Wedding photo shoot

mikshyle · 07-29-2015, 10:51 AM

Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her. I am a little nervous about indoor shooting if the lighting is low. I have a K-50 with a DA 18-135, DA 55-300 and a DA 50 mm 1.8 Any shooting settings suggestions or any tips at all would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Kim

enoeske · 07-29-2015, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by mikshyle

Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her. I am a little nervous about indoor shooting if the lighting is low. I have a K-50 with a DA 18-135, DA 55-300 and a DA 50 mm 1.8 Any shooting settings suggestions or any tips at all would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Kim

Get yourself a flash and learn how to bounce it. The Metz 52 is usually a good starter flash. And/or get a faster f/2.8 zoom lens like the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8. The DA 50 is great in low light, but its got a pretty narrow FoV.

focusr3 · 07-29-2015, 11:24 AM

It's for your sister, pony up and rent some good glass. You will also need to get a good flash if you don't have one

**UncleVanya** · 07-29-2015, 11:40 AM

Maybe a pair of flashes with wireless triggers. What size pictures does she want? Does she want prints or just electronic files? Are you comfortable being in that position? Do you have a backup camera if anything goes wrong?

---------- Post added 07-29-15 at 02:41 PM ----------

You should also watch this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/137-photographic-industry-professionals/3...ding-tips.html

repaap · 07-29-2015, 12:20 PM

I'd say that get familuar of places where it will be and look at light. You'll need to frame some shots propably. And use your fast lens for candids. If possible try beforehand how does your shots look at that venue, so you don't have to quess and reky on what will happen. Flash,as said before, is great idea. But you need to learn to use it too...

The Squirrel Mafia · 07-29-2015, 12:23 PM

First thing is first. Make sure you set your K-50 to shoot in RAW & JPEG. You'll be able to use the jpegs as reference when you are post processing whatever RAWs you like the most. More than likely you will need to process the high ISO raw files with Lightroom, RawTherapee, or whatever you use to get a clean picture. I use RawTherapee since it's free.

If you're comfortable shooting with the "M" dial (manual), this would be your best bet. You can set the shutter speed, aperture, & ISO as you need it. You can leave the focus in AF.S. There are times when the K-50 struggles to autofocus or can't even focus in low light. That's where you'll have to flip the switch to MF & focus the shot yourself.

You can set the ISO in each dial to shoot from ISO 100 to ISO 3200 & let the camera figure out the settings. You can shoot up to ISO 3200 & then post process the RAW to get a clean picture. The grain (luminance) & color noise starts getting pretty rough at ISO 6400. I rarely shoot that high, but in a tight pinch, it's still usable for an 11x14 sized print after post processing the RAW file. Maybe even a 16x20 print, depending on the shot. You won't be able to get that size from the out of camera jpeg. Too mushy & grainy at that point.

Get a flash for sure if you plan on using the slower lenses & need to catch some action. The small & lightweight Pentax AF201FG should work fine, but there are a ton of other ones too. You'll have to do some reading 'cause there are too many options that can also include wireless flashes & stuff.

slip · 07-29-2015, 03:13 PM

Number 1 thing in my book, have someone else shooting with you as a backup! I have done a few weddings and since you only get one shot at it, it is comforting to know if one or more of your shots are blurry, you have a backup!
Even if it is someone with a point and shoot that can take photos from a different angle, always better to be safe then... well you know the saying

Good luck

Randy

bschriver11 · 07-29-2015, 03:52 PM

I agree with repaap,they should have a wedding rehearsal so take your camera and lenses along and have a rehearsal of your own.Hind site is always 20/20 so you will be able to see what works and what doesn't. A flash would come in handy but if the light is decent you might get by just turning the iso up a little,i find even iso 1600 to be pretty good on the k30 and processing the RAW files you can make them even better.I also find it much less distracting to others not using a flash.Bouncing is a great way to use flash but it doesn't work in all places equally well,that would depend on the color of the walls and ceiling and distance from the flash to what your bouncing off of and then to the subject.Keep in mind that if you do use bounce flash you need to account for the extra distance between the flash and subject since it isn't taking a direct path,you may find a need to increase the flash exposure a little to compensate for the extra distance..You as the photographer are part of the wedding and should be where ever you need to be to get good photos as long as you are not interrupting the ceremony or distracting other guests.

bass3587 · 07-29-2015, 07:32 PM

Get a flash, rent a 17-50 2.8, have a back-up shooter, scout the venue at least a day prior to the event to get the lighting down. If permitted get a couple of off camera flashes on wireless triggers. Like some have said don't be afraid to bump up the ISO if you can't use a flash. Do some stretching before the event and get yourself some TUMS or Rolaids.

