[hinman]

Last Saturday, I attained the wedding of my two good friends and I brought in 4 lens to practice wedding Photog as if I get hired for the job. And of course, I am amateur without any wedding photog experience. My lens in my bag along with Pentax K10D:

• Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 -- my main lens for sharpness and quick to zoom with AF
• Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro -- I just got it delivered on Friday and I was tempted to test a new lens in my gear. It turns out quite alright as I stayed behind the main photographers and the added length helped a bit
• Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 -- I used this for night time indoor
• Spiratone 20mm f/2.8 -- I ended up not using the wide angle as I feel pressured to change lens at night time and I get tired in making shots for the banquet
• Hin's Camera Gear -- my overall gear. I do have the AF540 but I did not bring to the wedding as I can't bother the main photographers

And I have a blast with the photo opportunity as the church and the couples are really photogenic, but I fell short in making crisp photos in the dark. And I went with ISO 400 for most shots in K10D.

My on-going attempts to edit-in-progress are in this show and photo set in flickr

• Wedding Slideshow -- slideshow in flickr
• Wedding set -- flickr photo set

#1 I want his job

with Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro

#2

with Tamron 28-75 f/2.8

#3

Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro

#4

with Pentax FA 50 f/1.4

#5

with FA 50 f/1.4 and Picasa Focal B&W

Requests:

1. Comments, Critiques, and suggested links for learning to photograph for Wedding would be very much appreciated.
2. If DA* 50-135 f/2.8 is a better lens for wedding compared to Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
3. Your go-to lens for wedding

---

Last edited by hinman; 09-29-2008 at 07:46 PM.

[bigben91682]

You're shot's are decent for a first try, especially since you were shooting from the background. I'm not a huge fan of selective coloring (your last 2 shots). You did do a nice job considering the low light, and you (correctly so) reluctance to use a flash.

I don't have the 28-75, but I do use the 50-135 extensively at weddings, it is an absolute stunner, I love it to death, I would call it my go do lens for the ceremony and tighter portraits. My new DA* 16-50, finally got a good copy, will no doubt be my reception zoom....

[vievetrick]

I have been thinking about the 50-135 for a friends wedding I will be doing soon. sounds like it maybe a good choice. Hinman I think these are all great. Nice work from the out of the way photog.

[hinman]

You're shot's are decent for a first try, especially since you were shooting from the background. I'm not a huge fan of selective coloring (your last 2 shots). You did do a nice job considering the low light, and you (correctly so) reluctance to use a flash.

I don't have the 28-75, but I do use the 50-135 extensively at weddings, it is an absolute stunner, I love it to death, I would call it my go do lens for the ceremony and tighter portraits. My new DA* 16-50, finally got a good copy, will no doubt be my reception zoom....

Thanks for the valuable inputs. I am looking for knowledge as in book reference and resourceful links that one can go look for best practices and techniques in wedding. The DA* 50-135 is one of the lens in my road map. If I can save enough, it will be in my gear list hopefully soon.

I have been thinking about the 50-135 for a friends wedding I will be doing soon. sounds like it maybe a good choice. Hinman I think these are all great. Nice work from the out of the way photog.

Thanks for the inputs and encouragement. I think both the DA* 50-135 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 can be considered. The DA* zoom will be more flexible to cover farther distance as in my case of background photog. But the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 come out reliable for the sharpness and speed that I can count on in the church. The bokeh is pretty decent with the Tamron. And price-wise, I see the tamron as the best budget lens for the range in 28-75 and does a great job for portraits.

---

Last edited by hinman; 09-29-2008 at 06:09 PM.

[hinman]

With Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 -- Hin's Tech Corner

#6


#7


#8


#9


#10

Critiques are appreciated especially if you have ideas on post processing to enhance the photos for my dear friends -- the couple is now in honeymoon in Hawaii.

[kenyee]

"I want his job"

Google "bridezilla". Make sure you really do. I wouldn't (and I've only shot a wedding as a supplemental photog :-)

[LaRee]

You did real well. The only niggle I had is that in many of the images there is too much room above the subjects heads and their feet are chopped off. That could all come from being the photographer in the background and not wanting to get in the way though. Enjoyable slide show Hin, thanks for sharing.

[hinman]

You did real well. The only niggle I had is that in many of the images there is too much room above the subjects heads and their feet are chopped off. That could all come from being the photographer in the background and not wanting to get in the way though. Enjoyable slide show Hin, thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the inputs, I was behind three main professional photographers with 2 Nikons and 1 Canon. And it is also a part of me not paying attention to body line on framing. Thank you for the comments, it certainly helps me to improve.

