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03/13/2005 07:41:25 PM · #1 |
Well the day I have been dreading has finally arrived. My first Wedding is booked. A friend of mine who is very short on cash asked me if I could do her wedding.
This is a good thing and a bad thing. Good as in I finally get to do a real wedding and put my skills to the test. Bad as in this is my first wedding and I̢۪m Sh!ting my pants.
I have some questions for anyone who has done a wedding as a professional / amateur. I have a Digital Rebel with Canon 28-135 IS, 100 2.8 Macro, 17-40L and a 100-400 (not planning on using). Is this enough to do a small wedding?
I have a 420ex and am planning on buying or renting flash equipment any suggestions?
Message edited by author 2005-03-13 19:47:39. |
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03/13/2005 07:45:27 PM · #2 |
Good luck.
I have a friend who is short on cash, and I'm doing their wedding. I'm going to be going with 18-55, 75-300 III, and 50mm 1.8 and HOPEFULLY a 420 ex.
I think what you have will be suffice...I think with the 420 it communicates with the camera to focal length and adjusts the flash accordingly...that sounds cool (I could be way off, that's what I read).
I'm interested to see what everyone has to say with some experience as well.
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03/13/2005 07:48:41 PM · #3 |
I have the same dilema, I have been asked by a cash strapped friend to photo their wedding.
I think your lenses cover the ranges you require, may be add the 50mm 1.8 as it a cheap, sharp, fast lens (good for indoors).
I don't know about the flashes, but maybe a hand held reflector may help.
I am going to keep an eye on this to see what others suggest.
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03/13/2005 08:04:38 PM · #4 |
The 420 Ex has TTL and it does have a distance focus. It's pretty good.
Originally posted by deapee:
Good luck.
I have a friend who is short on cash, and I'm doing their wedding. I'm going to be going with 18-55, 75-300 III, and 50mm 1.8 and HOPEFULLY a 420 ex.
I think what you have will be suffice...I think with the 420 it communicates with the camera to focal length and adjusts the flash accordingly...that sounds cool (I could be way off, that's what I read).
I'm interested to see what everyone has to say with some experience as well. |
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03/13/2005 08:15:49 PM · #5 |
| I've read similar threads to this and the number one piece of advice I read was to bring a backup camera body. My 300D locked up on me last week while doing some sports photography I think it was the heat. It was a very hot day out in the sun. It didn't work again until I got home and pulled the battery out and let the whole thing cool down. It gave me a small heart attack at the time. It would give me a big heart attack at a wedding. :) |
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03/13/2005 08:20:54 PM · #6 |
| I've also read quite a few posts saying that just because your doing it cheap doesn't mean they don't want a good looking set of photos so you probably still need to treat it as a pro shoot. An assistant wouldn't be a bad idea too. The important bits of a wedding can go by in about 3 mins. You don't want to be fiddling with lenses or batteries etc during the ceremony. My advice would be to give it some serious thought first. The wedding is only going to happen once. I've been asked to do the same thing as you and am researching as much as I can before hand, hence I'm looking into getting a second body before I promise to do it. Good Luck. |
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03/13/2005 08:47:33 PM · #7 |
| Corwyn, perhaps you can find a second photographer in the same sitation as you (a novice looking for experience with weddings) who would be willing to do it for little money. Maybe you could find someone on DPC. Then the two of you could fall back on each other for support and backup and it wouldn't be such an overwhelming undertaking. |
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03/14/2005 08:27:17 AM · #8 |
| Any advice from the morning crowd. |
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03/14/2005 09:14:29 AM · #9 |
| If they are having a rehearsal prior, definitely make that for some test shots. It can be invaluable. It will give you time to change lenses to see which you will use during the actual ceremony. It will also give you a chance to talk to the couple and minister about using a flash. Normally I will not use a flash and I use the 28-135. I am at work right now but I will try and post some pics from a wedding I did a couple of weeks ago. |
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03/14/2005 10:06:15 AM · #10 |
I would love to see your pics
Thanks |
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03/14/2005 10:09:31 AM · #11 |
Browse other photographers' sites who do weddings to get some good ideas. I did this before my first, and though I didn't use a lot of the ideas, it did free my mind to work in the space and with the people. Good luck!
