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03-25-2007, 04:26 PM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigSpender Quote
So basicly, my sisters friend came to me and asked if I could shoot her wedding for her. Of course I said yes and will not charge. I need to get a portfolio going so this will be a good step towards that. (Note to Self) "What was I thinking". Anyway, I am pretty new to potography and would like to know what all I need to have a successfull shoot.The only thing I have is my K10d, Kit lens and tripod. I know I need alot more. Can I get away with only one camera? So any info would help me alot. I have until june to get ready.

Thanks, Scott
I shot my first and last wedding 20 years ago, as a favour to a friend.

This was shot primairly with my 100 mm F4 macro, and occasional back up of my 50 mm F1.4 . I used 2 bodies only to avoid switching lenses, and the 50 mm was very good for the reception, where low light made focusing difficult.

In today's world, you could easily get by with a kit lens, 18-70 mm range.

Remember longer lenses are more flattering than shorter ones, but you may need something tending towards wide for group shots.

Outdoor shots were done with manual mode and fill flash (exposure was about -1 stop prior to fill) indoor were full flash. Flash was always on a bracket off camera to avoid red-eye.

Overall shots were great, just remember to make sure the bride always has her flowers (oops) and ignore the inlaws, there are a lot of them usually.

03-25-2007, 09:37 PM   #32
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Might as well join in the fun here...
I'm not a pro, either - I made the mistake of being seen at a couple weddings with my SLR, so it wasn't long before the inevitable happened. Oh, I tried, but they wouldn't take "no" for an answer. So, after shooting a handful of weddings, here's a few things I've learned:

- Check out the facilities beforehand if at all possible. Show up for the rehearsal - I'd recommend rehearsing along with them so you know what ideas and equipment will be suitable. You'll also get a better idea of what's going to happen; every wedding is different, even within the same faith. This leads to...
- Talk to the rabbi/priest/minister: ask if/when flash is permissible; also ask what areas are off-limits to you (the sanctuary surrounding the altar in Catholic churches comes to mind here). He/she may have suggestions for good shooting locations. Do consider them; after all, they know their building very well, and you aren't the first wedding photog to visit.
- If the couple are also getting someone to shoot video, coordinate your plans - you don't want to trip over each other.
At the reception:
- Get shots of guests at tables before food is served - it's gonna get messy later.
- Get a few shots of the cake - it's gone in a couple hours.
- Talk to the DJ or band or whoever is providing the entertainment; they might have a better grasp of the order of events than the bride and groom do!
- When in doubt about what guests to shoot, go for the opposite ends of the age spectrum. Especially during the dancing.
- If the reception hall has the ceiling for it, bounce flash can be your friend.
- Keep a long lens handy, even if it's just in your car because you are certain that you won't need it. You never know when the bride might decide to do the bouquet toss from the top of a fire truck's extended ladder. I am not making this up.
- Since you're new to this, see if you can't get invited to another wedding before the one you're going to shoot. More practice is always good - just don't get in the pro's way.

My apologies for any repetition - but I'm pretty sure no one else mentioned the next-to-last item...
03-28-2007, 04:47 PM   #33
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Just Do It!

QuoteOriginally posted by jfdavis58 Quote
You're a newbie photographer and you think you can shoot a wedding? Wow, you must have some set of stones! Do you jump tall buildings in a single bound too?

Seriously, what's your address? We'll all need it to know where to send flowers, for your funeral.

Hope you got a big insurance policy on yourself for your wife and kids; on second thought, that won't do any good: suicide is generally excluded.

Surely you know that pro wedding photographers are called 'weekend warriors'? And that sweet little [insert brides name] in her pretty white dress is actually some fire breathing flesh eating beastly thing called Bridezilla. And Bridezilla's mother is worse.

You need to save face graciously and quickly. Get the phone book; turn to wedding photographers. Pick three randomly. Call the bride to be and recommend that she use one of these three "personal friends of your's".

She may scream or cry or beg, but be a man: pass the buck.

Otherwise, your stone's will be the second pair she nails to the wall by the fireplace, right after the ceremony.

Well if I were you, I would go ahead and shoot the Wedding. You may make some rather "Illuminating" errors that may become the "Next Big Thing." That is how I learned. By trial and error. When I was in to about the tail end of my first year as a photographer, I decided to move to New York. I was discouraged by many people who were often fear mongers or perhaps afraid of seeing others succeed. One person I vividly remembered saying to me, "Hey Ben, there are over ten thousand photographers in New York, forget about it, you'll NEVER make it. You'll be KILLED, You don't stand a CHANCE." Well in my child like naivety my response was "Ok, there might be ten thousand photographers in N.Y., but there is only one Benjamin Kanarek!"

What I am trying to express to you is this. You really don't have to ask others for advice about matters that only you can truly answer. Go out and make mistakes, fall, get up and learn from the experience.

Do the shoot and enjoy yourself..just don't spill the wine!

Ben

Last edited by benjikan; 03-28-2007 at 05:04 PM.
03-28-2007, 09:17 PM   #34
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Thought this ended

I'm curious: why quote my response then actually respond to the original poster? I noted that your post was edited Wednesday, early evening--this question I posted late the same evening--I thought the subject was well covered and at an end-it's five days old.

Is this just an error, you grabbed the wrong post and quote, OR do you really want to say something to me?

03-28-2007, 10:38 PM   #35
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johnny come lately

QuoteOriginally posted by davemdsn Quote
Lastly, shoot everything! Don't wait for "photo opps" or for people to line up and smile. Shoot everything and edit them down later. Shoot RAW, you won't have time to say "lets do that again, I think I can get the exposure better".
I'm with Dave on this one. I was reading an article on luminous landscapes a few days ago....

The Magic Bullet You Suck! (Me Too)

Since most of my (and according to this article, everyone else's) pictures suck, shoot first and ask questions later. I've never shot a wedding, but I have learned a few things about capturing moments. A 10% non-suck factor isn't too bad, especially if that 10% translates into 30+ really special shots. The following is in regard to the reception:


1) Unless your manual focus skills are really good, use autofocus and shoot with enough light to allow the camera to lock in quickly (hunting: bad). An f2.8 20-70 or so zoom would give you enough speed to shoot in moderately low light with no flash when you want to, and enough versatility/range so that you don't have to change lenses and miss moments. Maybe you could get the new Pentax f2.8 16-50 by June, which by all rights should have the best autofocus the company has ever produced.

2) Decouple the shutter and autofocus. Don't let the camera's low light "hunting" allow a moment slip away.

3) For the no flash shots, I would think that shooting in Av mode wide open at f2.8 with such a zoom could work out quite well: limit the DOF to enhance interest and max out the shutter speed to reduce motion blur as much as possible.

4) Watch your metering- it seems to be hit or miss for me, but that's probably because I'm still learning. If you are going to shoot in relatively static light, then consider shooting in manual mode, finding the best shutter speed (use the green button and digital preview/histogram), and leaving it there until you move to the next spot. RAW should provide ample exposure latitude. Keep the ISO to 800 or slower.

Good luck!

John
03-29-2007, 09:50 AM   #36
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if you value your sanity....DONT DO IT
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