First wedding and I dont have nothing

[bartekk]

One of my Friends asked me to take pictures on his wedding.
I have Canon XTi, don't have a flash.
Lens which I have is a 18-50 canon kit.
I would like to buy sigma 24-70 2.8, and canon430 flash.
Is this gonna be enough?
I don't have to much money so....

Please help.

[viewing-the-invisible]

I would politely decline that offer to do your friends wedding, seriously. A decent set up would be two bodies, two flashes and lenses that open up to 2.8 ranging from 17-200mm. You are not well enough equipped to do the wedding as is. What if something goes wrong with your camera, your flash, your lens? You and your friend would both be screwed.

[esannicolas1953]

The sigma 24-70 is a very good lens, however, it hunts for refocus on low light situation. I was currently using the canon 28-135 IS USM for my wedding pictures with the canon 430EX flash. I now have the Canon 24-70L USM lens for my wedding and funeral. Also look at Tamron 28-70 lens as an affordable lens and is also use for wedding but you have to make sure it's a good copy. I'm currently using two Canon 350 XT for my wedding camera and will be purchasing the Canon 40d or the Canon Mark III in the future for their low noise capability. I hope this will help you out.

[Jimbo24]

Have you considered renting an extra body and a couple lenses?
I've rented from Rentglass.com (http://www.rentglass.com/) and Lensprotogo.com (http://www.lensrentals.com/) and didn't have any problems.

[viewing-the-invisible]

Renting is a good option. I rent from a local camera store for the stuff that I wish I had but cannot afford. Maybe your friend will even pick up the cost for the gear.

[bartekk]

So you say that if I will buy canon 28-135 IS and canon 430EX flash will be OK?

I know that I should have a second bodie but It will be small wedding.
I don't wont to rent because still after the wedding I will have to buy lens and flash, because like I said I don't have nothing.

http://bkartphoto.zenfolio.com/

thanks

[stathunter]

Weddings tend to be dark locations.......some venues do not allow you to use a flash so the lens and camera have to do all the work. Since this is for a friend that is probably not paying you---I would suggest that you tell your friend you have to invest in equipment or rent equipment.
Equipment to capture weddings is not a cheap venture. It is much cheaper to rent than to buy. If and when you do it wrong your friend will have memories of your mistake forever. So think this well though.
You can do it but it takes equipment and lots of preparation and practice in knowing your equipment and what to do with it.

[Banbert]

If you go and shoot a wedding with one body, even a small unpaid one, your playing Russian roulette on the bride and grooms wedding day ... it doesnt matter if its a celebrity wedding with 500 guests or a small family wedding with 20 guests .. its still a very big day for the two people at the center of it and if they are trusting you to capture that day for them then you should really put the effort in and make sure you can at least capture some images.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but when you have had a body die on you mid wedding you will be thankful you had a backup, if it happens and you dont have a backup your just gonna end up looking stupid and providing the most memorable part of the day by being the photographer who couldn't deliver any photos.

[Tumak]

Banbert is correct. It is very stressful at the least, having what you need. Better to start with someone else for a while. Asking you to do it is putting you on the spot.

[thekid24]

If your friend asked you to shoot their wedding is it safe to assume they already know what gear you have?

-If so then go for it, you have to start somewhere, better with a friend than a complete stranger.

-If they arent aware then make sure they know that, make it crystal clear.

Either way it would be best to rent some equipement for the wedding. Fast mid-range zoom, wide angle prime, couple flashes, and a backup body. As for the specifics of the lenses to rent, thats debateable and everyone will have conflicting views on which is best. In the end it is you renting, not them.

[esannicolas1953]

Sorry, I forgot that back in the states, the photographer have alot of restriction using flash during wedding. here in Guam it's not a problem. The sun is always shining and the church has alot of natural lighting. This is where my 24-70L lens will shine during those wedding days. As everyone said get a len with 2.8 as a minimum.

