DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> First wedding
Pages:  
Showing posts 26 - 43 of 43, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 01/18/2010 04:23:09 PM · #26
bah!! typo
 01/18/2010 04:23:45 PM · #27
Originally posted by kashi:
Originally posted by Simms:
... I will say the lenses you have are woefully inadequate. Only the 50mm 1.4 really cuts the mustard and thats not going to help you very much unless you get up in people faces.

I would say you need a proper workhorse lens, something like the 24-70 f2.8 or the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 - that will set you quite well for the day. Obviously the couple are aware that you are not pro or even putting yourself across as one - however if you want to achieve `pro like` results that you can look at and feel proud of, then definitely look at hiring or borrow a decent 2.8 zoom as mnetioned above.

Maybe a few weeks before it might be worth going along to the venue(s) and checking out how the light is, it might give you an idea ow how your lenses will fair on the day.

Good luck!


As much as I would love to put my hands on one of those lens - there isn't a local place to rent (I've checked), and purchasing is completely out of the question.

It's something I'll keep on the back burner though - not that I'm likely to come across that kind of cash just laying around ;)

I realize my equip. list isn't much - it wasn't purchased with weddings in mind at all. But it is what I have.


Dont get me wrong, I didnt chip in to tear a strip off your equipment - I know more than anybody that this stuff costs mega bucks! However, I will always be truthfully blunt when it comes to answering questions about photographing wedding - its something I do a lot of and so I think I actually speak on it and back up what I say with a bit of real world experience. I know not everyone can afford the biggest and best lenses - until only recently most of my equipment was purchased on tick. Like I said, if you know of anybody who may be able to lend you something that would really help you and would give you more confidence in the equipment on the day - then you can just concentrate on the actual photography.. Good luck!


Message edited by author 2010-01-18 16:24:00.
 01/18/2010 04:26:57 PM · #28
No hard feeling - I appreciate the honesty, and I go into this knowing that the equipment I have is lacking.

Regardless, I'm hoping that I will still end up with something that I can feel proud of in the end, and that the couple is happy with. Or at least that they don't hate, I suppose.
 01/18/2010 06:57:28 PM · #29
Best wishes Lea. I hope you do well. Your port indicates you will.
 01/18/2010 07:52:40 PM · #30
Lea, I can sympathize with your concerns and hopes to do well with this wedding. One of my wife's friends asked me to shoot her wedding... I agreed solely because they cannot afford a "real" wedding photog. My gear is not exactly perfect for weddings either, but I feel with some prep work and planning, the day should work out well (I hope.)

Judging by your port, you have a great eye for composition, especially portraits. You'll do great!
 01/18/2010 08:26:24 PM · #31
I have not done any weddings but have been learning a lot from best pros in that area. If there is a lot of sunshine you can do some great natural light shots outdoors and indoors near windows. The zoom range is fine. For the higher f-stops you may have to go to ISO 600-800 indooors. A flash will help.

You can do lighting the cheaper (non-wireless) way. Just have your assistent watch for anyone tripping on the wire.

Get a 15-20 ft pc sync cord and have someone hold the flash 10 feet away while you shoot 20 feet away, for a large group. If you have an assistant hold the flash off-camera, and even through white umbrella for softness, that is alway better lighting.

Practice your flash setup, find one setting that works in manual mode, then chimp to adjust from there. I've found f'4.0 at 1/60s works for my flash system filling in and allowing the background ambient light. I use a Quantum Trio flash with the Pilot wireless tranciever on the camera.

If you can go to the locations an do some test shots envisioning the compositions and angles beforehand that is always helpful. Anticipating the next moves of the subjects and the exposure you need is great planning. You can also anticipate the kinds of scenes they may want in their "Wedding storybook". Some want storytelling more, some want traditional poses/setups. Either you or your assistant can get them to laught or act romantic, as needed.

Last week I told a group to "Lean into each other like your all drunk", to get the group closer to each other. That also got a laugh. I'm looking forward to seeing your photos here.
 01/18/2010 08:42:07 PM · #32
Don't make excuses, rent the equipment. Saying there isn't anywhere near you doesn't matter in the 21st century.

www.lensrentals.com

www.borrowlenses.com

www.lensprotogo.com/

www.rentglass.com

www.cameralensrentals.com/

01/21/2010 12:04:56 PM · #33
another great rental place is www.rentphotostuff.com.

We are usually cheaper than anyone and will work out expedited shipping. We are also wedding photographers so if you need equipment advice, don't hesitate to ask.

