First Wedding (and at night) Need advice

[mytwogirls]

I somehow got talked into shooting a wedding this fall. I normally only do children and families and the couple knows this but since I've done quite a few sessions with other members of their family they really wanted me to do their wedding.

It will be my first wedding and I was feeling pretty good about it until I found out the wedding will be in the evening. I don't have any experience with flash photography as I do strictly natural light during my portrait sessions. I'm a nervous wreck about it now.

I do have several months to prepare so any advice you can give me would be appreciated. I plan on purchasing an external flash. Other than that I currently have a 300D (getting ready to buy the 30D), 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 17-40, 70-200 4.0, and have access to a Tamron 24-75 2.8. I will also have a back-up photographer/assistant (a close friend who also does portrait photography but has no wedding experience.)

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to give advice. I really am looking for technical advice and not so much business related.

[ofdphoto]

I'd recommend a 580EX and a flash bracket. The bracket might be optional depending on the ceiling at the venue ... if you can bounce flash successfully you'll be able to minimise shadows that way. If not, get a bracket.

But that's just me. You have the 50 1.4, which is great for low-light photography ... for many of the shots you might be able to manage with available light shooting (if I had that lens I would certainly try to make the most of it like that).

The 70-200 will be great for candids (I've used one at a wedding but don't own one), but it's only f/4 so you'll need direct flash. If you're planning to use that lens, you'll DEFINITELY need a flash bracket as red-eye becomes an even bigger issue at those focal lengths.

In terms of using a flash, the big lessons I've learned have been:

1.) Use your histogram to help work out flash exposure compensation and be willing to tweak it regularly.
2.) If your background is important, meter your scene for the background as you normally would flashlessly (eg. in Av or M). Your flash will control the foreground.
3.) Otherwise shoot in M with the slowest shutter your lens will allow, the best aperture for the DOF you need, and let the flash do the rest (it will freeze the action).

Hope that helps and wasn't a whole heap of stuff you already knew.

[OdiN1701]

Get a 580ex. Then get these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=225035&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=32690&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

The bracket is very important. You don't have to get that one, but I love mine. Just be sure what you do get keeps the flash centered over the lens in both portrait and landscape shots. Very critical inside buildings as you will otherwise get bad shadows on the walls and such. Also getting one that raises the flash higher is good. It will cause the shadows to be lower and behind the people so you won't see them near as much. The softbox for the flash helps to soften the harsh light of a flash. You may also want to take a look at these:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=32580&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Use that Tamron 24-75 - especially if you're shooting indoors. I don't think noise on your 300D is all that great at 1600 ISO. Best you can probably use is 800. Shoot I even hate using 1600 on my 20D, and I'd rather use 400 or lower if possible.

As linarms already said - check that histogram frequently. Light can change a lot in the evening hours, and quite quickly.

[tim]

Try using the 50mm F1.4 @ F2 or so, it gets a lot sharper by F2. Use whatever aperture you need to to get the shot without blur though, just beware of dof.

Andrew makes good recommendations.

[ofdphoto]

Good points by Tim and Andrew, but when I went bracket shopping I couldn't find any rotating ones to play with, so I ended up with the Manfrotto 233B, which doesn't hold the flash above the lens in both orientations. So obviously you lose the benefit of the shadows disappearing behind your subjects when shooting vertically, but it's still a useful unit. Depends on how you shoot and how much you want to spend. When I'm rich I'll probably buy a better bracket but you've got to start somewhere! (I think brackets are discussed pretty extensively in other threads too...)

[mytwogirls]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. It really helps! I just wasn't sure where to start because I have never worked with flash and up until now didn't plan on it. I really appreciate the specific product recommendations (thanks Andrew!).

At least I have several months to get the hang of this! Any suggestions on good books on learning to use flash?

