Wedding Photograpohy - my first [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

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kahfluie

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 10:51

slejhamer

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 13:42

Got yourself in a bit of a hole, eh?

Sounds like you won't have opportunity to invest in an off-camera slaved flash setup. Next best thing might be a flash bracket to get your flash at least a little bit off the camera. The Sigma flash is pretty good, but I don't know anything about your Promaster so can't compare. If you do use a flash bracket you'll need an off-camera shoe cord, too.

You'll need extra batteries, both for the camera and flash(es.) An external battery pack would be better.

I would think your 1.5GB of storage would be barely sufficient if you shoot RAW (which you should.) You won't have time to chimp and delete as you go. If you've never done this before, better to shoot too many and delete them later.

Read the following thread, especially the last post by Jansen. Some good advice there; though it's related to film cameras, you can easily translate his suggestions to digital:
http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0071JH

Oh yeah, and read Schwartz's "caution #3" above that. The one about screwing up.

Best of luck!

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 14:03

Not sure if this is the forum for this but...

A friend called me last night and asked me if I would take photos of her wedding. After letting her know that I would do it digitally and that I would only be submitting to her CD's which she should them be able to take to a photo processing center for prints, I agreed to do it. My gift to them.

However, waking up this morning, it dawned on me that I have never shot a wedding before and am now getting a weee bit nervous about being able to give her decent shots. So I come to the expert in this forum for guidance.

Equipment wise, I have:
Canon 10D., Canon 50mm f1.8, Canon 85mm f1.8 USM, Sigma 24-70mm f2.8, Sigma 70-200 f2.8. My flash is a Promaster FTD 5950 (about 4 years old) I might think about buying the Sigma Equivalent to the Canon 500EX, if you guys recommend it (I just don't have the cash for the 550EX right now).

My questions are... do I need ALL of these lenes or am I ok with just the primes... or the primes and the 24-70? I can't imagine the need for the 70-200. "Should" I get the Sigma equivalent to the 550EX (about 1/2 the price) or will the Promaster do me well? Is there a "default" list of what shots should be taken at a wedding? If so, where can I find this list. Lastly, just to verify, I assume I should shoot all the photos in RAW so that I can post process, correct? How many photos average do you take at a wedding? I need to make sure I have enough CF cards with me. I currently have a 1GB card and a couple of 256mb cards.. Will this be sufficient? Do I submit to her JPG's or TIFF's? etc. Any tips or tricks you all can give would be appreciated.

By the way, the wedding is next Saturday (The 20th of March), so I have until then to sweat this out.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Man...you have guts...I'll have to hand you that.

Yes, there are "standard shots" that are expected (a whole bunch of them), and there are others that are sometimes requested, still others that are often requested, and yet others that are seldom requested.

Now, let's say that they want the standard head and shoulders and full length formal portraits of the bride, the "rings" photos, standard formal portraits of the groom, portraits of the ringbearer and flower girl, group portraits of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen, portrait of the best man fixing the groom's tie, portrait of the bride fixing the dad's bouttonier, portraits of the parents, portraits of the bride and mom, portrait of the groom and mom, shots of bride walking down the aisle, shots of dad giving bride away, shot of groom kissing bride, shots of the altar, shots of leaving the church, standard reception shots (cake, bride and groom toast, bride and groom feeding each other, different dance shots, etc).....do you have any idea how to light and pose them? Do you know which ones to try to catch real-time and which ones to set up after the ceremony?

Do you have (or can you rent or borrow) backup bodies, flashes and lenses? What if you have a problem with your camera or flash? You have enough lenses in enough focal lengths to do the wedding with what you have listed, assuming nothing breaks on you. The 70--200 can come in handy for shots where you need to fill the frame (such as during the ceremony) but can't get real close. The 24-70 would be good for group portraits of 5 or more people at the wide-angle end. In reality, you could do the whole wedding with the two zooms if they are fast enough or flash is allowed. The 50mm and the 85 are great for portraits. So, looking at it from that angle, you really do sort of have your lenses backed up. As far as CF cards, you will probably need 1 gig or so, but you should also have a spare 1 gig or at least a spare 512mb. CF cards go bad too. And batteries. Bring plenty.