**hjoseph7** · 07-29-2015, 08:04 PM

I think you are good to go with those 3 lenses. Any flash ?

**UncleVanya** · 07-29-2015, 09:12 PM

Flash modifiers like the Gary Fong Lightsphere help also.

**Cee Cee** · 07-29-2015, 09:20 PM

talk to your sister and make sure you understand what type of shots she Idealy wants to end up with, and make a list of what formal family/group shots need to be taken, in fact make a list of all the shots you'd like to take so when your mind goes numb during the day you can pull the list out and refresh your memory, good luck.

**UncleVanya** · 07-29-2015, 09:36 PM

So my recap for those keeping score:

You can use your existing lenses if the lighting is strong or if you are good with flash and the venue supports it.
You can rent something a bit faster if needed.
You should have a backup plan in case your camera dies. Point and Shoot is not really an option but better than NOTHING.
You might (ought?) to have another person taking shots for double backup protection. This could be a point and shoot.
You should practice shooting the venue during the rehearsal if allowed.
You should talk to the family and see what poses they want and what special shots they need. Make a list of these and double check it.
Use a checklist on the day; gear, settings; poses; etc.
Use multiple SD cards - take the time to move them out of the camera as you go to avoid losing everything if one is damaged.
Perhaps use an EyeFi card and transfer the images automatically to a laptop.

Most of all - breathe deeply and relax. They must think you can do this and trust you. Trust in yourself and enjoy this.

bdery · 07-30-2015, 04:57 AM

Originally posted by mikshyle

She asked if I would take pictures for her.

that sucks. Especially if it's your first time. Reasons:

1-you won't enjoy the wedding but will be stressed the whole time
2-you have no experience so you won't perform as well as you would wish
3-SHE might not realize it but she will expect pro-grade results and will likely be disappointed by your good, but not pro-grade, effort.

I heartily recommend setting her expectations LOW. I mean LOW. That's the only way to avoid disappointing her. And even then, mention that it might be better to hire someone with more experience, and that you'd be happy to act as a second shooter.

Originally posted by mikshyle

DA 50 mm 1.8

that's the only "indoors" lens you own. However, its AF makes a horrendous amount of noise. It's the loudest lens I've ever used. So during a small ceremony, everyone will hear the zingzingzing of the AF motor.

Try to visit the venue beforehand. If the ceiling is low enough, and white, you could bounce a flash (the Metz 52 is indeed a great recommendation) and use your 18-135. Otherwise, if there's a white wall decently oriented, you can use that too. Or someone's white shirt, or any largish white surface that you find. If there is no white surface anywhere that will let you control your light, at the very least get a sto-fen like diffuser (these are cheap off ebay.

By all means try to practice beforehand. With your sister if possible. Maybe make a rehearsal or something. But don't set the expectations high.

TaoMaas · 07-30-2015, 05:08 AM

Originally posted by mikshyle

Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her.

Run away! Run far, far away!

The general public thinks that taking great pics is easy...which it's not. They also don't recognize that shooting landscapes is very different than shooting good wedding pics. I always say that it's like being a writer. Someone might say, "Oh...you write great short stories...so can you write me a poem?" True, it's all writing, but the skill-set is very different. That said...I would shoot with available light during the ceremony with your 50mm. Maybe change it up at the reception, up your ISO, and shoot with your 18-135 and use on-board flash to fill out the shadows. Think of wedding photography in the same way you might think about extreme-macro or great wildlife photography. They all require a very specific set of skills and gear.

