Quick Advise please...

[CindyLynn]

Gear: 40D, 70-200 2.8L IS, 85 1.8 prime, Nifty-Fifty, Tamron 28-75 2.8, 430EX flash, Fong cloud lightsphere dome and a "L" bracket for off camera flash if needed.

Question: Which lens and settings? ISO?
Flash w/Fong dome or without?

Setting: Inside church with avg height cielings and good/ample lighting.


Event: Small wedding ceremony & reception


I am not a wedding photographer just love learning and playing.
These will be for my own.

[shannyD]

i would go to the church before hand with someone else.. and take some practice shots to see what your challenge is going to be.. i personally dont like to use flash if light is ample. i would start at iso 100.. and work my way up from there if your going to go without flashing. but i personally wouldnt go over 400. you dont want to lose detail. you also have IS working with you. so that helps too.

what kind of place is the reception going to be in?

[CindyLynn]

Reception is in similar type room with same lighting?
So even thou I am allowed to use flash are you recommending not to?

[shannyD]

im not recomending one way or the other because i havent seen the place. but for me personally i dont like to use flash unless i have to. i dont always think it adds to a photo.. or especially a wedding where natural light always seems softer, and more romantic.

thats why i said go to the place with someone else, and take a couple of test shots to see what you will be working with.
for the few weddings i have assisted with.. i have gone to every location before hand, just to see what i would be working with. i want to know ahead of time to see what my challenges are going to be. i hate shooting off the cuff.. i never feel like i get anything good. if i can spend 30 mins walking around, and see whats going on with the place, i feel way more confident.

i dont think anyone could give you exact setting recomendations based on a cryptic description of a place.

are you oging to be shooting in manual, or av/tv? if you were going to shoot in manual with a flash.. i would get my iso high enough and my aperture wide enough that your not going to loose detail, but will still have a fast enough shutter speed that you will still get good flash in without getting motion blur.

[CindyLynn]

Being relatively new, I have never shot in "M" mode before. So maybe "AV" mode.

[shannyD]

in av mode.. i think flash looks ugly. and im generally a fan of av mode. but just not with flash. shooting in M mode isnt too hard.. just gotta practice for a little while. i feel you get a lot of great results in M mode.. you have more controll.

but i would see what kind of test shots your getting in av mode before you commit to using your flash.

see what your shutter speeds are.. there isnt going to be a whole ton of movement while they are standing there getting married. so i think natural light would look really pretty... and just so much more natural to edit.

there are some people here who are great with a flash indoors.. but you can always see they are flashed.. and im just not a huge fan of that. this is all my personal preferance though.

[CindyLynn]

Ok. If shooting in "AV" mode with no flash what would you rec. for settings ?

[poloman]

I would suggest using your 70-200 if there is enough light. If you had two bodies you could use your primes.
I would suggest shooting without flash as you are new. It is much simpler. You should use off camera flash for formals if at all possible.
If you want to try some gear that you don't have try this http://www.lensrentals.com/ (http://www.lensrentals.com/for-canon) Look around the church for good lighting angles. Are the bride and groom going to go by a window that will light them well? You want to avoid dark eye sockets if you can.
Make sure you talk to the official .... Many do not want flash in the church. Some don't even want pictures during the ceremony. If there is a pro hired to do the job, do not compete with them and stay out of their way.
At the last wedding I did, a large guy in a yellow shirt jumped up as the bride and her father started the procession. He covered half of the dad as they walked up the aisle. Luckily, I was able to clone him out. As far as settings, see if you can achieve a shutter speed of around 1/150. In AV, you must watch your shutter speed so that it doesn't get too slow.
Also, if you are the only shooter, you should rent another body. What if yours fails in the middle of the ceremony? I always carry two, each with a different lens. If one dies, I will still get the shots.
If you are the only shooter, you have taken on an immense responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Your shots could be the only memory these people have of their event.
Remember, the wedding is about them and not you. Attempt to be invisible. If you do formals, work hard to pose them in positions that make them as attractive as possible.
AV mode is fine, watch out for backlit shots. You may want to add 2/3 of a stop ec.

[shannyD]

i would stay with iso 400 at max.. if you can go lower.. do it. but depending on where you are standing in conjunction to the bride and the groom. i would give just a couple of test shots to see what aperture would work for you. i wouldnt go too far wide open.. just because you want the pictures to be sharp, with a lot of detail. i have li ked f4 a lot for indoor shooting when lighting is ample.. especially if you have IS.

[CindyLynn]

No windows in this church. Just cieling fan lighting (ugh).

[shannyD]

ohhhh that opens up a whole other playing ground.. you will want to make sure your white balance is good.. because ceiling fan lighting can get ugly.. i would really suggest shooting some practice shots if you have the chance.

are you the hired person to be there.. or i guess the exclusive person to be there?
because everything polo man stated.. is all wonderful advice.

[CindyLynn]

It is not a real formal type wedding, kind of casual if you will and at last minute...yes, I am the gun and it is tonight.

[Svetlana]

40D can easily goup ISO 800, even ISO1600 (it'll be a bit grainy, yes).

[tim]

i would stay with iso 400 at max.. if you can go lower.. do it. but depending on where you are standing in conjunction to the bride and the groom. i would give just a couple of test shots to see what aperture would work for you. i wouldnt go too far wide open.. just because you want the pictures to be sharp, with a lot of detail. i have li ked f4 a lot for indoor shooting when lighting is ample.. especially if you have IS.

I would go the other way - ISO400 is the lowest ISO I use unless i'm in direct sunlight. Typically churches here need ISO3200 F2.8 1/50th so you'd be stuffed with ISO400 unless you plan to use flash, which I don't like to do in a church.