Suggestions for first wedding??

[Tumeg]

On December 1st, I will be interning with my photography teacher at a wedding (I am only 14.. lol)
And I was wondering what I should really get shots of, I guess I will know when I get there but some ideas of what to look for would be good...

I am not the main, or second photographer that will be there... if anything I'll be the third (2 pros, and 1-3 interns(not sure exactly)
So I guess I don't need to do that great, but it would still be nice to get awesome shots for my portfolio

Also, I geuss what lens' should I bring?? I have:

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 : This is the sharpest lens I have
Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 : I hate this lens, the quality sucks (looks like the shot was taken with a point and shoot)
Canon 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 : I hate this lens, the quality sucks (looks like the shot was taken with a point and shoot)

Since my only good one, is way too much of a telephoto... I am hoping to get a tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 before the wedding (if the eBay auction works out, it will be here 3+ days before the wedding) so then I will for sure use it as my main lens, and probably my only lens... unless for some reason the telephoto seems fine for it

[hard12find]

Here's a list I got somewhere along the way. Obviously you wont get them all but should give you lots of ideas.

Before Ceremony:
Close-up Of Rings
Bride Dressing For Ceremony
Mother Adjusting Veil
“Mirror” Shots
“Makeup” Shots
Bride Looking Out Window
Bride, Full-Length Solo
Bride, Close Up
Bride With Parents
Bride With Mother/Father Separately
Bride With Sisters/Brothers
Bride With Grandparents
Bride With Maid Of Honor
Bride With Bridesmaids
Bride With Groomsmen
Bride With Ring Bearer, Flower Girl
Bride Foreground, Parents Background
Father Kissing Bride On Forehead/Cheek
Bride And Flower Girl (Looking At Each Other/Camera)
Bride Giving Bouquets To Bridesmaids
Mother/Maid Of Honor Putting Garter On Bride
Groom Dressing For Ceremony
Groom, Full-Length Solo
Groom, Close Up
Groom With Parents
Groom With Mother/Father Separately
Groom With Sisters/Brothers
Groom With Grandparents
Groom With Best Man
Groom With Groomsmen
Groom With Bridesmaids
Groom Foreground, Parents Background
Mother Kissing/Hugging Groom
Groom And Ring Bearer

Location Shots (Church/Location/Etc.)
Bride Arriving At Church
Groom And Best Man Arriving At Church
Groomsman Dragging Groom Into Church
Guest Book And Attendant
Guests Signing Guestbook

Formal Poses: (Taken before and after ceremony)
Complete Wedding Party
Bride And Groom:
Looking At Camera (Full Length)
Looking At Camera (3/4)
Looking At Camera (Head And Shoulders)
Looking Off Camera (Full Length)
Looking Off Camera (3/4)
Looking Off Camera (Head And Shoulders)
Bride And Groom Facing Each Other Holding Hands
Bride And Groom Silhouette Against Stained Glass Window
Bride Only
Groom Only
Individual Bridesmaids
Group Bridesmaids
Individual Groomsmen
Group Groomsmen
Bride And Groom With Groom’s Parents
Bride And Groom With Bride’s Parents
Bride And Groom With Groom’s Grandparents
Bride And Groom With Bride’s Grandparents
Family Portrait – Groom Side
Family Portrait – Bride Side
Family Portrait – Both Sides
Bride And Groom With Minister/Priest
Groom’s Grandparents (Together/Separate)
Bride’s Grandparents (Toghether/Separate)

During Ceremony:
Bride’s/Groom’s Grandparents Being Seated
Usher Seating Mother Of Bride
Usher Seating Mother And Father Of Groom
Ushers Working
Guests Arriving
Bridesmaids Walking Down Aisle
Flower Girl & Ring Bearer Walking Down Aisle
Grooms’ First Glimpse Of Future Wife
Bride And Father Walking Down Aisle
Father Giving Bride’s Hand To Groom
Unity Candle Lighting
Soloists
Readers
Exchanging Of Vows
Exchanging Of Rings
First Kiss As Husband And Wife
Bride And Groom Taking Communion
Bride And Groom Walking Down Aisle
Bride And Groom Leaving Church
Bride And Groom Getting Into Vehicle
Rice Throwing, etc.

