[JeremytheIndian]

Hey guys, My Brother-in-Law is getting hitched June 30 and has asked me to shoot the wedding for them. I'm doing it as a gift as they have no spare cash for a pro photographer; They understand that I am not pro so hopefully they'll expect good but not pro results...

Anyway... I am equipped with a K-5, Kit WR 18-55 Lens, DA 40mm Ltd. and a cheapy Sigma 530 Flash

I wanted to know if you all would recommend that I rent any specific gear to insure the best results for their wedding? I've never shot one so I have no clue what to expect.

Do I need something wide and fast for the reception? Should I get a better 16-55ish zoom for general? Should I rent a better flash?

I know the gear doesn't make the photographer but I could use all the help I could get. I want to do a great job for them even though there is no pay and I'm no pro... Any other general tips for weddings? Thanks!

[mtansley]

I think that given these circumstances, most people around here would give you the advice to 'run away'. I understand from reading stories from others that a wedding is about the most difficult event to cover.

Even though you're doing it as a gift and for free and as a favour, they'll still expect some great photos and you'll have to run around like crazy to get them.

What happens if you drop your one and only flash, camera etc.

However, since I have never done a wedding I would imagine that renting a faster zoom might be useful. 18-55 f2.8 (or something of that type) constant aperture would be useful so maybe the flash isn't needed quite so much.

I have no experience with this sort of thing so take any comments of mine with that fact in mind.

[bossa]

Let me get this straight... Your BIL is getting married but he'd already be married to your sister if he WAS your BIL? If he's marrying your sister then he's not your BIL until he does so why would you be talking about him instead of her?

[JeremytheIndian]

I think that given these circumstances, most people around here would give you the advice to 'run away'. ...

Thanks for that tip, but I already said I'd do it and they don't have the funds to pay someone else too. I'm the best chance they have at getting some type of quality photos of their wedding.

Let me get this straight... Your BIL is getting married but he'd already be married to your sister if he WAS your BIL? If he's marrying your sister then he's not your BIL until he does so why would you be talking about him instead of her?

My wife's brother = my brother-in-law Also I have been talking to his fiance about what she wants as that is what's more important, but I mention my bro-in-law because it was easier to explain (or I thought it would be)

[agatchell]

I shot my first and, so far, only wedding with my K200D, last summer. Here are my suggestions;
1. The 18:55 might be good for shots of the wedding party, but a tighter zoom would help get candid shots. A good portrait lens is a must for the bride and groom. I used a 18:250 and 50:135 2.8. I wish I had something faster.
2. The Sigma should be a good enough flash. Is the wedding indoors? Either way, you may not want to use the flash too much during the ceremony. I had help from one of the other guests, who had shot several weddings. His suggestion was set it at the highest ISO you're comfortable with and just shoot. You're going to want clear pictures without being too intrusive; his way seems to be the way to go. My camera is not as fast as yours. You should be able to get clear pictures at higher ISO than I could manage. I think I would have been better served to use a monopod than a tripod.
3. Position yourself during the service to make sure you get good pictures of the bride. You can move around and get the groom, but the bride is generally more important.
4. Find out in advance what shots the couple definitely want. Do they want standard wedding stuff or experimental? Do they want shots of the bridal party, the bride's preparations, the wedding rings, the cake, etc.? Do they want candid shots of all of the guests individually?
5. Decide what you're willing to do, then write out a specific contract, spelling out what they're expecting and what you're agreeing to do. I know you're not getting paid, but this can avoid pain and suffering later.
6. Do you shoot RAW? If you are planning to give them the images and let them print them out, I don't advise shooting RAW, unless you're sure that they know how to develop RAW images. How big is your memory card? It's a good idea to have two memory cards, one for the wedding and bridal party formals and the other for the reception, in case anything goes wrong with either.
7. Make sure you have an extra set of batteries for the camera and the flash.
8. If you can, spend some time in the location at the time of day during which the wedding will take place to get a sense of the lighting challenges. Especially if it's a church, which can be very difficult.
9. Have fun.

That's it for now.

Andy

[mtansley]

Thanks for that tip, but I already said I'd do it and they don't have the funds to pay someone else too. I'm the best chance they have at getting some type of quality photos of their wedding.

I have heard (& read) that a good idea is to get together a list of the various 'must have' shots that the B & G agree to (along with various others I guess).

Also, since you are the 'pro' photographer, you have to 'take charge' (this from a couple of pros I've spoken to.) and keep the 'Uncle Joes' (with their DSLRs) firmly in control.

I'm suspecting that wedding photography is not so much about the photography but controlling the event to get the photos (at least the 'formal' ones). Once you've got the required photos then it's probably fun time with the camera and getting all the embarrassing casual photos that make the event what it is.

Ask Rupert (who hangs out around here), he recently did a wedding and should have some good fresh advice for you.

And of course, if you're using flash, diffuse it somehow.