Justin
 01/21/2010 12:49:35 PM · #34
If anyone can point me to a CANADIAN rental site that ships out equipment, I will be more than happy to take a look at what they have and the pricing.

Thanks for pointing out the US sites - as I'm sure they won't go unnoticed by those who can use them, so it's good to have them out there.
 01/21/2010 01:05:27 PM · #35
where are you in Canada?
 01/21/2010 01:42:48 PM · #36
Originally posted by dknourek:
where are you in Canada?


Right here.

Oh wait, you're asking a more generalized location aren't you ??
Oshawa, Ontario.

I've found Headshots rentals in Toronto.
 02/16/2010 08:36:40 PM · #37
I think that the wrong thing to do is panic about your equipment. I think the BEST way to learn is to learn experientially why your current equipment may make things more difficult and why other stuff may make things easier, but it's not impossible to shoot a wedding with a 50. Likewise, I think it's possible to have all the right stuff and still suck. My highest rated photo on here was lit with the light from a stove hood with a translucent cutting board in front of it. Voila, a softbox. Last year I shot all my weddings exclusively on a 50 because that's all I had. I used a 24-70mm, 2.8 last Saturday, along with a 70-200mm 2.8 and it was great. It made things easier, but I don't think the 24-70 is this amazing standard like everyone else. Maybe if it was cheaper. I'm not sure I agree that the 50 is an inadequate mid-range lens that can't be used for a lot of the same purposes. You may just have to move around more, but eh...

Also, I feel like people are so strobe happy that they actually feel like reflectors are MORE cumbersome than trying to use off camera lighting. I think both are important, and very useful in the right situations. Reflectors offer a lot of benefits like the ability to adjust your camera settings to light that you can already see. It's a lot quicker that way. It also requires no setup time, so if you have to go quickly, it can make things easier. I've found that on outside shoots in general, it's my tool of choice when it's sunny. Depends on your goal I guess.

A word about the gold side. It's a neat effect, but you have to understand your white balance settings. If your camera is set to auto-wb, it will try to correct the gold light on the subject by adding blue to bring it back to white light, thus it makes everything else in the photo slightly bluer than it really is. It makes it very difficult to work with in post. I learned that the hard way, and now exclusively use the white or silver sides.

Message edited by author 2010-02-16 20:38:23.
 02/23/2010 04:29:09 AM · #38
ditto sprite777

Originally posted by kashi:
I'm very glad that I've got several months to work on my skills.

this is really the key to your success. yes, having proper equipment can make a huge difference, but in reality, it comes down to the photog's ability to know what they're after and then being able to make it happen with what they have available to them. try to get the best handle you can on what to expect at the time you'll be shooting and practice shooting under those conditions. practice, practice, practice. practice enough to learn the limitations of your equipment and how to make things happen when you're reaching your equipment's end.

and, if it hasn't been mentioned, a flash diffuser can make a huge difference for you.

good luck!

03/03/2010 10:16:22 AM · #39
Originally posted by DelRioPhoto:
Congratulations on your first wedding gig. We were all there at one point or another. I'm sure Alan has oooooodles more experience at weddings than I do, but I have found reflectors to be handy for outdoor wedding pictures, but for your first wedding, you don't want anything else to be a distraction to your concentration, so you could probably skip it (unless you have an assistant that knows how to use it).

I'm sure there will be lots of tips, but here are the first few that came to mind...

1. Relax - Have fun! (don't stress yourself out)
2. If you're shooting in nice consistent light, shoot in manual mode to ensure that the photos all look the same. The ever changing color of suits, dresses, etc. often trick your camera's meter, so running in manual will prevent one photo from looking great, the next one being a tad dark, and the next one being over exposed. (doing this also makes your post processing much easier)
3. If you change locations or lighting conditions change, don't forget to adjust your exposure if you're running in manual mode.
4. Shoot in RAW if you have the capability to work with RAW images on your computer.
5. Use the histogram on your camera to show whether you're over or under exposed....Don't rely on "how nice" the picture looks on the back of your camera. Error on the side of underexposed if you're having a tough time with the dynamic range of a scene.
6. Don't forget about composition.
7. Don't take all your pictures at eye level. Get on your knees, climb a ladder, lay on the ground, etc. Photos from these varying angles make for some nice photos during the reception, ceremony (if you can do these things quietly), and bride and groom shots (group photos are usually better off done at eye level unless you have some really great idea in mind.