After Ceremony/Reception:
Close-up Of Rings
Cake Table
Place Setting
Bride And Groom At Dinner Table
Wedding Party At Dinner Table
Bride And Groom With Wine Glasses
Invitation
Invitation/Bouquet
Signature Board
Cake Cutting
Couple Feeding Cake To Each Other
Best Man Toasting Bride And Groom
Other Toasts
Musicians / DJ
Bride And Groom First Dance
Bride Dancing With Father
Bride Dancing With Groom’s Father
Groom Dancing With Mother
Groom Dancing With Bride’s Mother
Flower Girl Dancing With Ring Bearer
Guests Dancing
Candids
Signing Of Marriage License
Groom Removing Garter
Groom Throwing Garter (Posed)
Groomsmen And Guests Catching Garter
Groom With Catcher Of Garter
Bride Throwing Bouquet (Posed)
Bridesmaids And Guests Catching Boquet
Bride With Catcher Of Bouquet
Outdoor Poses Of Bride And Groom
Bride And Groom Leaving
Rice Throwing, etc.
Bride’s Father With Pockets Turned Inside Out

[Tumeg]

Wow, thanks for the fast reply....
And thanks for the great list,

[hard12find]

Some of these are not traditional.... I would try to get the last one without your teacher knowing....you'll have an only shot if you can.

Good luck and have fun...will be looking for some posts afterwards.
Jim

[Tumeg]

Just a random update...
The couple does not want us to post the pictures on the internet... I may get away with one or two, on these forums...
And also, even though I am interning, she is payen me 50 bucks (not much, but I expected nothing)
Do interns get paid? Or is this sorta rare\random... I am amazed, lol... I applied to intern for her through the school year of '08 and if I am gonna get paid each event... wow... here comes high end lens' =D

[Mike R]

Just a random update...
The couple does not want us to post the pictures on the internet... I may get away with one or two, on these forums...
And also, even though I am interning, she is payen me 50 bucks (not much, but I expected nothing)
Do interns get paid? Or is this sorta rare\random... I am amazed, lol... I applied to intern for her through the school year of '08 and if I am gonna get paid each event... wow... here comes high end lens' =D

Congratulations on starting out right (interning)
If the couple doesn't want you to post pictures, don't even do it here. Sure,the chances are slim that they will see them but if they should, it will deeply hurt your reputation and may jeopardise any future intern assignments.

[Tumeg]

Congratulations on starting out right (interning)
If the couple doesn't want you to post pictures, don't even do it here. Sure,the chances are slim that they will see them but if they should, it will deeply hurt your reputation and may jeopardise any future intern assignments.

Thanks... and yeah, I guess I shouldn't\wont, I was really hoping to put them in my portfolio (www.photosbybradley.com) but now I can't (I just found this out yesterday)
So yeah, :-p I hope she accepts me as an intern (she is only looking for\'hiring' 3)

[Mike R]

Thanks... and yeah, I guess I shouldn't\wont, I was really hoping to put them in my portfolio (www.photosbybradley.com (http://www.photosbybradley.com)) but now I can't (I just found this out yesterday)
So yeah, :-p I hope she accepts me as an intern (she is only looking for\'hiring' 3)
Best of luck to you.

[Tumeg]

Best of luck to you.


Yup... thanks!

[liza]

You need to ask the primary what he wants you to shoot. And the Tamron lens you mentioned isn't bad. I used it for my first wedding, and it's okay with flash. I'm training my younger son to assist with weddings (he's 12), and he used it with the 10D.

[Tumeg]

The chance I had to get the tamron lens has gone, so I cant get it now... so now I am currently looking at the Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM, I will also be getting the hood and polarizer filter. I have checked out flickr for pictures with this lens, and they are all amazing...
I would just like some advice on if this is a good lens,

[liza]

It really isn't a very good one for weddings. What's your budget?