[jamiewexler]

A flash is your #1 priority (as has already been stated). Since taming your flash is going to be one of the most challenging parts of the day, buy one as soon as possible and get lots of practice. Actually, you should probably get the flash with the 30D, since getting good flash exposures with the older ETTL technology of the 300D is challenging (ESPECIALLY at weddings, where people are wearing a lot of black and white). As for lenses, you're pretty well set. If it were me, I'd keep the 300D as a BU and carry the 30D + 17-40 + flash around my neck and the 300D + 85 f1.8 on my shoulder (for available light candids and portraits). I favor the 28-60 FOV that the 17-40 gives me on a cropped body, and the 17-40 has been my bread and butter lens for quite a while now (just replaced with the 17-55). The 85 f1.8 is an exceptional portrait and available light lens, and gives you enough reach for almost any situation you're likely to encounter at a wedding.

As for brackets, I use a Stroboframe Camera Flip, which allows me to flip the camera from portrait to landscape without monkeying with the flash head (which is usually being bounced in some direction or other).

The best resource on flash photography at weddings that I have read is here (be sure to paypal Neil your $2.00 using the link at the bottom of the page if you find it useful): http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html

[Big Mike]

Here is the "EOS Flash Bible (http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/)"...it's a complicated read, but if some of it sinks in, you will better for it.

[mytwogirls]

I just found out today that the wedding is going to be at a resort and outside next to a large pool. I'm not sure what kind of lighting there will be but I plan to go and check it out and do some test shots well in advance.

At this point I plan on buying the 580 EX and 30D (which I was going to buy anyway). I think I am okay on lenses (luckily!) and after I study up on using the flash I'm going to look into getting some other accessories for it.

Thanks again to all who offered their advice! I'm sure I will be back soon asking for more!

[ccp900]

sorry im still a newbie, but if you meter off your dark background and then shoot, wouldnt your foreground be overexposed when the flash fires?



I'd recommend a 580EX and a flash bracket. The bracket

might be optional depending on the ceiling at the venue ... if you can bounce flash successfully you'll be able to minimise shadows that way. If not, get a bracket.

But that's just me. You have the 50 1.4, which is great for low-light photography ... for many of the shots you might be able to manage with available light shooting (if I had that lens I would certainly try to make the most of it like that).

The 70-200 will be great for candids (I've used one at a wedding but don't own one), but it's only f/4 so you'll need direct flash. If you're planning to use that lens, you'll DEFINITELY need a flash bracket as red-eye becomes an even bigger issue at those focal lengths.

In terms of using a flash, the big lessons I've learned have been:

1.) Use your histogram to help work out flash exposure compensation and be willing to tweak it regularly.
2.) If your background is important, meter your scene for the background as you normally would flashlessly (eg. in Av or M). Your flash will control the foreground.
3.) Otherwise shoot in M with the slowest shutter your lens will allow, the best aperture for the DOF you need, and let the flash do the rest (it will freeze the action).

Hope that helps and wasn't a whole heap of stuff you already knew.

[ofdphoto]

sorry im still a newbie, but if you meter off your dark background and then shoot, wouldnt your foreground be overexposed when the flash fires?

That's what I thought at first too :-)

But your flash metering (E-TTL) is completely separate to your camera metering. Your flash will expose your foreground correctly (using through-the-lens metering) no matter what exposure settings you set on your camera.

There are some good tutorials online re: this, but I can't remember any URL's right now. Trying googling for "EOS flash tutorial" or similar.

Welcome to the forums, and good luck!

[woffles]

Is your backup shooter using Canon also? Your flash will be critical. Don't want to jinx you but went to do a family photo late in the day with the sun in the background and my flash started to act up. Did the best I could since no other chance to do the shoot. Make sure you have a backup for you flash just in case. I just bought a 580 and 430 and am learning to use them now. Really excited about the off camera flash possibilities. Like a portable lighting studio.

[mytwogirls]

Woffles, that's a good point you made. I hadn't really thought about that. I was really surprised when I found out it was a night time wedding and the whole thing with needing a flash threw me off a bit. Yes, my backup uses Canon and I think she will at least be using the 430. I'd better make sure!

I'm getting ready to order my 30D and 580 EX today (if I get the courage to press the button) so I will have time to learn. My birthday is coming up this week so between that and the wedding it seems like I have good enough reasons to order my new stuff now!