fps right? If you’re looking to do a basic highlight film then shooting at 4k 60fps would be great especially if you tossed the 24-70mm on there and used the 35/85 combo on your other camera. But it’s gonna come down to what you feel is gonna make creating easier and more streamlined. So I’d first recommend giving it a try with what you got, or determine where you’re most likely to find an issue with your current setup and then try and solve that problem. It might be gear related or could be something completely different, but whatever you’re getting sure enhances your workflow to make creating as easy as possible.

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

@@JosiahBlizzard appreciate your response Josiah! Thankyou so much! So camera it is! I was thinking thag as well, the 4k option for a74 will really be useful for my highlight! Will definitely do and try those set up first! And btw, whats the purpose of putting the gimbal camera on the middle for ceremony? Since its too low down? Is it just for clips on your highlight video? :). Thankyou so much!!!:)

[@JosiahBlizzard]

@@EdwardUmpaFilms the gimbal camera goes on the ground so it is low and compact, out of sight for guests mostly, doesn’t block the aisle for us to photograph like a huge tripod would, doesn’t require moving in a new tripod or camera after the bride comes down the aisle, and streamlines the exit as well making everything much easier than if there is a tripod there. Only trade off is the shot is a little low.

[@EdwardUmpaFilms]

@@JosiahBlizzard i see. That makes so much sense. Thankyou so much Josiah! And when shooting hybrid, do you always have someone with you? Or you shoot all by yourself in some occasions?

[@gerritm.8102]

Hi. Just found this video. Absolutely brilliant work !! Can I ask how many pictures you take during a full wedding ?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Thanks Gerrit! I’m taking around 3000-4000 or so on a wedding day and end up delivering around 1000.

[@gerritm.8102]

@@JosiahBlizzard Hi Josiah, thanks for your quick answer ! Keep up the good work 👍

[@4fotolove988]

What are those wireless mics you used on the groom? Thanks!

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Hollyland Lark 150 but would honestly recommend the Rode or DJI equivalents

[@Moresco24]

With a double harness do you think a useable setup for solo hybrid wedding could be a Sony a7riii for photo and a Sony fx30 for video ?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Definitely. Although, it may be easier to just switch back and forth between photo and video using the same camera.

[@gerritm.8102]

Hi Josiah. After checking your video again I was wondering if you use backbutton focus. I thought i saw you use the AF-ON button constantly ?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Yup! Back button focus and eye AF is pretty much all I use.

[@gerritm.8102]

@@JosiahBlizzard Thanks for the answer Josiah 🙂. Greetings from the Netherlands-Amsterdam.

[@AlexKaplanPhoto]

Thank you for this, Just curios as to why you are shooting both, you mention its a great way to stand out from the competition, but the competition can bring a dedicated video shooter. Do you mean you shoot both for the price of one?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

So when we started offering both, it was just easier for me to be in control of both aspects, especially since we didn't offer a 2nd videographer when we first started doing this. We were simply doing a 2-4 minute highlight film add on that I would create while also shooting photo. Eventually we expanded and offered a full videography service, but by the time we did this I had just become so comfortable shooting both photo and video on the day. I have a background in filmmaking first, and really started focusing on photography in the middle of learning filmmaking. I've found that most wedding films can be made really well with a single videographer. I heavily rely on my 2nd videographer to get a ton of b-roll footage. But between them focusing fully on video and me being able to bounce back and forth, I'm able to stay in control of the overall vision, shoot specific shots I want to shoot, and I'm able to save some of the stress and money from having to hire 2 additional people to join me on the day which means I can keep cost a little lower as well for my clients. We don't shoot both for the price of one, but all in all, our clients save around $1000 total booking us for both than if they were to add up what we cost for just photo and for just video. We are currently thinking of expanding the team to include 2 videographers on the wedding day so I can just focus on photo, but it is a slow process that we want to make sure we do correctly. I hope all that makes sense!

[@AlexKaplanPhoto]

@@JosiahBlizzard Yes it definitely does, do you have a sample of the video that was sent to this client?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

@@AlexKaplanPhoto yes. The final video we sent them is in a link in the description.

[@aA-mw4jb]

How many batteries and sd cards did you end up using since you also took video?

[@JosiahBlizzard]

I use 2 cards per photo camera and 1 per video and 1 for audio. So 11-ish cards. One is a jpeg backup and other shoots raw while video only shoots video of course. Batteries I tend to do one swap per camera at most. Normally using around 6-8 batteries at most.

[@MillonPhotography]

Im Not shure if i like or not your way to work… i think you are very intrusive… example… in the fireworks you dont let them enjoy their moment… I preffee to cach that moment and thats real emotions without intervening… but thats my style, dont have to be better, Just my way to do. Aside from that, the end result is indisputably perfect. Congrats

[@JosiahBlizzard]

I had talked with them before the wedding about the fireworks and how we would do things to get the shots they wanted. They gave their approval. My style has shifted dramatically since this wedding as well moving towards a much more documentary approach. Would like shoot fireworks a bit differently today as well.

[@silverboisilverboi9316]

Preface is 15 minutes too long.

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Gotta skip through silverboi... plus its only a 2 minute intro?

[@zayanything3124]

The wedding planner seems a bit extra.

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Oh yeah… definitely not my favorite person 😂

[@JuliaCrawford_rmek]

Thank you for sharing this full wedding day! It was also great to see how real things can get sometimes! 🫣 I would love to learn more in depth about how you set up OCF in indoor receptions. Maybe you could you another video on that someday? 😄

[@JosiahBlizzard]

Hey! I’ll add it to my list! Thanks so much!