[Tumeg]

$250 >.< So I am looking at used, the two that it comes down to is the Canon 28-105mm and the Tamron 28-75mm (I have been watching a few and they all go barely above my budget, and the shipping is normally the lowest one, and I need it before Friday (wedding is on Saturday, and I would like time to play with the lens)
So the auction for the canon, the shipping is 3 days, comes with packaging, hood, and polarizer...
One question, how can a lens be good for lets say.. portraits, and not weddings? What is so different\special about weddings that makes a lens not good,
All I am looking for is good quality shots,

[bieber]

I wouldn't worry about that 70-300 being too long; I shot my first wedding almost exclusively with a 70-200/2.8 IS. It was really nice, because I could stay well out of the way of the people involved (I got lots in the way of compliments about my non-intrusiveness later) and get from reasonably wide shots to closeups. Then I had my 50/1.8 on a 10D close at hand, in case anything came too close. However, I should note that my 580EX was just barely cutting it with a higher-than-usual ceiling for bounce flash, f/2.8, and ISO 800; if you're using an f/5.6 lens, you might end up having to use direct flash :O

[liza]

If you can find a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or wider, that would be best. Weddings typically have lousy lighting. Check www.keh.com. They're a reliable reseller of good used equipment.

[bieber]

$250 >.< So I am looking at used, the two that it comes down to is the Canon 28-105mm and the Tamron 28-75mm (I have been watching a few and they all go barely above my budget, and the shipping is normally the lowest one, and I need it before Friday (wedding is on Saturday, and I would like time to play with the lens)
So the auction for the canon, the shipping is 3 days, comes with packaging, hood, and polarizer...
One question, how can a lens be good for lets say.. portraits, and not weddings? What is so different\special about weddings that makes a lens not good,
All I am looking for is good quality shots,
Portraits tend to be a more static environment, and you can do things like moving around a lot to get different perspectives (if I had one, I'd shoot outdoor portraits all day with a 300/2.8 or a 500/4), but at a wedding you really need to be able to move around and react to changing situations quickly, which means you're probably going to want a zoom (although a good mid-range prime would also work, you'd just have to accept occasionally wishing you'd had a slightly different focal length), and you'll also want a fast lens that performs well wide-open, because there's not going to be any surplus of light, for the most part, where you're shooting.

(Edit-Agh, this thread is moving too fast)

[Tumeg]

I am going to ask her if it will be outside or inside,
If it is outside would the canon be fine??

And if it is indoor, basically my only other option would be a 50mm f/1.8??

[Tumeg]

I really would like the 85mm f/1.8, if I go for the standard lens,
Just it is a bit out of my budget >.<
So yeah, after reading the posts, basically the 50mm f/1.8 is my only option??
That is gonna suck... lol, 50mm for the whole wedding,
I was hoping for a good standard zoom, to use as a main lens even after the wedding, but I guess not


EDIT: One more question... would it be smart\good to use a polarizer filter for the wedding???

[liza]

Don't use a polarizer, as it will reduce the amount of light entering the camera. And you'll find that the 85mm lens is probably too long. How about the Sigma 30mm? It's a great lens for low light venues.

[Tumeg]

if I were going with a standard lens, I would definitely go with the 50mm, 30mm seems to wide, and yeah 85mm seems to long,
I actually still think I am gonna go with the 28-105mm >.<
I have used my standard zoom lens (both f/3.5-5.6) and fully zoomed, at f/5.6 they are still pretty good in low light, and this canon zoom (f/3.5-4.5) is even better when fully zoomed,
and this will become my new walk around lens, instead of my 70-300mm, so I basically get more bang for my buck...


EDIT: The wedding is outside, but the reception is indoors,

[liza]

Make sure you have an external flash if you're going to use a slow lens like that. It's okay for walk around, but wedding shooting is a lot faster and a lot darker.

