Wedding Photography

[sc0tt]

Looks like we haven't had a "What settings for a wedding" thread in a while

Dreading my first, luckily it is my Aunties and small affair, I hope. I can use a camera and I can point it in the right direction. I'm not expecting award winning photo's and neither are they.

The only thing I am nervous about is everyone watching me oh, and my camera doing something it shouldn't, so wish me luck everyone.

I'll try and post up the results next week if anyone is interested, I'll ensure there is plenty of selective colour and cliche'd pictures too

Scott

[Ali Chappussy]

Unless you are supremely confident, NEVER, ever be the 'official' wedding photographer for a relative.

If anything goes wrong, it's down to you and you'll always be remembered as the nork who ruined the brides big day!!

That said, good luck.

[Simpo Two]

Did you volunteer or did they say 'Scott's got a camera, he can do it'? In other words, are you doing it willingly or unwillingly?

[sc0tt]

Simpo Two said:

Did you volunteer or did they say 'Scott's got a camera, he can do it'? In other words, are you doing it willingly or unwillingly?

I haven't offered, they asked me. But, I don't mind doing it.

[Gemm]

sc0tt said:

I'm not expecting award winning photo's and neither are they.

They usually say they aren't BUT they actually are! So I'd make it absolutely clear before you commit to anything. And if you are committed, you should intend to take award-winning photos.

Edited by Gemm on Monday 25th June 10:14

[K12beano]

What could possibly go wrong?

[Gemm]

K12beano said:

What could possibly go wrong?

I'd say that's a total winner, not fail!

[TonyHetherington]

The bride will have been looking at wedding photographer's websites costing many many thousands of pounds. As others have said - she is saying that she doesn't mind what they come out like, however, that's so long as the come out like the wedding photographer's websites costing many many thousands of pounds

Backup kit is very important - imagine turning up and your camera not working (for whatever reason).

Other than that, good luck and enjoy - it will be great fun

[sc0tt]

TonyHetherington said:

The bride will have been looking at wedding photographer's websites costing many many thousands of pounds. As others have said - she is saying that she doesn't mind what they come out like, however, that's so long as the come out like the wedding photographer's websites costing many many thousands of pounds

Backup kit is very important - imagine turning up and your camera not working (for whatever reason).

Other than that, good luck and enjoy - it will be great fun

I would agree that a usual bride would from the outset but I am hoping as it is her second marriage and its a small registry office affair she won't have looked at anyone's websites

I will be try to put on the best I can and like I say I'll pop some pics up next week of the best, if there are any

[andrewrob]

I've got dropped into doing my wife's cousin's wedding.
I'm half looking forward to it half not. I've got a Canon 550d but have borrowed a 5D II to use as the main camera as mine is quite noisy at higher ISO.
I've noticed a lot of wedding photographers using flash outdoors is it just as a very low level fill light?

Sorry for the nooby questions

[sc0tt]

andrewrob said:

I've got dropped into doing my wife's cousin's wedding.
I'm half looking forward to it half not. I've got a Canon 550d but have borrowed a 5D II to use as the main camera as mine is quite noisy at higher ISO.
I've noticed a lot of wedding photographers using flash outdoors is it just as a very low level fill light?

Sorry for the nooby questions

Certainly is

I am using a 450d and am not too worried about ISO.

[andrewrob]

sc0tt said:

andrewrob said:

I've got dropped into doing my wife's cousin's wedding.
I'm half looking forward to it half not. I've got a Canon 550d but have borrowed a 5D II to use as the main camera as mine is quite noisy at higher ISO.
I've noticed a lot of wedding photographers using flash outdoors is it just as a very low level fill light?

Sorry for the nooby questions

Certainly is

I am using a 450d and am not too worried about ISO.

I wouldn't have been worried about ISO if the church wasn't so dark but it really is, so I borrowed the 5D II from a friend.
Is fill in flash a must then do you think for out door stuff (obviously not with group shots)?

[sc0tt]

andrewrob said:

I wouldn't have been worried about ISO if the church wasn't so dark but it really is, so I borrowed the 5D II from a friend.
Is fill in flash a must then do you think for out door stuff (obviously not with group shots)?

I'll have to gauge what the weather is like. If its overcast I probably won't as I don't want anything blown but if its bright sunshine I will. But I am far from a pro and hate using a flash.

[andrewrob]

sc0tt said:

andrewrob said:

I wouldn't have been worried about ISO if the church wasn't so dark but it really is, so I borrowed the 5D II from a friend.
Is fill in flash a must then do you think for out door stuff (obviously not with group shots)?

I'll have to gauge what the weather is like. If its overcast I probably won't as I don't want anything blown but if its bright sunshine I will. But I am far from a pro and hate using a flash.

Hmmmm. Not sure what to do then, its not something I've tried before so don't know weather its worth the risk or not.

[4Lmike]

One thing I would recommend is a fast memory card. It's a bit embarrassing when you have a big group of people in front of you and you have to wait for your camera to finishing writing the previous shots.

[RobbieKB]

There are rumblings left right and centre of weddings for me lately. My friend said the other night "You're definitely my wedding photographer - with out a doubt." I started backing away immediately, conversationally and he qualified it with "You're being modest, I can't see how you can get any better..." If that's not a warning sign of cataclysmic proportions, I don't know what is.

I would be a little weary of a few things, if I could give you advice. The noise at high ISO as someone already mentioned; that might be a bigger problem than you have anticipated. Flash gun - you need one. What lenses are you using? Be careful of AWB.

I'm interested to see you results, you seem quite casual about the whole ordeal which is both good and scary.

[K12beano]

RobbieKB said:

There are rumblings left right and centre of weddings for me lately. My friend said the other night "You're definitely my wedding photographer - with out a doubt." I started backing away immediately, conversationally and he qualified it with "You're being modest, I can't see how you can get any better..." If that's not a warning sign of cataclysmic proportions, I don't know what is.

Leave the country - right now!

Unless you've actually got wedding photographs you have taken to judge, how on earth can they think that all photography is the same!!!?

[RobbieKB]

K12beano said:

RobbieKB said:

There are rumblings left right and centre of weddings for me lately. My friend said the other night "You're definitely my wedding photographer - with out a doubt." I started backing away immediately, conversationally and he qualified it with "You're being modest, I can't see how you can get any better..." If that's not a warning sign of cataclysmic proportions, I don't know what is.

Leave the country - right now!

Unless you've actually got wedding photographs you have taken to judge, how on earth can they think that all photography is the same!!!?

Yes that - and the fact he thinks I'm at the top of my game, after 3 years, and with the quality I shoot. He only needs to pop on to Random Photos thread to pop that illusion. I'm glad you reacted like I did to that

[gingerpaul]

4Lmike said:

One thing I would recommend is a fast memory card. It's a bit embarrassing when you have a big group of people in front of you and you have to wait for your camera to finishing writing the previous shots.

To continue this theme make sure that you change your flash batteries just before the group shots and try not to run the flash at full blast so that it recharges nice and quickly.

[zbc]

I helped my FIL shoot his son's wedding and this is my advice, get someone else to help 'officially'. We had completely separate equipment, different techniques, different approaches, he did most of the formal stuff and I did a lot of informal ones. Probably 80% of what went into the album was his but the big advantage was that if he had had a problem, technical or otherwise there was a backup. Apart from anything else he also said that he was more relaxed and less stressed knowing that I was there too. It also gave us the chance to be in two places at once. So I took the bride and bridesmaids leaving the house whilst he was snapping people arriving at the church.