07-29-2015, 10:51 AM	#1
mikshyle Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 51	Wedding photo shoot Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her. I am a little nervous about indoor shooting if the lighting is low. I have a K-50 with a DA 18-135, DA 55-300 and a DA 50 mm 1.8 Any shooting settings suggestions or any tips at all would be greatly appreciated Thanks Kim

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07-29-2015, 11:21 AM	#2
enoeske Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Surprise, Az Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,136	Originally posted by mikshyle Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her. I am a little nervous about indoor shooting if the lighting is low. I have a K-50 with a DA 18-135, DA 55-300 and a DA 50 mm 1.8 Any shooting settings suggestions or any tips at all would be greatly appreciated Thanks Kim Get yourself a flash and learn how to bounce it. The Metz 52 is usually a good starter flash. And/or get a faster f/2.8 zoom lens like the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8. The DA 50 is great in low light, but its got a pretty narrow FoV.

07-29-2015, 11:24 AM	#3
focusr3 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Baltimore,MD Photos: Gallery Posts: 107	It's for your sister, pony up and rent some good glass. You will also need to get a good flash if you don't have one

07-29-2015, 11:40 AM	#4
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Maybe a pair of flashes with wireless triggers. What size pictures does she want? Does she want prints or just electronic files? Are you comfortable being in that position? Do you have a backup camera if anything goes wrong? ---------- Post added 07-29-15 at 02:41 PM ---------- You should also watch this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/137-photographic-industry-professionals/3...ding-tips.html

07-29-2015, 12:20 PM	#5
repaap Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,242	I'd say that get familuar of places where it will be and look at light. You'll need to frame some shots propably. And use your fast lens for candids. If possible try beforehand how does your shots look at that venue, so you don't have to quess and reky on what will happen. Flash,as said before, is great idea. But you need to learn to use it too...

07-29-2015, 12:23 PM	#6
The Squirrel Mafia Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,054	First thing is first. Make sure you set your K-50 to shoot in RAW & JPEG. You'll be able to use the jpegs as reference when you are post processing whatever RAWs you like the most. More than likely you will need to process the high ISO raw files with Lightroom, RawTherapee, or whatever you use to get a clean picture. I use RawTherapee since it's free. If you're comfortable shooting with the "M" dial (manual), this would be your best bet. You can set the shutter speed, aperture, & ISO as you need it. You can leave the focus in AF.S. There are times when the K-50 struggles to autofocus or can't even focus in low light. That's where you'll have to flip the switch to MF & focus the shot yourself. You can set the ISO in each dial to shoot from ISO 100 to ISO 3200 & let the camera figure out the settings. You can shoot up to ISO 3200 & then post process the RAW to get a clean picture. The grain (luminance) & color noise starts getting pretty rough at ISO 6400. I rarely shoot that high, but in a tight pinch, it's still usable for an 11x14 sized print after post processing the RAW file. Maybe even a 16x20 print, depending on the shot. You won't be able to get that size from the out of camera jpeg. Too mushy & grainy at that point. Get a flash for sure if you plan on using the slower lenses & need to catch some action. The small & lightweight Pentax AF201FG should work fine, but there are a ton of other ones too. You'll have to do some reading 'cause there are too many options that can also include wireless flashes & stuff.

07-29-2015, 03:13 PM	#7
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	Number 1 thing in my book, have someone else shooting with you as a backup! I have done a few weddings and since you only get one shot at it, it is comforting to know if one or more of your shots are blurry, you have a backup! Even if it is someone with a point and shoot that can take photos from a different angle, always better to be safe then... well you know the saying Good luck Randy

07-29-2015, 03:52 PM	#8
bschriver11 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 558	I agree with repaap,they should have a wedding rehearsal so take your camera and lenses along and have a rehearsal of your own.Hind site is always 20/20 so you will be able to see what works and what doesn't. A flash would come in handy but if the light is decent you might get by just turning the iso up a little,i find even iso 1600 to be pretty good on the k30 and processing the RAW files you can make them even better.I also find it much less distracting to others not using a flash.Bouncing is a great way to use flash but it doesn't work in all places equally well,that would depend on the color of the walls and ceiling and distance from the flash to what your bouncing off of and then to the subject.Keep in mind that if you do use bounce flash you need to account for the extra distance between the flash and subject since it isn't taking a direct path,you may find a need to increase the flash exposure a little to compensate for the extra distance..You as the photographer are part of the wedding and should be where ever you need to be to get good photos as long as you are not interrupting the ceremony or distracting other guests.