[bieber]

That is gonna suck... lol, 50mm for the whole wedding,


Don't be silly. I shoot events all the time with nothing but the 50/1.8 when I'm only using one body, and it's a great focal length. On a crop body, it gives you just a little bit of reach, which is handy when you're a reasonable distance from the action. If you're closer to things, like at a reception, around 28 or 30mm is better on a crop body, which gives the same field of view as 50mm on a full frame SLR.

[Tumeg]

I was thinking about, and made a decision...
50mm now, for the wedding and after Christmas/Birthday(Jan 7th) I will buy the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8,
After reading your guys' posts, I decided not to waist the money on a crappy standard zoom, and to use the money for two good lens'

Thanks a ton!

[liza]

I think you made a very wise decision. And, FYI, when I shot film I used the 50mm lens and foot zoom for 18 years.

[Tumeg]

Just thought I would post an update about this...

The bride is a defense attorney and has threatened to sue the main photographer(my teacher) twice, I am to stay out of her way\out of her sight the whole time (she knows I will be there, but doesn't like the idea)
My teacher talked her into letting me put a max of 3 pictures on the internet, under the condition that my teachers logo is on it (She said it will be very small in the corner, and mine can be bigger\above it to draw away from it)
I am leaving at 6am, getting back at 6pm (2 hour drive there, 2 back (+ traffic))
I also just got back from canon (they cleaned my camera) and I am ready to go :)

Wish me luck! And I will be sure to post the three pictures on here, as well as my site

[Sauk]

I am to stay out of her way\out of her sight the whole time (she knows I will be there, but doesn't like the idea)

I don't get the reason for this statement from her?

Geez the lady that is getting married sounds like a winner. not

I loved my 50 1.8 and it can produce excellent images!

[Tumeg]

it turns out, the mother is the 'freak' but during the wedding she was fine, I used my 50mm the whole time..
Will post the 3 pics ASAP


The lighting in the church was HORRIBLE.... all the pictures either came out blue, dark, or very yellow (no matter which white balance setting I had it on)
The reception was much better, I haven't gone through those shots yet but I think they came out much better

[RedHot]

I am not the main, or second photographer that will be there... if anything I'll be the third (2 pros, and 1-3 interns(not sure exactly)
So I guess I don't need to do that great, but it would still be nice to get awesome shots for my portfolio

Not to be rude, but if there's going to be so many other people there from the paid photographer's company, and this being your first attended wedding, you'll likely be a gopher and a "hold this" person. You'll not likely take any pictures unless the 2 pros are on break.

If you're 14 and this being your first wedding, you'll want to watch and observe (and not day dream). :D

[Tumeg]

I actually didn't have to 'hold' anything... all I did was take pictures, the main photographer told me what to get (mainly just the guests, there reactions, and them dancing)
And for one thing, I was the main\only photographer (not for something pointless, but when the bride and groom were getting out of the limo at the reception)

[Tumeg]

After going through my only 1,200 pictures from the wedding, and deleting the ones that are virtually un-usable... I got down to 185, but those 185 I am very proud of, and I really like (especially after 'enhancing' them lol)
I did allot better then I expected myself to do. It was also allot more 'hectic' then I expected... but I had a good time, and learned allot.
I used my 50mm the whole time, I used flash in only 2 pictures (in the church, where it was basically a must)
I could have gotten many more photos out of it if we were aloud flash (only the main photographer was aloud flash during the ceremony)
There were 4 of us, the Main, assistant, and 2 interns. The wedding went from 8am to 2:3pm, and after... my feet hurt beyond belief,

[RedHot]

I actually didn't have to 'hold' anything... all I did was take pictures

Well I hope you did a lot of observing of the main photographer as well because you can't be told how to shoot and what goes on at a wedding for the photographer's aspect. You have to experience it.

[Tumeg]

I certainly did watch her, and it was amazing too see all that she does... I seriously did not expect that... I don't see how photographers come up with poses for everyone to do, especially to make it original...
But yeah, she said I did good and that she didn't expect me to get vary many if any good shots, she just wanted me to see how it all went and she wants me to intern at another wedding in January (This time it might just be me and her, or her, her assistant and me)

I will post my three pictures by the end of the week