Do you have an assistant? You will likely need one. You will be so busy shooting that you will need someone to anticipate what lens you need next and get it for you becuase there will simply be times that you just don't have the 30 seconds it takes to go to your bag, find what you need and mount it. They can also assist with posing...get a girl to help with that if you can, girls are generally better at posing people.

You also need to make sure whether or not flash is allowed in the church (or wherever the wedding is taking place). If not, that could drastically change your whole game plan.

Good luck!

RichardtheSane

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 16:31

IMPORTANT

Get down to the venue with either the bride & groom or a couple of friends, or anyone who is willing to model. Get them to wear similar colours as the bride and groom will be on the day.

Practice. Work out your settings before the day. If you need to go to the venue more than once, keep going back untill you know you can pic up the camera, compose the shot, and fire the shutter with the confidence that the exposure will be correct.

Cheapest piece of kit that should help you is a grey card. Set your exposure off that and dial the settings in manual. If the bride wears white and the groom wears black, you camera meter will have a fit.

If you can, try to get to the venue well before everyone else on the day so you can make any last minute adjustments to get the shots right.

Just a few little tips, but I think my main point is know your equipment, and know the lighting at the venue.

IndyJeff

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 17:02

I did the same thing about a month ago. Shot a wedding with 1 1/2 weeks notice. I met with the bride a week before and went over what she wanted, as far as shots go. It helped that I already had a schedule of shots that are pretty much standard. If you like I can email that to you. As I shot away, I would check each shot off the list, that way your not missing something that you should have gotten and you can always add to the list.

As RTS above mentioned, go to the venue before that day. I didn't and it was a dark as hell banquet hall. I used my Sunpak 433 flash and did 90% of the shots from a tripod. If possible go to the rehersal the night before and shoot it just like you will the actual wedding. Get the groom and his guys' shots all before the wedding, saves on time. Remember when the actual ceremony is over people want to get on with the reception not stand around and get thier pictures taken. Be quick, efficent and smooth. You'll do alright if you plan ahead.

One tip I wish I would have told them, smile. I had so many good shots but nobody was smiling. Also ask that when the attendants come down the aisle, they pause at some given point so you can get a shot. The attendants at this one came down the aisle like they were late for a train. The bride and her father weren't much better. I only had about a 30 foot aisle they came down to get a shot and in the dark conditions focusing wasn't the fastest. After the parents I saw what a problem it was going to be so I picked a spot about 1/4 the way up the aisle and focused on a chair. When they reached that point, I shot em.

IndyJeff

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 17:05

Oh one last and most important tip......get someone to go with you as an assistant. They can be getting people for the next shot to where you are set up and they can also handle the list for you.

JadeCat

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 17:36

I would also suggest SITTING down with the bride and/or the bride's mother, and TALK about what shots that SHE would like to see/have.

Then you can compromise and tell her exactly what YOU can do. Its better to have all her expectations explicity stated beforehand, and have her understand your limitations.

And get thee to the Church and Banquet Hall to take some sample shots and know exactly what you're in for. Tell the bride you'd like to go to the Wedding Rehearshal and get sample shots.

kahfluie

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 18:06

Hey everyone, thanks for your coments and ideas/tips.

I sat down with my friend and one good thing is that this will NOT be a huge wedding... only close family and friends. We talked about what she wanted, etc. Luckily, she's not expecting much - which means I want to give her more than her expectation.

While I agree that going to the church the day/night before would be great, I'm afraid it will be impossible. I live in a suburb of Cincinnati and my friend will be married in her hometown of Evansville, IN. So I have to drive 4 hours to get there. I can't go the night before because I am shooting a concert in Columbus.

I think with all we agreed on, I'll be ok. Not sure if I can get someone to go with me as my wife has plans for the day, etc, but I'll do the best I can.