07-29-2015, 07:32 PM	#9
bass3587 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 517	Get a flash, rent a 17-50 2.8, have a back-up shooter, scout the venue at least a day prior to the event to get the lighting down. If permitted get a couple of off camera flashes on wireless triggers. Like some have said don't be afraid to bump up the ISO if you can't use a flash. Do some stretching before the event and get yourself some TUMS or Rolaids.

07-29-2015, 08:04 PM	#10
hjoseph7 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,047	I think you are good to go with those 3 lenses. Any flash ?

07-29-2015, 09:12 PM	#11
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Flash modifiers like the Gary Fong Lightsphere help also.

07-29-2015, 09:20 PM	#12
Cee Cee Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Glenroy, Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,441	talk to your sister and make sure you understand what type of shots she Idealy wants to end up with, and make a list of what formal family/group shots need to be taken, in fact make a list of all the shots you'd like to take so when your mind goes numb during the day you can pull the list out and refresh your memory, good luck.

07-29-2015, 09:36 PM	#13
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	So my recap for those keeping score: You can use your existing lenses if the lighting is strong or if you are good with flash and the venue supports it. You can rent something a bit faster if needed. You should have a backup plan in case your camera dies. Point and Shoot is not really an option but better than NOTHING. You might (ought?) to have another person taking shots for double backup protection. This could be a point and shoot. You should practice shooting the venue during the rehearsal if allowed. You should talk to the family and see what poses they want and what special shots they need. Make a list of these and double check it. Use a checklist on the day; gear, settings; poses; etc. Use multiple SD cards - take the time to move them out of the camera as you go to avoid losing everything if one is damaged. Perhaps use an EyeFi card and transfer the images automatically to a laptop. Most of all - breathe deeply and relax. They must think you can do this and trust you. Trust in yourself and enjoy this.

07-30-2015, 04:57 AM	#14
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by mikshyle She asked if I would take pictures for her. that sucks. Especially if it's your first time. Reasons: 1-you won't enjoy the wedding but will be stressed the whole time 2-you have no experience so you won't perform as well as you would wish 3-SHE might not realize it but she will expect pro-grade results and will likely be disappointed by your good, but not pro-grade, effort. I heartily recommend setting her expectations LOW. I mean LOW. That's the only way to avoid disappointing her. And even then, mention that it might be better to hire someone with more experience, and that you'd be happy to act as a second shooter. Originally posted by mikshyle DA 50 mm 1.8 that's the only "indoors" lens you own. However, its AF makes a horrendous amount of noise. It's the loudest lens I've ever used. So during a small ceremony, everyone will hear the zingzingzing of the AF motor. Try to visit the venue beforehand. If the ceiling is low enough, and white, you could bounce a flash (the Metz 52 is indeed a great recommendation) and use your 18-135. Otherwise, if there's a white wall decently oriented, you can use that too. Or someone's white shirt, or any largish white surface that you find. If there is no white surface anywhere that will let you control your light, at the very least get a sto-fen like diffuser (these are cheap off ebay. By all means try to practice beforehand. With your sister if possible. Maybe make a rehearsal or something. But don't set the expectations high.

07-30-2015, 05:08 AM	#15
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by mikshyle Hi, My sister is having a small semi formal wedding. She asked if I would take pictures for her. Run away! Run far, far away! The general public thinks that taking great pics is easy...which it's not. They also don't recognize that shooting landscapes is very different than shooting good wedding pics. I always say that it's like being a writer. Someone might say, "Oh...you write great short stories...so can you write me a poem?" True, it's all writing, but the skill-set is very different. That said...I would shoot with available light during the ceremony with your 50mm. Maybe change it up at the reception, up your ISO, and shoot with your 18-135 and use on-board flash to fill out the shadows. Think of wedding photography in the same way you might think about extreme-macro or great wildlife photography. They all require a very specific set of skills and gear.