[mtansley]

6. Do you shoot RAW? If you are planning to give them the images and let them print them out, I don't advise shooting RAW, unless you're sure that they know how to develop RAW images. How big is your memory card? It's a good idea to have two memory cards, one for the wedding and bridal party formals and the other for the reception, in case anything goes wrong with either.
7. Make sure you have an extra set of batteries for the camera and the flash.
Andy

Not wishing to intrude since you have done a wedding and I haven't (have done some real estate (house photography) though) but if i may offer an alternate to # 6 & thoughts to # 7?

6. Do shoot RAW but do some basic processing on those images (exposure, WB, straightening, basic cropping) and then burn a set of full resolution jpegs at maximum quality for the couple and if you're shooting the Pentax PEF raw mode, convert them to DNG for the couple. They can play around with the jpegs and if they REALLY want to, they have the DNGs available as well as there should be a bit more support for that format.

Have a number of memory cards available. Don't rely on just two. Great idea about different cards for different parts of the wedding.

7. Several changes of batteries available, don't rely on just one extra set.

9. Or try to with all the worrying about getting good images!!

[Scottie137]

I shot my cousins wedding this weekend and ended up having a good time doing it, after being pretty stressed the two weeks leading up to it. I rented a Tamron 70-200 2.8 and had an old K100 for a back up body and wider angle shots (my K5 as my primary). The wedding was outdoors in the middle of the day which proved challenging, but some clouds rolled in to help little. I didn't have an opportunity to see the venue until the day of, that would be the first thing I would have liked to have done differently. The second thing would have been to practice with my flash and the 70-200 a little more. Just getting comfortable using them together. I read a lot online about wedding photography, made a list of different shots I hoped to get and then made extra sure my cousins (and their Mothers) expectations were managed. I focused on the bride throughout the day, pausing to get family shots throughout. I don't have a lot of experience (basically one, one hour class) working with models and posing, so the formal pics were actually the hardest part! What I tried to do in my prep was find wedding photos I found compelling, study the composition, lighting, etc and decide on using several as templates. This worked reasonably well. I highly recommend renting a lens and possibly even a second body if you can afford it. It made isolating the subject much easier and helped in the low light at the reception. Just be honest with your family members ( and yourself) about what to expect and you should be fine. Good luck!

[westmill]

Hey guys, My Brother-in-Law is getting hitched June 30 and has asked me to shoot the wedding for them. I'm doing it as a gift as they have no spare cash for a pro photographer; They understand that I am not pro so hopefully they'll expect good but not pro results...

Anyway... I am equipped with a K-5, Kit WR 18-55 Lens, DA 40mm Ltd. and a cheapy Sigma 530 Flash

I wanted to know if you all would recommend that I rent any specific gear to insure the best results for their wedding? I've never shot one so I have no clue what to expect.

Do I need something wide and fast for the reception? Should I get a better 16-55ish zoom for general? Should I rent a better flash?

I know the gear doesn't make the photographer but I could use all the help I could get. I want to do a great job for them even though there is no pay and I'm no pro... Any other general tips for weddings? Thanks!

The equipment you have is adequate.
The standard zoom is perfect for receptions as you will be no doubt using flash anyway.
Inside the church.... you need to find out if you will be allowed to use flash ! If not... a fast lens will be very very useful. I would expect you could get away with using your 40mm here. Its poss about perfect for the actual ceromony itself. A faster zoom such as the tamron 17-50 would help loads here. It would simply allow you more scope for composition. Its poss of course, that the church could be well lit and bright enough to use your standard zoom. Scouting your location before hand would help you no end !

[MSL]

@Rupert is our latest wedding shooter, but he'll argue that he's gone into retirement and will only shoot squirrels now.
However, you may want to check out the advice he got with a similar question https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-technique/181346-wedding-shooters.html as well as many other threads on the topic that can be found with an easy search.

[JeremytheIndian]

Thanks for the advice guys and keep it coming. I am comfortable bouncing my flash but I guess I should ask about the venue to see if I'll need a diffuser. That's the other problem we live in NC and the wedding is in NY so scouting time is very limited.

Renting, nice constant Aperture standard zoom seems like a good idea. What do you recommend? Have you ever rented equipment and where from?

Thanks again.... This is awesome

[normhead]

I've done both photos and video for a weddings. I'll just emphasize what mtansley said about taking charge, don't be over the top, but be insistent, be bossy, and don't let anyone else interfere in the shots. That being said, the last one I shot was film, my 50mm 1.7 was invaluable for candid shots before and after, and I had two flash triggered slaves providing side and hair-highlights. I got those old slaves for $19 each, originally I bought 3, two are still working. I just shudder thinking about working without them. WIth a basic 3 light set up, you can do a pretty good looking studio set up. I had one set up with an umbrella for side light and one suspended from the ceiling for a hair light.

