My arms are going to fall off!!!!

[PJ]

So I just shot my first wedding tonight. It went very well. I had a great time and the couple was terrific.

MY ARMS ARE FREAKING KILLING ME.

Carrying around a 24-70L, 30D with grip, Flash and Flash bracket for 6 hours will make anyone tired I guess. I'm not a small guy either. Perhaps it’s just late and I'm complaining, but; what do you guys do to relieve some of the stress of lugging all your heavy gear around all day long if anything?

I think I need to hit the gym some more.

Goodnight
Paul J.

[_Jo_]

lol - your arms will eventually get used to it! You wait until the morning...lol

[kchau]

im no pro, but i have seen some tool that wraps around yoru shoulders like a reverse backpack, and puts a pouch in front of your belly, you can put your camera on a mono pod, and rest the mono pod in there.

do you get what im saying?

[PIXI_666]

Welcome to the wedding world.part of the reason i don't enjoy it....i had to run with 15kgs on my back and i was sick as a dog and had been throwing up all the night before LOL not pretty....
My hubby held my camera and gear for 20 minutes a few weeks ago and he couldn;t handle it HAHAHAHAHA

[LBaldwin]

You are holding the camera wayyyyyy too tight!! really. Loosen up. As long as you use a strap (you are using a strap right?) you will be OK. Overgripping the camera is the crime so loosen up. BTW I routinely use a 1n MkII with a 500mm f4 hand held for hours at a time... Used to shoot weddings too.

Les

[newgenphoto]

Originally Posted by LBaldwin

you are using a strap right?

Straps get in my way. I shoot all day with a MarkIIn and 24-70L and or the 70-200mm. You do eventually get use to it.

I do however put the Mark & 70-200 on a monopod if I'm shooting sports.

[italianfemmy]

I went to a circus last week and for the entire circus, I held my rebel with the 70-200L 2.8 and OH MY GOD for about 6 hours, my upper arm and my wrist hurt so bad I hardly could stand it. Tomorrow, I am going to a freestlye motocross event and plan on doing the same thing again. In addition, I have decided to start lifting weights often and strengthening that arm. I want to start shooting weddings in a year. In the mean time, I am throwing myself into very very low light situations and making myself shoot without any flash. And, the motocross event.. I am going there because it is all about getting the shot at the moment. Can only be caught once. I am making myself practice all of these things to prepare me for the spontaneous wedding shots and the low lit churches and reception halls. I will have so much experience catching something that moves quickly and shooting in low lit situations that those things should be the least of my worries by the time I jump in. Lol.. sorry for the ramble.. just wanted to explain why I am shooting such events when I want to be a wedding photographer. Just thinking outside the box and planning on working it to my advantage professionally later on.

[tim]

Wedding photography is very physical, it's hard work. Wait until you carry a 70-200 F2.8 IS, body, and flash around for a couple of hours. I highly recommend doing a lot of arm exercises at the gym to build up for weddings. I do.

[mmahoney]

Originally Posted by PJ

MY ARMS ARE FREAKING KILLING ME.

Be a man and stop wimpering .. you know nothing of arm fatigue (and back pain) until you've shot 3-4 consecutive day hockey tournaments with a1D and 70-200 2.8 hanging over the glass at zero degree temperatures for 10 hours daily.

I'm going to offer weddings this year just to give my arms a break .

On a serious note ensure you have good holding technique .. keep your left arm close to your body and most of the gears weight will be transferred to your stomach area.
Mike

[MDJAK]

Anyone who hasn't done "professional" shooting has no clue what it involves. And by professional, I merely mean for money, as in job, as in for hours at a time, as in running around and having the pressure of getting the shot, whether it be feeding each other the wedding cake, tossing the garter, etc.

It wasn't until I went out and got paid (poorly at that) for shooting an 8 hour softball tournament, in the hot, hot sun, or the two weddings I did, that I began to get an appreciation of how much HARD WORK is involved.

And I was carrying my 1 series, 24-70, Custom Flash Bracket and 580ex, not a lightweight combo by any means. And I go to the gym and weightlift and have done so for the better part of my life.

That's why I deemed my very favorite hobby of photography will stay just that: my hobby and not a job.

mark

[liza]

You'll eventually build the musculature in your upper body. I usually shoot with 2 DSLR's at any given time. For example, I covered a basketball tournament in January and covered 8 games in 7 days. Professional photography of any type can be truly physically taxing.

[LeesaB]

I lift and work out, but when I do a wedding...OUCH...But I think it is best to workout 1. It's good for you 2. You won't become off balanced with bulk on one side and not on the other...either that or switch arms when carrying the camera.

I have a strap, but I don't wear it, I do wrap it around my wrist a bit...

Ok..out of here for a while..got a consult then some shopping...

[kampphoto]

Wow and you only shot for 6 hours... most of my wedding days are 12... and yes by the end of that I want to lay on a very hard and straight floor because my back is killing me

[sapearl]

Do you have a neck strap? That will allow some periodic small relief throughout the day. I've got one on both the 5D with the 24-105 w/Newton & 580 as well as the other 5D with the 70-200 f/2.8.

I'm 55 and lift weights, but also count wedding work as part of my work out program My shortest weddings average 7 hours, but most of the days usually go 8 - 12. Cheer up, the weddings that don't kill you will just make you stronger. - Stu

[MJP]

you can imagine carrying 2 camera one mk2N and 5D with grip and 70-200L and 24-105L