So, with that - the 24-70 f2.8 should be fine to use? I thought perhaps during the ceremony the 50mm f1.8 and the 85mm f1.8 would do me well. With the small amount of folks going to this wedding, I don't think the 70-20 f2.8 will be needed, however reading all this discussion, I think I'll bring it along for the ride just in case.

I think I will end up buying the Sigma Flash. It's only about $180 at B&H and it's equivalent is the 550EX. I called Sigma and spoke to them about the flash. They said it's very equivalent to the 550EX... the only thing is you cannot turn off the E-TTL so you'll always get that double flash (his words not mine). I also looked around for reviews and saw some good reviews so.... looks like I need to place an order tomorrow for it.

Again thanks and if you have more tips/comments... keep 'em coming!

Cheers,

kahfluie

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 19:09

Well heck... I was going to buy the sigma flash... then I did a little more research... and... somehow... someway... I ended up buying the Canon 550EX :D

IndyJeff

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 19:29

Not sure if I can get someone to go with me as my wife has plans for the day, etc, but I'll do the best I can.

Have your friend hook you up with one of her friends for an assistant. Just make sure she is not young, very pretty, and got a body like a brick chicken house...you know, very well built. That way when you show your wife the picture of your "assistant" you won't get 'that look'.

kahfluie

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 19:46

lol well hmmm I might have to do that. lol

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 22:01

Kahfluie,

I was thinking about your situation, so I went looking around today for a book or something that might help you. Web searches didn't really turn up a lot of real useful stuff...there's some out there but not a lot.

I did find a book at Barnes and Nobles. It's called Professional Techniques for the Wedding Photographer by George Schaub (Amphoto books). It looks pretty comprehensive. Go check it out if you get a chance. It has a list of all of the standard shots, plus some suggestions for other shots, guides for lighting, posing, lens choice, etc....the price is $24.95.

If I can help you in any way, let me know..it's a high-pressure situation, but you can pull it off. Who knows..it might be the start of a good career...

kahfluie

10th of March 2004 (Wed), 22:19

Thanks G3... much appreciated... I'll look into that book.

DeAnn

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 04:00

Wedding Date ____/____/____ Photographer Start Time __________

__ Mother/Maid of Honor adjusting veil
__ Bride putting on garter with bridesmaids looking on
or Brides father putting on garter
__ Bride in dressing room with mirror
__ Corsage being pinned on mother
__ Corsage being pinned on father
__ Portrait of mother and bride
__ Portrait of father and bride
__ Brothers and sisters and bride
__ Group Shot of Bride and bridesmaids
__ Individual shots of Bride with each bridesmaids
__ Bride leaving house with parents and bridesmaids
__ Father helping bride into car

AT THE CHURCH PRIOR TO CEREMONY
__ Groom and groomsmen photographs
__ Best man adjusting groom's tie
__ Groom and best man handshaking
__ Groom and groomsmen handshaking
__ Groom with father
__ Bride and matron of honor
__ Bride with parents
__ Bride and mother
__ Bride and father
__ Bride kissing father on the cheek
__ Bride and mother with father looking on
__ Bride and bridesmaids group pose in vestibule or dressing room
__ Bride's mother on usher's arm
__ Groom's mother on usher's arm
__ Grandparents accompanied down the aisle
__ Other people accompanied down aisle

DURING THE CEREMONY
__ Bridal party coming down the aisle
__ Bridesmaids, flower girls, and ring bearer coming down the aisle
__ Bride being taken down aisle by father
__ Father giving away bride
__ Shots during the ceremony itself (Pre-approved by officiator)
(These can also be taken as setup shots after ceremony)
__ Time exposure of overall area during ceremony

AFTER THE CEREMONY AT CHURCH
__ Bride and groom coming down the aisle
__ Receiving line right after ceremony
__ Best man signing certificate with bride and groom looking on
__ Matron of honor signing certificate with bride and groom looking on

SETUP POSES IN THE CHURCH
With most of your formal poses 2-4 shots should taken to help eliminate blinking and assure a good smile.