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03/14/2005 10:13:14 AM · #12 |
I think you need to find out what they want, i.e lota of family shots, more candid approach, etc. And then if you don't agree tell them how your going to do it ;-P
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03/14/2005 10:41:16 PM · #13 |
Well, I finally got home and put some of the shots in my portfolio. I shot about 900 between Friday night and Saturday. It was the daughter of a guy I work with. I put all the exif data with the photos. Mostly used the 28-135 during the wedding and also the 50 1.8 when I had time to move and frame.
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03/14/2005 10:43:54 PM · #14 |
| well I think the 17-40 will be great. I would suggest a 35mm 2.0 or a 50mm 1.8 for low light. Also Make sure you have AT LEAST 2 gigs of CF cards on hand. Preferably more. |
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03/15/2005 01:26:03 PM · #15 |
All good advice. It's been a few years since I shot a wedding. I think the 50mm 1.8 is a good idea. You'll be shooting in some low light situations and the church may or may not allow flash during the ceremony. I NEVER used flash during the ceremony because it was too distracting.
Take extra everything, batteries, memory cards, camera body if possible.
Consult with the bride and groom ahead of time. It's their day.
One thing I always had a problem with was getting the wedding party together for posed pics immediately after the ceremony. If possible, when the wedding party exits the church, have them go straight out the door and around to the back of the church. Send the guests to the reception. Once the bride stops to give aunt so and so a hug it'll be an hour before you can drag her away.
Good luck |
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03/15/2005 01:43:05 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by DannyM:
All good advice. It's been a few years since I shot a wedding. I think the 50mm 1.8 is a good idea. You'll be shooting in some low light situations and the church may or may not allow flash during the ceremony. I NEVER used flash during the ceremony because it was too distracting.
Take extra everything, batteries, memory cards, camera body if possible.
Consult with the bride and groom ahead of time. It's their day.
One thing I always had a problem with was getting the wedding party together for posed pics immediately after the ceremony. If possible, when the wedding party exits the church, have them go straight out the door and around to the back of the church. Send the guests to the reception. Once the bride stops to give aunt so and so a hug it'll be an hour before you can drag her away.
Good luck |
Organize ahead of time: decide whan to change batts (camera and flash) and memory cards BEFORE they are dead or full. (for example, you will have 5 or 10 minutes afer the ceremony before the altar returns photos - change it all then)
An assistant is MOST helpful at this time. Also, explain to the bride BEFORE the wedding day taht you will need 30minutes to 1 hour to do the altar returns after the ceremony. Do the bride/groom and pastor first, send the pastor away. DO the parents next, then send them away (to the reception, they can handle the guests then). Keep the bride and bridal party around the longest.) Do it NOW while yo ahve everyone and they are clean and sober. If you HAVE to get shots later, be prepared for lots more hassle (undone ties, missing folks, etc)
Talk with the pastor before the ceremnoy and verify the rules of engagemnet - they can change at his whim. (regarding flash, your position, altar returns, etc). If there is another wedding right behind you, then you need a Plan B.
Have a list of shots - like wedding rings, bride and her parents, bride and maid of honor, bride and groom, groom and best man, groom and paretns, bride groom both attendants, briode groom both sets of parents...etc. An assistant can have a printed list in the appropriate order and make this go quick.
GET A BOOK on wedding photography and read it.
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03/15/2005 01:47:58 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by kyebosh:
well I think the 17-40 will be great. I would suggest a 35mm 2.0 or a 50mm 1.8 for low light. Also Make sure you have AT LEAST 2 gigs of CF cards on hand. Preferably more. |
3 Gb. maybe.
120 RAW imaged per Gb. If you bracket, triple what you need. Most seem to shoot 400 or more shots in 7 or 8 hours of coverage. 280 Jpg per Gb.
Shoot the church stuff in RAW. THe reception can be JPG. Depends somewhat on how much you shoot (as in personal sytle).
Flash batteries...you can get 100 -120 flashes from a 550EX on 1 set of batteries. Recycle time drops as the batteries get used. Figure on changein batts every 60 shots... so you'll need 6 sets of batteries at least. And 2 camera batteries!
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03/15/2005 02:31:08 PM · #18 |
bring the rebel, but also bring a couple of hasselblad medium formats as backup.
here's a couple of things to think about.
trust your compositional skills and knowledge of the subjects
keep it as candid as possible.
take creative pictures of the ceremony grounds adn reception grounds, as well as all the guests.
just kidding. good luck. |
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03/15/2005 02:36:43 PM · #19 |
Thanks Prof_Fate.
Any more advice you have would be much appreciated for all of you...
Thanks everyone. |
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