You obviously won't be able to do those kinds of things, so it's going to be all about picking locations that give you a moderate back light and having enough flash to provide fill light, to get any kind of a pro look. IN fact, you might want to scout the location for places where natural light would be favourable. You could produce a unique and very artistic album just by using as much natural light as possible and using your flash for fill light. I'm guessing given your circumstances that's how I'd go at it. If you can find a resource on natural light photography, you can pick up a few (not to many, you don't want to overwhelm yourself), just a couple of concepts you can work with. Then it's all about maneuvering everyone into the right positions to make best use of the light you have. Don't be shy. I've seen a photographer arrange girls' boobs in their dresses to make sure the picture looked right. ( I have no idea why the guy wasn't arrested.) Don't go that far, but don't stop too far short of that. Remember, you have to get this job done to the best of your ability. There aren't going to be retakes. If you push yourself to get the best you can, if others don't appreciate your effort you'll still be happy, cause it'll be the best you could have done, and no one should expect more than that. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm not a wedding photographer, I'm not set up for it, and while I might feel somewhat honoured to be asked, I know lot's of wedding photographers who will do a better job than I will, my cousin's husband for example. He loves getting dressed up, he loves going to other people's weddings, my cousin does an amazing job on the albums, something she loves doing. I look at their work, and I think, "no one in their right mind would ask me to do their wedding if they could get someone like them to do it." As long as we all understand that, we're all happy.

[wildweasel]

I'm in a similar situation - I've not been the primary shooter at a wedding, but have taken my camera to a couple and got a few ideas from that. I have two weddings coming up where I will be the main photographer, and found this checklist which I think will be useful. http://www.all-things-photography.com/support-files/weddingchecklist.pdf

The few things I've learnt are; as said before, be assertive about what you want people to do, take loads of cards (I'm got 6, and I'll take all of them and more), spare batteries for everything, and see if you can beg/borrow/steal a second body. Make sure you know how to use every bit of equipment you'll be using inside out and preferably by touch, and take a laptop - I think it'll put my own mind at rest to know that I'll be able to check a few shots here and there as the event goes on and uploading them as the event goes on gives a level of security against images being lost.

Advice I've read online includes take gaffer tape, rubber bands and a small torch for yourself, and lip gloss, a small sewing kit like you get at hotels, scrunchies, hair clips and bands for others - apparently, it's surprising how often people need these things and having them can really get people on your side and willing to help, i.e., by holding a slaved flash for you. Work out the shots you want, and if possible rehearse them first. This avoids missing shots you really need to get. Find a safe, out of the way place you can leave your stuff where it's not going to get drink spilt over it or pilfered. Be prepared to ask other people taking pictures to give you space, everyone wants the same shots but you're the one taking the 'official' ones so you have precedence. I read it works well to make a deal with other photographers where they let you take your shot, then they take theirs before you move the groupings etc around. Might be an idea to get people to email you their shots as well for the album - there'll be some great pictures taken by others that you'll have missed. One of the best albums I've seen was from a wedding where we were all given disposable cameras which were left at the venue, and these were interspersed with the pro's shots.

If you've got the money, maybe consider getting a lens for this, one you'll use for other purposes. I bought a Sigma 24-70 2.8, the non-HSM version. I did a lot of reading up, and there seems to be a consensus that a lens of that range is very well suited for most parts of a wedding. The two in my price range were the Sigma and the Tamron 28-75 2.8, but I experimented with my kit lens and found that I'd really miss the 4mm at the shorter end, and preferred the build. I love it, it's now my most used lens, and having bought it ahead of time I've had plenty of practice with it to learn how to get the most out of it. It's got a great range for portraits to small or stepped back group shots so I can see how useful it'll be.

[Rupert]

@Rupert is our latest wedding shooter, but he'll argue that he's gone into retirement and will only shoot squirrels now.
However, you may want to check out the advice he got with a similar question https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-technique/181346-wedding-shooters.html as well as many other threads on the topic that can be found with an easy search.

My advice....stick to Squirrels!

Having just shot my first (and hopefully last!) wedding as the primary shooter, I don't have enough experience to offer you any real advice. I can tell you that although I had a whole bag of lenses available, some of them the very finest, I ended up shooting the whole thing with a Tokina 28-70 ATX AF 2.8. I had ordered the Tamron 28-75 2.8, but sent it back a week before, because it wasn't better than the Tokina past 2.8, and I wasn't going to be shooting much wide open.

Having used the Tamron a day, I would highly recommend it, it was excellent.....and if I hadn't already had the Tokina I would have kept it for certain.

You can view some of what I shot here....I'm still working on about a hundred more...... Keep in mind, I am a Squirrel shooter...but the K5 and Tokina 28-70 was plenty capable, even if I wasn't !
Some of these were shot with the X10 by Mrs Rupert (The DSCF files)
Lacie's Wedding - a set on Flickr
Regards!

[dmfw]

Is you BIL willing to kick in any money ($100-$500) for the shoot? If so, use the money for a partial payment for a good zoom lens, like the Sigma 18-250. If not, I would be frank with the couple and tell them not to expect professional results.

I WOULD purchase a defuse attachment for the flash, (About $10-$20). Also, a good tripod for group and inside shots.

Do you live near a good camera shop? If so, you might rent a better camera + lens for the event.

I would shoot a test event, such as a pre-event dinner, etc. Have your wife wear a pure white dress.

Finally, read a book, or web site, on shooting a Wedding. I would read for a broad idea on what to expect and for tips.