__ Groom kissing bride at the altar full length
__ Groom kissing bride at the altar 3/4 pose
__ Groom kissing bride at the altar tight head shot pose
__ Groom putting ring on bride's finger
__ Bride putting ring on groom's finger
__ Bride and groom lighting candles, full length
__ Bride and groom lighting candles, 3/4 pose
__ Bride and groom's hands with rings and flowers
__ Bride and groom with officiator
__ Bride and groom and bridal party with officiator
__ Other missed shots during ceremony
__ Bride with bridemaids flowers around her
__ Bride and groomsmen
__ Groom with bridesmaids
__ Bride and groom at church door (or stained glass window) in silhouette
__ Bride and groom on the steps of church
__ Bride and bridemaids on the steps of the church
__ Groom and groomsmen on the steps of the church
__ Group shots back inside church
(Use church altar/steps, etc. as a studio)
__ Bride and groom with bridal party standing
__ Bride and groom with bridal party sitting
__ Bride and groom with bridal party
(alternating male and female)
__ Bride and groom with all of the Brides family
(as big as the bride would like to go)
__ Bride and groom with brides immediate family
__ Bride and groom with bride's parents
__ Bride with her parents
__ Bride with her mother
__ Bride with her father

__ Bride and groom with all of the groom's family
(as big as the bride would like to go)
__ Bride and groom with groom's immediate family
__ Bride and groom with groom's parents
__ Groom with his parents
__ Groom with his mother
__ Groom with his father
__ Bride and groom with both sets of parents
__ Bride and/or groom with special family members
(e.g. favorite uncle, best friend, generations photograph, etc)
__ Bride and groom leaving inside of church
__ Getting into car or limo
__ Shot through the sun roof of the limo
__ Shot while seated in limo
__ Wide shot of church/ceremony site and limo
__ Mood shots in and around the church/grounds and/or
on the way to the weddings reception site.

OUTSIDE SHOTS
__ Outdoor shots of bride and groom
__ Outdoor shots of wedding party
__ Shots of groom and best man
__ Shots of groom and groomsmen
__ Shots of bride and maid of honor
__ Shots of bride and bridesmaids

AT THE RECEPTION
__ Receiving line (If not taken earlier)
__ Wedding cake (prior to being cut)
__ Guest book
__ Guests signing book
__ Wedding Favors
__ Gift table
__ Introduction of the wedding party
__ Wedding party toasting bride and groom
__ Close up of bride and groom toasting
__ Close up of bride and groom at head table kissing
__ Group shots of guests at their table during the meal
__ First dance
__ Parent dance
__ Bride and father dance
__ Groom and mother dance
__ Parents dancing
__ Bridal party dancing
__ Guest dancing
__ Bride showing rings to bridesmaids
__ General dancing shots (wide and close up)
__ Flower girl and ring bearer together
__ Candids of guests and bridal party as conditions permit
__ Bride and groom posed in front of the cake
__ Cutting the cake
__ Bride and groom feeding cake to one another
__ Bride faking the bouquet toss
__ Bride throwing the bouquet
__ The catch of the bouquet
__ Groom taking off garter
__ Groom and garter
__ Groom throwing the garter
__ The catch of the garter
__ Group shot of bride and groom with the recipients of the
bouquet and garter
__ Guest leaving
__ Posed departure shot of bride and groom
(kissing, waving, etc.)
__ Getaway car
__ Bride and groom leaving reception area (birdseed, rose pedals)
__ Bride and groom in car as it goes in to the distance.

This is a small list~

Re: The previousley mentioned book. I have spent a ton of money on these books, this one included. While they all have some unique poses, you'll do better to look at all of the FREE poses net wide, make mental note of the ones you really like, get your wife to emulate the pose so that YOU will better recall how to set it up, save your money for something more useful. Besides, you won't be toting this book to the wedding asking them to hang on just a sec while you refer to page.... You do want to get your flash OFF the camera if it isn't already, you may consider the Omni Bounce to soften the effect of the flash, and shadows. Nice little softener for under 20 bucks. You can also make a customisable one at no cost.
I think there was a tutorial on www.FredMiranda.com for just such a softener. You will definitly want to recruit a volenteer at the wedding if possible if you can't get a friend to go with you.

