Tips and advice - been asked to do a wedding

[Fordo]

Well, its almost a wedding- A bit of background: my sister is having a 2nd wedding- a sort of vow renewal, plus reception- lot of friends and family. She has a brain tumour, and the first operation a few years ago robbed her of her memories of her wedding. She's recently discovered the tumour is growing again, and she might loose the sight in her other eye. So she and my brother on law have decided to have they're vows renewed, to give her a 2nd wedding day, so she can have one amazing day with all her friends and family. Money is a bit tight, so she's asked me to do the photography.

I initially said no- too much pressure- this is an important day. Way more important because of the circumstances. Im a very experienced video cameraman, but im just a keen amateur at photogrpahy. But shes really, really insisted on me.

And i know that being a photographer means i'll have no fun, and not really be a part of the day- i'll be working hard, and always looking for some shots. But ive excepted that- I just want to do a stunning job for her.

I've already booked the equipment- im hiring in a Canon 7d, a fast 50m prime and a 23-100mm zoom. Im hiring the 7d, because i also want to scope out its video capabilities, and test it on some test charts at work. The prime i'll use in the evening, when available light gets low. I'm not hiring a flash because Ive never really used a proper flash before, and i dont want to bite off more than i can chew- instead, im going to use what i know- using available light well, a lastolight to bounce light for outside shots, and im pinching a large 500watt softlight from work to use as a key for some really nice staged portraits. Its a cracking light, with a huge wrap factor, and i've lit many interviews with it really well.

So, my plan is to go for a reportage style most of the time, and only break out the softlight or reflector out for some nice portraits of my sister and brother in law. They're not insterested in the classic 'all the brides family together' etc etc shots. So i want to catch the mood of the day- people smiling and laughing, my niece dancing on grandads feet, etc

If i get confident with the camera, i might also shoot some video with it as an extra. (im spending the day with the camera before, to fully scope it out)


I'm really nervous about this- would anyone have any tips or advice? any links to some really great wedding style photography, to give me some shot ideas? Any advice would be most welcome.


thanks!

[RobDickinson]

Sorry to hear about your sister all the luck for her in the future.

Having just got a 7D I recoment using the standard single point AF or prehaps the small point, no multiple point shooting. All the focus points appear fast and accurate, the center is extra accurate with f2.8 or faster (the prime) so I'd go with that (and slight recompose or crop) with the fast prime in low light.

Use Auto ISO,it goes up to ISO 3200 (no further despite other settings) and ISO 3200 is still decent quality. Raw files are big so have plenty of memory and the battery should last you ~1000 shots ( or more without LCD review)

Not played with video but remember the AF is slow and manual focus is tricky, the built in mike probably isnt good enough but I assume you can find another one from work?

Theres lots of options for AF points in the viewfinder and also displaying a grid which is handy.

Also remember the viewfinder shows an apparent dof of f4 - 5.6 so dont try manual focus the fast prime without trusting AF confirm.

I'm sure you'll do fine the 7D seems easy to use if your used to cameras, the quick menu etc is very handy.

[nick_bbb]

I think that you've got a lot going for you in that you're used to composition and understand light the tricky bit will be getting used to the camera before the day. Having said that I only had my 5D a week or so before I did my BIL's wedding and that came out OK. What specifically would you like advice on?

[CVP]

Firstly, good luck to you. I know I'd also be nervous in the same situation. Take comfort that all folks attending will want to be creating a special day for the couple and hopefully in light of the circumstances will try and be cooperative with you

1. Have you used the 7D before? If not it could be worth downloading an instruction manual from the web and familiarising yourself with the controls / menus first. Maybe a cheat sheet of the very basic controls written on a card in your pocket. You already know what you're after and your experience should make you confident but it could help to have that cheat list of how to reset to defaults etc

2. Pref beg or borrow another Canon digital body / lens as backup just in case

3. Good lot of memory card storage

4. As you've got the lighting knowledge instead of doing a load of formal shots at once, could you do a few and then set up your light in one environment and quickly grab folks for a shot as things progress, kind of like an upmarket photo booth. Combine with lots of reportage to get best of both worlds

5. Don't get lashed until your job is done then dive right in

Finally good luck and I hope the photography Gods are with you

Chris

[nick_bbb]

Too slow, Robs answer is much better

[Colin RedGriff]

I've not got any experience of this but in most of the similar threads I've seen, one thing that is often mentioned is check out the location beforehand.

Look at where the light is and where you should be to make the most of it.

