First Wedding Advice

I am shooting my first weeding in 3 weeks and I would appreciate any advice. I am using the 10D with a Tamron SP SF24-135mm lens. F3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical. I have only had the camera for about 3 weeks and am amazed by it. I was considering the Sigma lends and was told by the "expert at the photo shop" that the clarity of the Tamron was superior. I must say I have been very impressed with the lens. The clarity is amazing. I am having a bit of trouble in low light though, but I think it's more of operator error than anything. By the way I just orderd the 420 EX flash unit today. Thanks

I hope this is a favor for a friend. Doing weddings professionally requires a bit more equipment and sufficient experience as someone's assistant, it seems to me.

In my opinion, if you are going to do family group formals, then you'll need a more powerful flash. You'll also need to get that flash up off the camera to make it look better than the Uncle Harry photos. (Uncle Harry is the fictitious gadget-geek uncle of all brides whose equipment may make you green with envy--your only defense against the Uncle Harry is to know what to do with your equipment). If you do outdoor portraits, you'll need fill flash. The standard shots at the reception usually require a big flash, too--receptions are usually in the evenings and usually dark.

I might do a wedding for a friend with a 10D, battery grip, two extra fully charged batteries, at least three 1-gig memory cards, a 20-35 zoom and a 28-70 zoom (both sufficiently fast to allow a long reach with the flash), a 550EX with a belt-pack battery and two sets of AA backups, and a stroboframe with a camera rotation rig. I'd bring my Elan as a backup, with ten rolls of film. But if I was charging money, I'd use medium format equipment or a 1DS. Come to think of it, I'd probably bring my old wedding rig, a Mamiya C330, as a backup.

Rick "who thinks full redundancy is a must" Denney

rdenny is right on!!! I've done over 500 weddings in 30 years and you need at least one preferably two of everything. I take $15,000 worth of equipment to every wedding and believe me, if you have just one of something....you are asking for trouble. I would not do a wedding with new untried equipment. This is usually a once in a lifetime event and not to be taken casually.
If the bride and groom can't afford a professional, do your best but bring film cameras with you and take important pictures with both film and digital. Use a 550ex flash if possible or a 283 vivitar. Both can handle a group shot at f8 and 400 asa film. I never shoot groups at a bigger aperture. Good luck.

My first bit of advice would be DON'T DO IT!

Barring that, I would be Painfully honest with the couple in question about your equiptment, skill level and experience. Remember, if these are friends of yours and you ruin all their wedding photos they might never forgive you. If they are not friends they could try and sue you. This is a very special, emotional and stressful day for everyone involved so be sure you can handle it before you jump in feet first.

As a former wedding photographer I know that I personally have been asked at the last minute to "rescue" someone's wedding when the "friend" that they asked to shoot the wedding fell short of the expectations. I am pretty sure I have read of others doing the same on this very board. It got to the point where I would carry extra film in expection of this.

Weddings are a one shot deal you can't do them over. It's a lot of pressure. If you do it. Cover your bases, then cover them again. Think about renting a second camera body, maybe a 1D or 1Ds and a 550ex or at the very least follow the above posters' advice and shoot it all on film too.

Good Luck to you.