Hope this helps and best of luck.

DeAnn

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 04:07

Lastly, when doing the wedding party formal, its a good idea to start with your largest group first, including parents and grandparents and any children--ecspecially young children that should be included in the group portrait. You will be able to first relieve the elderly and young children who can become quite bored with the photographer very quickly :roll:
Then you could get the wedding party with the couple, and dismiss from there working down to the couple's portraits, you want to as mentioned get as much of the Groom and his party before the Ceremony as far as individual formals go. In essence you want to get as much of the portraits done prior to the the start of the group shot as you possibly can, the entire wedding party will be eager to head to the reception and grow impatient with lengthy portait work...

Good greif LOL sometimes I wonder what I was thinking! LOL LOL

GOOD LUCK!!!! :D

Johnnynf

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 10:04

Jeez, when I even suggested MAYBE wanting to get into wedding photography, I get a bunch of people telling me "facts" about how hard it is going to be and how if I don't have much experience I better just have a lawyer on speed dial for all of the lawsuits...and here the same type of thing is welcomed with open arms. How do I get into this "club"? :D

If you can't sense it, the above was said with extreme sarcasm. But seriously, kahfluie, good luck, and if you don't mind, could you please post after you are finished and share some of your experiences. I may have to PM you then as well as I am sure I will have a lot of questions (I am thinking of getting into wedding photography too--see the posting below).

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27455

IndyJeff

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 16:07

DeAnn, great list. If anyone wants a shot not on that list it would be a fluke.

Ok maybe somene wants a shot of a glass of champaign and the garter laying on a white table cloth. That wasn't on the list LOL

DeAnn

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 19:19

Jeff, sounds like a good PJ shot...... mental note to add to list :lol:
Those are pretty standard shots and easily modified, hope its useful.

alexd1983

16th of March 2004 (Tue), 20:27

I'd be very interested in finding out how this event went :) Please share the experience with us :)

KiwiRob

25th of March 2004 (Thu), 22:19

Heck I photographed my sisters wedding not too long ago, they also had a professional shot it too. There were some parts I wasn't permitted to shoot, the formal shots with B&G and assistants. However my photos were every bit as good as his and in most instances better. This has given me th e confidence to shot my other sisters wedding entirely by myself. She's getting married in the same location so all going to plan it won't be a big problem.

I have also purchased a couple of excellent books on wedding photography which I would recommend to anyone:

Professional Techniques for Digital Wedding Photography
The Art of Wedding Photography: Professional Techniques with Style

TomVeil

15th of April 2004 (Thu), 00:30

You left out that your sister married your brother.

Heck I photographed my sisters wedding not too long ago, they also had a professional shot it too. There were some parts I wasn't permitted to shoot, the formal shots with B&G and assistants. However my photos were every bit as good as his and in most instances better. This has given me th e confidence to shot my other sisters wedding entirely by myself. She's getting married in the same location so all going to plan it won't be a big problem.

I have also purchased a couple of excellent books on wedding photography which I would recommend to anyone:

Professional Techniques for Digital Wedding Photography
The Art of Wedding Photography: Professional Techniques with Style

PhotosGuy

15th of April 2004 (Thu), 11:07

Jeez, when I even suggested MAYBE wanting to get into wedding photography, I get a bunch of people telling me "facts" about how hard it is going to be and how if I don't have much experience I better just have a lawyer on speed dial for all of the lawsuits...and here the same type of thing is welcomed with open arms. How do I get into this "club"?

We understand! I type with 2 fingers & am considering just suggesting in the future that the person asking get a copy of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" & listen to it for about 6 hours!

You left out that your sister married your brother.
She's Ordained?
:D

jimtfoto

20th of April 2004 (Tue), 21:20

kahfluie ... how did the wedding shoot go ... or did I miss seeing that post ... interested to know ... have similar situation arising next month ... cheers