[mizuno]

I would only shoot it if the friends had zero expectations. ie. they wouldn't care at all if you didn't capture a single usable shot.

At least then you're a pretty good chance of exceeding their expectations and there would be little or no pressure.

Otherwise I would politely decline.

[Flash@star]

I have done a couple (16) of weddings and only use the following equipment.
Canon 400D, 18-200mm sigma lens with the optical stabilyser and a 430EX flash. Lots of batteries. No back up equipment.

I tried to do a search to see the rate of equipments fail. It is not very, very, very low. On the day of the wedding you can break your leg and the wedding will olso be stuffed.

Taking wedding is knowing yor camera, knowing your lens (sweet spot etc.)
and of course take the photos in raw. You will be amazed what a good computer program can do to the photos afterwards. The most imported thing is not to overexpose your photos and make sure you know at least the rule of thirds and dont cut the feet of. Also use you flash during the day time.

My last piece of advice if you dont know the camera or lens use the camera on P mode set the flash on full outo and the focus on the faces of the people.

The reason the people asked you is they cant afford a pro in the first place.

But go for it it is very exhausting but very rewarding and a takes a lot of balls.

My first wedding was also as a favour and i have been doing it ever since.

Last point make sure you have enough compact flash cards to hold about 800 raw photos (2 x 4Gb cards.)

[takeyourpic]

I have done a couple (16) of weddings and only use the following equipment.
Canon 400D, 18-200mm sigma lens with the optical stabilyser and a 430EX flash. Lots of batteries. No back up equipment.

I tried to do a search to see the rate of equipments fail. It is not very, very, very low. On the day of the wedding you can break your leg and the wedding will olso be stuffed.

Taking wedding is knowing yor camera, knowing your lens (sweet spot etc.)
and of course take the photos in raw. You will be amazed what a good computer program can do to the photos afterwards. The most imported thing is not to overexpose your photos and make sure you know at least the rule of thirds and dont cut the feet of. Also use you flash during the day time.

My last piece of advice if you dont know the camera or lens use the camera on P mode set the flash on full outo and the focus on the faces of the people.

The reason the people asked you is they cant afford a pro in the first place.

But go for it it is very exhausting but very rewarding and a takes a lot of balls.

My first wedding was also as a favour and i have been doing it ever since.



I am sorry, but most of the advice above is really not in your best interest. I am not being critical of the person above because they have done 16 weddings this way, but I can't imagine anyone knowingly using a photographer who only has one camera.
I think that you need to ask yourself whether you feel ready to take on such a huge event for this couple. I noticed on your website that you do not have any shots of any people or anything moving. Buildings, cars, and scenery shots are wonderful for practice, but realize that they are very different from the subjects in a wedding.
Like most of the other posters above said...Back up equipment is a must as well as lenses that can handle poor lighting. From the advice above I think you are setting yourself up for possible failure.
Lastly...shooting a wedding has nothing to do with having balls. People who think this are the same types of photographers who run around on the alter during the ceremony trying to take shots over the minister's head.

[Jcharro]

I have to honestly say I have never used my back up in the 20 or more wedding I have done, but that is not to say that my canon didn't give me a few glitches and made me sweat for about five minutes, thank God this was toward the end of the reception. But that is the most important rule as a photographer, to always carry a backup. As far as the lenses go I have the Sigma 24-70mm the 80 -300mm and the nifty 50mm. I just had to get adjusted to my surroundings, my lighting conditions, and Flash to get the shot I was looking for. Of course you will not get every shot that you imagine or see in every wedding magazine but you will get better each time. Learn from your mistakes but remember that mistakes can sometimes be costly in a Wedding. That even includes your friendship, just because you couldn't come trough with your best friends wedding pictures. Think about it very hard before you commit yourself.