Good luck to you

[Fordo]

CVP said:

Firstly, good luck to you. I know I'd also be nervous in the same situation. Take comfort that all folks attending will want to be creating a special day for the couple and hopefully in light of the circumstances will try and be cooperative with you

1. Have you used the 7D before? If not it could be worth downloading an instruction manual from the web and familiarising yourself with the controls / menus first. Maybe a cheat sheet of the very basic controls written on a card in your pocket. You already know what you're after and your experience should make you confident but it could help to have that cheat list of how to reset to defaults etc

2. Pref beg or borrow another Canon digital body / lens as backup just in case

3. Good lot of memory card storage

4. As you've got the lighting knowledge instead of doing a load of formal shots at once, could you do a few and then set up your light in one environment and quickly grab folks for a shot as things progress, kind of like an upmarket photo booth. Combine with lots of reportage to get best of both worlds

5. Don't get lashed until your job is done then dive right in

Finally good luck and I hope the photography Gods are with you

Chris

thats some really well thought out advice- i really appreciate that

i really like the idea of point number 4. - the place where the recption is is absolutely beautiful, a real old school country estate. There should be some wonderful places i could pop the light up, and grabbing folks over ever now and again could produce some really interesting, dynamic photos. i like that idea a lot.

i've got number 3 sorted- at work we've got at least 20 16gig CF cards that might accidentally come with me...

number 2 - i had planned on bringing my little old nikon d40 with me as a backup, but since i'll have some pretty decent canon glass with me, it does make sense to see if i can borrow a spare canon body form somewhere.

thanks again, some top advice there

[Fordo]

Colin RedGriff said:

I've not got any experience of this but in most of the similar threads I've seen, one thing that is often mentioned is check out the location beforehand.

Look at where the light is and where you should be to make the most of it.

Good luck to you

not a bad idea. i'd thought about heading down there this weekend for a reccy. The lights going to be tricky, as the ceremony is just before sunset.

Its happening weekend after this one, so i'll post up some of my shots. (if they're not all terrible, in which case i'll not post for ages and hope everyone forgets this thread! )

[beano500]

I think we'd all - like you - be starting with "Don't do it!!!"

But having read the background, I understand completely why you would and with plenty of others to give you tips: Good luck, and good luck to your family!

(Go and get familiar with the venue(s) - will help your confidence)

[CVP]

As you're a Nikon man, do give a Canon a whirl before the day as the menus/ controls will be a bit unusual/ in a different place for you. As Rob says, it's a top notch piece of kit, keep it simple and you'll be fine.

Think of it this way, you already know the difficult stuff about lighting, composition etc you're just recording this as a series of stills rather than a film. Let the 7D help you in terms of metering and AF (completely agree with Rob's point about using single point AF).

Also the comment re checking out the location is really good, you'll be able to have an idea where you want to make your images

Chris

[Simpo Two]

It's interesting to see how video and stills are so similar yet so different. I spent years producing one and now do the other.

I can't help you in detail other than to say 'check every image as you go' - for focus and exposure. Learn to use the histogram and how to correct the exposure and take another shot if you need to. It's a cunning blend of 'go with the flow' coupled with small bursts of politely forceful direction if needed. I'm sure you've got the ability, you just need to master the equipment.

ETA: And shoot RAW!

Edited by Simpo Two on Thursday 10th December 22:07

[Fordo]

and the results are in!

I'm a little disappointed with myself, i just didnt quite catch the photos i'd wanted.

In hindsight, i could have done with 1 more lens - a nice ultrawide prime. I've got no 'large groups of people photos'. i was hoping to get a wide of the dance floor, or a nice wide of people just smiling and enjoying the day. Id also hoped to get a real 'reportage' style going, but i always just missed the moment, or caught the moment but it was soft, or the wrong thing was in focus. I really should have spent more time learning the focus modes on the camera. I also should have hired the flash and learnt to use it. The place was really low light- i mean seriously low. I had to ramp up the iso, even with the f1.4 prime. which of course brought with it some further issues- shallow dof meant again, more shots where id slightly missed focus, or one person would be sharp, and the person next to them, 2 inches away, would be soft.

