Wedding Photo Question - How to Photograph the Walk

*k100d* · 09-15-2008, 08:35 PM

Attended my friend's wedding this weekend.
How do you photograph someone walking down the aisle if it's dark?
If I flash, the max shutter speed is 1/180 which isn't enough and bumping up the iso and going wide open doesn't seem like enough either. Any tips?

*Clicker* · 09-15-2008, 09:19 PM

Bump up the iso between 400~800, pace them as they're coming down or up you have to keep about 6~10 feet between yourselves...this is how you pace them

How dark is it? 1/250-5.6 should be a decent balance? or in your case 1/180, they're coming at you so you don't have to stop action other then to pace them, you have to arrange all this ahead of time and go to their rehearsal, i'm guessing you're the photographer?

Actually 1/125 should be enough for flash sync or even down to 1/60 depending on ISO and ambient light.

*Damn Brit* · 09-15-2008, 10:53 PM

If this is a traditional style wedding you can take some test shots with the groom before the bride gets there. Just remember to allow for the fact that the groom will probably have a dark suit and the bride, I'm assuming, a very white dress.
Another word of advice, I was shooting all day on Saturday and, admittedly I've been ill lately, my legs are still sore, so maybe do some squats for a few days before the wedding.

*k100d* · 09-15-2008, 10:55 PM

this already happened, just wondering how it was done that's all ... the photos i took didn't look that great
i didn't think of the backwards tracking, it's kinda like panning then

*Damn Brit* · 09-15-2008, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by k100d

this already happened, just wondering how it was done that's all ... the photos i took didn't look that great
i didn't think of the backwards tracking, it's kinda like panning then

Sorry, my mind was elsewhere, in my defense, I was following Clickers lead, he made the same mistake.

You should of asked the photographer.
I would say it was more like dancing than panning, in this case you are mobile not the camera.
I've yet to get to grips with the flash myself. I took a couple of snaps in the house a couple of weeks ago and used it for the first time properly, at a concert i was shooting for the promoter. Talk about jumping in at the deep end.

Cheers Simon

little laker · 09-16-2008, 12:07 AM

Using the flash doesn't give you a fast enough shutter speed

Believe it or not it usually Freezes motion. Although the shutter speed may sound slow the quick, bright burst is really all that the camera usually recognizes.

At least that's my experience with my other system, where the shutter speeds 1/60 while using the flash.

Oh, I should say that I usually use ISO 100 while shooting weddings. Never higher than ISO 200

Lowell Goudge · 09-16-2008, 04:28 AM

Like stu I don't understand the comment that 1/180 shutter with flash isn't enough.

The duration of the flash is much less than the 1/180 second shutter speed. In reality, it is something equivelent to perhaps 1/500th at full power, and doubles for every stop in power reduction, because the flash power is really always the same intensity, but shorter and shorter durations.

Exactly what are you looking to freeze? Is the bride running down the isle?

*k100d* · 09-16-2008, 07:33 AM

thanks for your replies

is 1/180 enough? it is a slow walk
because i don't really have much experience with moving people, tbh i'm not sure what shutter speed is enough.

i was in a relatively dark chapel with the door wide open. the thing was the scene wasn't THAT dark that i do not think soley the flash could have freezed the motion. at least I don't think, but correct me if i'm wrong. sorry can't really show any examples.

*Clicker* · 09-16-2008, 07:48 AM

If you're in the crowd panning, no but if you're in front of them and pacing them it's more than enough. If lighting is in most Churches 1/60 would be enough for the walk as you just want to have enough fill to keep the atmosphere. As long as the eyes are sharp/in focus is the primary concern.

AVANT · 09-16-2008, 09:23 AM

If the wedding is indoor or is late in the evening, doubt you'll even get to 1/180 because that's way too fast. You'll probably in 1/60 or slower to have proper ambient fill. As others have said, the flash duration is very short, so it can freeze motion very well.

My main suggestion to you though, don't get in the way of the wedding photographer. It's extremely frustrating to have some wedding guest block a preplanned shot because he/she wanted to snap one in real fast.

*k100d* · 09-16-2008, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Clicker

If you're in the crowd panning, no but if you're in front of them and pacing them it's more than enough. If lighting is in most Churches 1/60 would be enough for the walk as you just want to have enough fill to keep the atmosphere. As long as the eyes are sharp/in focus is the primary concern.

yeah that was the problem, i was panning from the crowd

but was also interested in seeing how the pros did it too

Originally Posted by AVANT

If the wedding is indoor or is late in the evening, doubt you'll even get to 1/180 because that's way too fast. You'll probably in 1/60 or slower to have proper ambient fill. As others have said, the flash duration is very short, so it can freeze motion very well.

My main suggestion to you though, don't get in the way of the wedding photographer. It's extremely frustrating to have some wedding guest block a preplanned shot because he/she wanted to snap one in real fast.

you're right, the camera did set to 1/60 and the background was well exposed.

the wedding was last weekend, i just wanted some post-game commentary

... but i have a tonne of respect for wedding photographers and absolutely did not get in their way. but i think that gave me a diff perspective in some photos.

flyer · 09-16-2008, 10:18 AM

When doing weddings, (not too often, thank God), I don't walk with the bride/groom. Instead, I prefocus on a given place and I wait for the party to reach that position before firing. I find it easier that way.

*Clicker* · 09-16-2008, 05:04 PM

I did a few for friends and family to save them the costs, from those i started getting calls from total strangers for "freebies". I have no intentions of doing this for a living, it's too much work, i referred them to friends who do this for a living and have since then NEVER offered my services regardless of how broke they claim to be. I shoot as it's a passion of mine not for paying my bills.

Personally, i find when i'm offered pay for shooting, i lose all my creativity/passion for the shoot.

srclark · 09-22-2008, 10:48 PM

A method I've been working on at a few friends weddings has been to accept a low shutter speed, (very low by your standards) and try to make it work with panning.

In this image below I'm at iso 800, F2.8, 1/30s, no flash. Focus was on the Groom's face. I'm aware theres quite a lot of blur in the Brides face, but I'm fairly certain that the bulk of it is actually due to depth of field rather than motion blur. If I had it to do over again I'd have bumped ISO even more yet, stop the aperture down for more DOF, and I'd try to focus on the bride (who cares about the groom right?).

The neat (I think) side effect of this is that the motion blur of the background caused by my panning imparts a nice sense of motion into the image.

Wheatfield · 09-22-2008, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by k100d

this already happened, just wondering how it was done that's all ...

Shoot manual and set the shutter speed to 1/60, or even 1/30. Shoot wide open. Use a faster lens than a zoom. There are reasons why fast lenses exist. This is one of them. Set the ISO to as high as you feel is acceptable in the final print. Note that this is probably a lot higher than you would think from looking at a computer screen rather than a print.
You've just maximized your fill light.
Now do whatever flash settings you do. I don't use a TTL flash, so all I do is set the flash to the same aperture as what the lens is set to.
I expect with P-TTL this is done for you.