[Tumak]

We had about ten pictures of our wedding from a point & shoot camera. They are very valuable to us now, 42 years later. I scanned them into the computer to see if I can color correct them as that was all the pictures that were taken. If you are the only choice, just grab a camera and do it. I have done that twice, once with no warning, just happened to have brand new 30d in the trunk. They were my first pictures taken with that camera, it was still in the box. ISO 800, ambient light, Tamron 28-75. I actually got some decent shots here and there. I have taken pictures at weddings several times, and I always talk to the pro's first. That was a good learning experience and much more fun and less stress for me..

[tofuboy]

I keep hoping I'll be asked to do a wedding, as it's something I'd like to pursue... I'm just waiting for that opportunity.

Everyone starts somewhere, if it's something YOU want to do then go for it! Just make sure your friend knows your limitations and sets their expectations accordingly. Your friend knows you're not a pro wedding photog, so they shouldn't expect you to have all the gear of one either.

[mmahoney]

LOL .. if you do shoot this wedding you'll be lucky to get one quarter the responses if you post a few pics for critique.

[Tish]

I have to honestly say I have never used my back up in the 20 or more wedding I have done, but that is not to say that my canon didn't give me a few glitches and made me sweat for about five minutes, thank God this was toward the end of the reception. But that is the most important rule as a photographer, to always carry a backup. As far as the lenses go I have the Sigma 24-70mm the 80 -300mm and the nifty 50mm. I just had to get adjusted to my surroundings, my lighting conditions, and Flash to get the shot I was looking for. Of course you will not get every shot that you imagine or see in every wedding magazine but you will get better each time. Learn from your mistakes but remember that mistakes can sometimes be costly in a Wedding. That even includes your friendship, just because you couldn't come trough with your best friends wedding pictures. Think about it very hard before you commit yourself.

And out of 10 weddings this year, I've used some form of backup every single time. Cameras are electronic, and like every other item with a computer in it, sometimes they just plain have to be rebooted. Typically right in the middle of a wedding. :lol:

Thank GOD I listened when the people on this forum said over and over and over to every single newbie who asked, "buy, rent, beg, borrow, whatever you have to do, but please don't shoot without a second body & lens!"

If I hadn't, I can think of three separate situations where I likely could have been sued.

If you cannot afford to buy, then rent. Even an older working EOS film camera (typically under $100) & a few rolls of 36 exp film is better than walking into a wedding with no backup.

[bartekk]

Thanks for all informations.
Here is link to my new web site. There are some pics from two weddings
http://www.bkartphoto.com/Weddings.html

[highway0691]

Here's an example of why you need two cameras. I dropped my 5D onto some hard sand - It landed lens first and kind've bounced a bit, it was hardly a signifigant fall. The battery door popped open so I closed it only to find that it wouldn't power up. It was getting a bit dark so i did the rest of the wedding with my other camera -no real problems at all. What had happened was the the small metal element/battery contact had flipped out making the camera unusable, it was impossible to see this. It was easy and cheap to fix but took about 14 days to get the part. If you think that something like this wont happen to you then you're a fool.

Cheers

damian my website (http://www.damiankellyphotography.com.au)

[SuzyView]

Anything can happen in stressful situations. I would not have gone into wedding photography if my friend had not asked me to shoot her daughter's wedding. I told her the 10D I had was new and I bought a 28-135 just for the wedding, which I shot only after the ceremony outdoors in bright sunlight. The shots came out a little soft compared to the gear I have now, but everyone was happy and it was my gift to the couple and my friend. Sometimes you get lucky. I would never consider doing something like that now with the little gear I had, but I did have my EOS 3 as back up and I had my Tamron 19-35 and a 550 EX. That was my gear list and it fit in one bag. I can't say I can comfortably do that now. I have so much gear, I have 2 bags on wheels. But you've got to start somewhere, just let your friend know you are not a pro and anything can go wrong, then practice like you are a pro and surprise everyone. :) Good luck!

[dlphotography]

My opinion is to have them hire a photographer in case you do'nt have enough confidence in yourself :D