Wedding Photog is a tough job as the whole wedding is a moving sequence of events and I am lucky that I am not the main photographers as I made too many mistakes. I was swearing to my MF lens with Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro that I got last Friday and with curiosity, I brought it to the occasions. When you need to make a shot, the MF is slow to work with a scene and I missed important shots in using the MF lens

With Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro

#11
A bit dark perhaps



#12


#13


#14
I am way behind the three main guys
with 2 Nikons and 1 Canon


#15
Bride in background
I wish better clarity on the white dress

[Just1MoreDave]

My dad used to be a wedding photographer, 40 years ago. He laughs when he hears what is considered essential equipment today. He used a Mamiya twin-lens reflex, manual focus of course. His method, probably impossible today, was to manage the wedding, so he would be sure to have all the events happen on his schedule. In his day, this was as simple as telling the mother of the bride that she had done a fabulous job with everything so far, and she should turn everything over to him. Or the mother of the bride was already overwhelmed and he would take over. He also learned what traditions would be expected in different ethnic weddings, since the marriages were more likely to be all in one tradition. He can toast in like seven languages.

I don't know what it's like today but I have no desire to find out.

[hinman]

My dad used to be a wedding photographer, 40 years ago. He laughs when he hears what is considered essential equipment today. He used a Mamiya twin-lens reflex, manual focus of course. His method, probably impossible today, was to manage the wedding, so he would be sure to have all the events happen on his schedule. In his day, this was as simple as telling the mother of the bride that she had done a fabulous job with everything so far, and she should turn everything over to him. Or the mother of the bride was already overwhelmed and he would take over. He also learned what traditions would be expected in different ethnic weddings, since the marriages were more likely to be all in one tradition. He can toast in like seven languages.

I don't know what it's like today but I have no desire to find out.

Thank you for the comment. It is a tough job that I doubt if I can shoot good pictures under pressure.

[hinman]

I used the Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 in the night banquet. I brought in a 20mm with Spiratone 20mm f/2.8 and I should have tried the 20mm for a wider angle but the party is kind of fun and I just used the FA 50 f/1.4 for the whole night. I used the FA 50 f/1.4 down from f/1.4 to f/1.8 in most shots with K10D in ISO 400. And I basically used the FA 50 not on people but on the lighting, the candy bar, and the wedding party fun. I should have used my fast prime for the main dish but I was too hungry to take food pictures as in my sushi and pizza shoot out with FA 50 f/1.4.

Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 -- Hin's Tech Corner


#16


#17


#18


#19


#20


#21

[bigben91682]

Thanks for the valuable inputs. I am looking for knowledge as in book reference and resourceful links that one can go look for best practices and techniques in wedding. The DA* 50-135 is one of the lens in my road map. If I can save enough, it will be in my gear list hopefully soon.

Digital wedding photography by Glen Johnson is a good book and covers most aspects of wedding shooting. He assums a basic knowledge of your camera and photography in general and concentrates on some of the in's and outs of wedding photography.

Here's a good link somebody on this forum posted a while back, has some good advice.

Wedding Photography - 21 Tips for for Amateur Wedding Photographers

[paugie]

I would be proud to make any of those photos you have shown.

But I doubt if you really "want" this job or any events work.

You apparently enjoy the photography you do now too much. You may be distracted by all the other nice things you would rather photograph. Well, just a comment to maybe remind you of what you really enjoy. Weddings/Events may be just a fling.

[egordon99]

Hi Hin! I'm about to shoot my first paid wedding on Friday night. I'm with another brand, but I was with Pentax when they hired me so......

1)I think ideally you should have BOTH the 28-75/50-135 in order to provide decent wedding coverage. This was my "dynamic duo" before I left the fold. If you could only have one, it would probably have to be the Tamron as 50mm isn't wide enough.
2)As for my go-to, I would have been completely happy with the above mentioned pair. Now I will be using everything from my Sigma 10-20mm (for really wide stuff) to my 70-200mm f/4 IS (for long stuff, this lens more or less replaced my 50-135, I'll probably use this one for the ceremony) For the "group" formals, I'll just be tossing on my 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS as it has a decent range and pretty good image quality. For the bridal/couple shots and other artistic shots, my 85mm f/1.8 should be getting good use as it has killer bokeh, similar to the 77mm Limited)

I think you did really good for your first wedding (much better than my first attempts with my *ist DS/kit lens) Also, you MUST get an external flash AND become proficient with it as it would be REALLY difficult to properly document a wedding (either inside OR outside) without one as the light rarely cooperates for us.

Last Saturday, I attained the wedding of my two good friends and I brought in 4 lens to practice wedding Photog as if I get hired for the job.[*]Comments, Critiques, and suggested links for learning to photograph for Wedding would be very much appreciated.[*]If DA* 50-135 f/2.8 is a better lens for wedding compared to Tamron 28-75 f/2.8[*]Your go-to lens for wedding[/LIST]

[hinman]

Digital wedding photography by Glen Johnson is a good book and covers most aspects of wedding shooting. He assums a basic knowledge of your camera and photography in general and concentrates on some of the in's and outs of wedding photography.

Here's a good link somebody on this forum posted a while back, has some good advice.

Wedding Photography - 21 Tips for for Amateur Wedding Photographers

The link is very useful. I can't believe that I am a subscriber to the school and yet, I forget to check on their resources. Much thanks and I will look into the book by Glen Johnson.

Hin