Bit unsure of the 7d- in my tests, it just didnt seem as pin sharp as id hoped. And i was testing on a tripod, against a lit resolution chart, using L series glass. Maybe its just too many pixels for the sensor size? Ive just seen sharper images from a nikon d90 and d200. 7d wasnt bad, just not as sharp as i was hoping for. when you view at 1:1, just seems a little... muddy

The video from the 7d was stunning though, considering the price of the unit. Jello effect when fast panning, and some slight moire/ alaising issues, but such a lovely feel to the images, and incredible in low light. will post up a sample after christmas, if anyones interested.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings, heres some pixels for your eyes to consume, C&C welcome (but be gentle, im quite dissapointed with myself!):





























pleased with this next one: Dragged them out into the snow, in front of a huge christmas tree, and lit them with a 500 watt softlight




and was also asked to do some typical wedding family photos, which we had agreed previously that they didnt want....

had to use pop up flash. hate the look. hate the shadow behind. hate my bad framing. hate that i used wrong aperture, was too open and the couple are marginally soft compared to those in the foreground. inexcusable:




my hat goes off to anyone who does weddings. this was by far the most stressful day i've ever had. I also shouldn't have tried doing a little photography and a little video. biting off more than i could chew!

Edited by Fordo on Thursday 24th December 19:13

[Simpo Two]

Good report Peter. It's tough isn't it - you have to concentrate and anticipate ALL the time.

Low light is also my biggest bugbear - as you've discovered f1.4 is effectively unusable for DOF reasons. The subject only has to move a fraction after focus lock and you've had it, even assuming he lock was accurate in the first place. And two people? Forget it! I find f3.2 is the safest wide aperture to allow for these issues.

This is my favourite:



(But I have to say the last one would really have benefitted from bounce flash)

[Fordo]

Simpo Two said:

Good report Peter. It's tough isn't it - you have to concentrate and anticipate ALL the time.

I constantly had family members telling me to relax and have a drink- to them, im just 'taking snaps'. people dont seem to realise how much consentration it takes! That was another issue- family. If i was a hired in pro, i think they'd have listened more, and i also had people trying to avoid having their photo taken- like my eldest sister. Which she wouldn't have done to a pro- she'd had embarrassed herself.

Simpo Two said:

This is my favourite:

Thanks :-) I wasnt sure if id over processed, but i just thought the vignette would draw the eye in to the family

Simpo Two said:

(But I have to say the last one would really have benefitted from bounce flash)

110%. I think my new years resolution should be 'buy some flashes and learn how to use them. Ive thought about doing a photography course, but id rather find a photogrpaher who needs an assistant on a freelance basis, and learn from a master in the field. Personally, i think courses are great at teaching theory and getting in practice, but nothing beats seeing how a pro works in the field.

Edited by Fordo on Thursday 24th December 19:32

[mrmr96]

Well done that man. An admirable job under the circumstances.

[Simpo Two]

Fordo said:

I constantly had family members telling me to relax and have a drink- to them, im just 'taking snaps'. people dont seem to realise how much consentration it takes! That was another issue- family. If i was a hired in pro, i think they'd have listened more, and i also had people trying to avoid having their photo taken- like my eldest sister.

Well you're ahead of me in that respect - my first 'family' wedding is next September. Obviously I'll know many of the guests, and will aim to eat my own weight in canapes, but other than that I intend to engage 'professional mode' and treat it the same as any other wedding. I think I'll have to distance myself somewhat. It'll be interesting.

[CarMac]

Don't beat yourself up. I think you've done a cracking job. They've got some lovely photos and memories of the day. Best of luck to your sister.

[MG-FIDO]

Great shots Fordo, I'm sure you've done your sister proud.

Whilst there might be things you wish you'd done differently or had the chance to change, you've got to remember that you're always going to be critical of your own work especially on a day like that. The important thing is that I don't think there are many people who'd sniff at a nice set of photos like that and whilst to your eye the composition or lighting might not be quite right here or there, the people looking at the photos and remembering the day aren't going to be thinking that for a second, quality shots.

Well done mate!

[Fordo]

thanks for the positive comments everyone

I feel a bit more confident about handing over a usb stick full of them now, especially now ive removed the terrible ones, and done a bit of processing and general tidying up. I think a select few will look great in a large photobook, which i'l order after christmas

I remember someone on here saying once 'my standards are always higher than my clients' - and i like that ethos- always striving to improve. I certainly learnt a lot from this, and your all right, the important thing is that they're not bad- they're better than photos anyone else there will have taken, by quite a bit, and im sure she well be chuffed.

Can't wait to get stuck into editing the video together- I caught a couple of good moments on video.

[plg101]

I think those are pretty damn good for reportage and informals - better than many "pro wedding" photographers that I have seen. Good work