Need advice for 1st wedding - Page 2

mhodge · 10-26-2009, 11:00 AM

Thanks again everyone for all of the advice. I am reading and re-reading and trying to take it all in. I am making lists, etc. I just don't know how to thank you enough.

Falld5 · 10-26-2009, 12:38 PM

I shot my first wedding in July of this year. It went okay, I could have done better, but hey, it is what it is. I also did it for a couple that didn't have much and wasn't planning on getting a 'professional'. I looked at it as a great learning experience for myself, and indeed it was. I used two lenses during the ceremony itself, 18-55 and 55-300. I only have on DSLR, my K20D, and used my old olympus digital as my only backup. One suggestion, if you don't have a flash bracket, I'd look into getting one. I did not use one for the wedding, but did have a Lumiquest mini soft box attached to my flash. It helped allot. Take extra batteries for both flash and camera, and your chargers. Load up on film or cards. Take an 'assistant' if you can. I took along my sister, who also just did it for the experience and to help me out. She carried the clipboard and told me shots that I might forget about getting. I scoped out the church way before hand and am very glad I did. The bride's room was horrific and I prepared a muslin backdrop for shots for her. There was no getting outside shots, it rained all day. I didn't even bother taking my tripod, I wouldn't have used it anyway. The main points I can say is be prepared for any situation, take a backup camera, even if it's a point and shoot, and most of all, have fun. It really is a learning experience, and like anything else in life, you learn from experience. Have fun! Good luck!

OH....and where comfortable shoes.

Andrew Lang · 10-27-2009, 07:44 AM

a friend of ours did our wedding, no experinece, she did a fantastic job... taking lots of pictures is key, your job will be to sort out the good ones from the bad, if you take 3000 pics and only get 500, it's digital, delete the bad ones and give em the good ones, read body language, when emotions are high take picks, my wife really appreciated pics of her and her mom crying. try and get the couple to do some funny stuff too if they are up for it. a bit of humour helps settle the nerves. go have fun!

*res3567* · 11-04-2009, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by kunik

The reason I thought to reply to Wheatfield here with his comment is because I attended a wedding as a guest last weekend and was able to witness other wedding photogs in action for the first time in a long time. The were shooting 5DmkII's (3 of them between 2 shooters) with 85L, 35L, 50L. They shot the whole ceremony without flash and the evening/indoor stuff the hotshoe mounted flashes. From what I have seen of their work they are excellent wedding photogs. I would probably used a flash bracket but they did not and it wasn't because they could not afford one or because they did not know how to use one - but because they made a decision not to use one based on their significant experience which is fair enough.

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Yea but they were probably using the 580EX which is an high end expensive flash. The tilt and swivel function eliminates the need for a flash bracket if the shooter wishes to bounce the flash exclusivaly. However, if the shooter uses the flash to directly illuminate the subjects, there will be a shadow once the camera is tilted in the vertical position, and the subject is in front of a wall for example. Hence the need for the flash bracket.

The high end photagraphers probably planned their shots well to get the best images and this comes from experience.

*Adrian Owerko* · 11-21-2009, 03:53 PM

My Gear for wedding work is 1st. body K-7 with grip.. 2nd. body K10D.. 2x 540 fgz (plus external Battery Pack) units for each cam.. RSS L plates for each body.. So I can attach the RSS wedding PRO flash bracket to either cam.. A set of PW's. mag fiber tripod & monopod with RRS clamps \ ballhead.. Now for the glass DA* 16-50mm f2.8 DA* 50-135mm f2.8 DA* 200mm f2.8 DA* 55mm f1.4 DA 12-24mm f4 D FA 100mm f2.8 macro. also take a lastolite tri flip diffuser.. I can seperate this up into 2 Kata bags.. One a waist pack the other a sling..

MJB DIGITAL · Yesterday, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

Imagine the following:

"I've decided I want to rebuild my car's transmission. I've changed a flat tire a couple of times. Which set of socket wrenches should I buy?"

It isn't a matter of tools.

I'm quoting this because it's simply awesome.

....ever been stuck on a short notice wedding with the 'good' cameras in the shop and nothing on hand but the ole ist*D?....then have the client love them.