I hope that helps and feel free to PM me if you have any questions about any of these.

P.S. I too am new at weddings. I have about 6 weddings under my belt. I feel qualified to provide tips due to the fact that I was in your shoes not that long ago. :)


This is a fantastic tip, and something I can't believe has only become apparent to me now haha!
 03/03/2010 12:47:33 PM · #40
if it's not too late to add an idea...if you are going to add reflectors or shades I have used the much cheaper reflective car shades before and although not as bright as regular reflectors they worked great for both uses, especially shades.

One thing I think is important, IF you have the opportunity, is to go to that location a day or two before, about the same time to get a feel for what the lighting might be and see what obsticles or background clutter you may have (especially with the outside photos) you might even find a perfect location for the group shots. I would scope out the entire inside and outside location...again if at all possible.

Another thing I didn't see mentioned and I'm not sure if it is a problem or not, but one of the weddings I shot, I asked the preacher about photographing and was told that they did NOT allow flash photography from when he started speaking till he presented them to us... REALLY SUCKED since I don't have the type of equipment for the low light setting we were in. I have heard of many churches doing this as they feels it interfers with the ceremony (I say "whatever" but not all do).

Just some thoughts you might need to consider.
 03/03/2010 03:20:15 PM · #41
A cautionary tale
 03/13/2010 07:29:19 PM · #42
Originally posted by sprite777:
I think that the wrong thing to do is panic about your equipment. I think the BEST way to learn is to learn experientially why your current equipment may make things more difficult and why other stuff may make things easier, but it's not impossible to shoot a wedding with a 50. Likewise, I think it's possible to have all the right stuff and still suck. My highest rated photo on here was lit with the light from a stove hood with a translucent cutting board in front of it. Voila, a softbox. Last year I shot all my weddings exclusively on a 50 because that's all I had. I used a 24-70mm, 2.8 last Saturday, along with a 70-200mm 2.8 and it was great. It made things easier, but I don't think the 24-70 is this amazing standard like everyone else. Maybe if it was cheaper. I'm not sure I agree that the 50 is an inadequate mid-range lens that can't be used for a lot of the same purposes. You may just have to move around more, but eh...

Also, I feel like people are so strobe happy that they actually feel like reflectors are MORE cumbersome than trying to use off camera lighting. I think both are important, and very useful in the right situations. Reflectors offer a lot of benefits like the ability to adjust your camera settings to light that you can already see. It's a lot quicker that way. It also requires no setup time, so if you have to go quickly, it can make things easier. I've found that on outside shoots in general, it's my tool of choice when it's sunny. Depends on your goal I guess.

A word about the gold side. It's a neat effect, but you have to understand your white balance settings. If your camera is set to auto-wb, it will try to correct the gold light on the subject by adding blue to bring it back to white light, thus it makes everything else in the photo slightly bluer than it really is. It makes it very difficult to work with in post. I learned that the hard way, and now exclusively use the white or silver sides.


I totally agree with Matt. I was once said "Necessisity is the mother of invention". Creativity and looking for good backgrounds at the time and scout around beforehand is essential. For my one-hit-wonder blue ribbon shot, I used a clamp light attached to a stairway handrail, positioned for lighting from under. I would even use my car headlights if possible, for an evening wedding party shot. Yes you can use a 50mm, you would be running around a lot, but it has a great bokeh, if you like to blurr the background for emphasizing the subject. For a dpchallenge shot I used my umbrella for bouncing light and to keep my flash dry from rain at the same time.

Joey Lawrence JoeyL.com said he once used a hotel pillowcase for an improvised lightbox. It's the results that count. One of the best wedding photographers Jerry Ghionis from Australia, has an assistent use a battery-powered video light when needed for fill-lighting. I think he rarely uses flash/strobe at all. He also looks for reflections off of windows, mirrors, glass tabletops and candle lighting. Some of the most unusual places offer unique and interesting backgrounds.

I joined Jerry's I.C.E. Society (Inspire Challenge Educate) for monthly Tips-n-Tricks. There are about 24 of the past Monthly updates, with great video, text, and photo content.
 03/13/2010 09:23:17 PM · #43
This has been helpful. My stepdaughter wants me to take pictures of her wedding this November, and anyone who has seen my stuff knows I'm way in over my head with this. I've been scavenging this site for every little piece of info to help me out. You guys are all awesome.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 08/02/2025 07:58:52 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/02/2025 07:58:52 AM EDT.