Shooting a wedding - Not just your equipment.

Okay guys, I just thought i'd make a quick thread regarding some comments i've had and seen on these and other forums regarding shooting weddings.

People have been asking for advice on new lenses and/or camera bodies for shooting a wedding, wether paid or for a friend. But instead of getting helpful feedback or advice, they have been getting people say things like 'Please tell me your not shooting someones one and only day with 'X' and 'Y'' or 'You can't shoot a wedding with just that'.

Now coming from someone who has shot a few weddings, with different age groups and different themes, I believe that these comments false but with a slight bit a truth.

Yes, you cannot shoot a wedding with just one lens, even if that is a very expensive 2.8 zoom lens...you just can't.

But you CAN shoot a wedding, successfully, with a good prime and a good zoom, that don't need to be expensive.
With my experience and confidence in the way I shoot, I could shoot an entire wedding on a Canon Rebel with a nifty fifty, 18-55 kit lens and a 10-18. (And a few batteries, flash gun and memory cards).

I think it's really based on the photographer, not just the equipment you use. Of course you need reliable equipment and a back up, but you don't have to have a huge array of lenses and have spent thousands on glass to be a good wedding photographer. You can't shoot a wedding with a 50 1.8, but you can if you also have a few other focal lengths.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't shoot a wedding based only on the equipment you have, base it on your experience and knowledge.

Just a little rant!
Peace!

It depends on the kind of result one is expecting.

Aswald wrote in post #17520847
It depends on the kind of result one is expecting.

True.

Don't get me wrong, an experienced photographer with high quality expensive gear will more than likely give better results than with cheaper gear.

bboysmax wrote in post #17520845
Yes, you cannot shoot a wedding with just one lens, even if that is a very expensive 2.8 zoom lens...you just can't.

Erm... yes you can. I've done it perfectly well entirely on a 50mm before.

Here you go... ALL ON A 50mm!

bboysmax wrote in post #17520845
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't shoot a wedding based only on the equipment you have, base it on your experience and knowledge.

Pot... kettle... oh the irony

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #17520907
Erm... yes you can. I've done it perfectly well entirely on a 50mm before.

Here you go... ALL ON A 50mm!

Pot... kettle... oh the irony

+1
You can shoot with whichever single lens you want. If you can make it happen and the clients are happy, why does it matter what gear you use? Isn't it all about making the clients happy?

bboysmax wrote in post #17520845
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't shoot a wedding based only on the equipment you have, base it on your experience and knowledge.

Yup! I would just add "Experience & knowledge you have with the equipment you are using"

You can get the newest greatest XD, XXD or 2.8 zoom or 1.2, 1.4, 1.8 prime, but you are better off using your kit lens & body if your first day with your new lens or body is the wedding day.

I think, more important than gear, is the photography should have experience in posing and knowing which shots to get as well as professionalism dealing with those getting in the way to take their photos.

I was just at a wedding on the weekend, as a guest, and the photographer duo shot the wedding with two lens - one lady holding a 5D3 with a 50 1.8 and the other lady holding a 5D3 with a 24-105 F4 - but from what I saw, the vast majority of the pictures were with the 50 1.8 (I actually decided to watch her work and basically didn't watch the wedding).

I will say that I became somewhat envious while watching her with her ridiculously light setup - a $3000 wedding camera with the $150 plastic fantastic - she knew what she was doing as she was very active with the dials and used her feet instead of the zoom ring to get where she needed to be.

We know the bride and got a couple pictures this am and the 3 we saw were great - this was a heavy bride and the composition of the pictures was extremely flattering to her.

I will say, as I watched, that I could predict what photos were going to be in B&W because the facility didn't work with bounced flash and the photographer used no flash (on or off camera at all) - I would have rigged a few off camera flashes and had a rogue flash bender - but she knew what she wanted and in my opinion, from what I've seen, did well.

Since each women appeared to only have 1 lens, and a tiny bag, it has been interesting for me to think about if I went with only one lens what would it be - and as a wedding duo, I think their combo, given the space we were in, was probably correct - the room wasn't extremely dark where 1.4 lens would have been very useful.

I would have had my 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 on two bodies shooting between F2.8 and F4, and then switched to my 35 1.4 and 85 1.2, likely shooting at F 1.4 to F4 as they dimmed certain lights - but I would have had some off camera flashes in the corners of the dance floor for effect - she was clearly a non flash person.

Anyways, I agree with the post it comes down to knowing your craft - and if I could only have one lens I'm pretty sure it would be a fast 50 prime.

I agree it gets tiring reading other's comments about not being able to shoot a wedding without "proper" gear. Yes, it helps to have nice gear, but saying it cannot be done otherwise is wrong. Knowledge, experience and confidence will always trump gear IMO. I just shot a wedding with a single rented 24-70 2.8 and I'm quite happy with the results.

I agree with what the Op is getting at, it is the photographer not the gear. I could shoot a wedding with a few Rebels, the Sigma 18-35 and a 50mm although I'd have a Tokina 11-20 2.8 and an 85 1.8 in my pockets as well.
The more advanced gear might allow you to get the shot faster and with less fuss but doesn't mean you can't succeed with "consumer" gear

It's a little bit the equipment;

A rebel with the kit lens and the pop up flash is able to do a wedding, physically , but the results will be horrendous.

Add a speedlight, even a cheap one, bounce/shape the light and that rebel & Kit will do a better job.

Add any lens capable of f2.8, and now maybe your able to take advantage of the natural light for a portion of the day, perhaps that means you are able to see something amazing and capture rather than obliterating it with the speed light, or simply able to photograph guests for longer without them getting camera stiff.

Add a lens of 85mm to 135mm (after about 150mm pin cushioning starts, beyond 200mm that effect stops being flattering) and not only are you able to shoot from further away, the compression is more flattering to your subjects, which they will thank you for, after only seeing smartphones wide angle distortion for most of their photos.

Add a Macro lens, wow the world of the close up details, the ring shots and details of the dress etc. all can be achieved easily with impressive results, my ring shots are not great, but still they get gasps of amazement because they have never seen them like that before. Even those macro tubes and more patience can get you those gasps.

Add off camera flash modules, get an assistant to walk around with the flash or just set it up on stands, opens up a new world of possibilities.

Add lenses capable of f1.4, now you get the option of leaving the flash off for much longer, not all night mind, or not, my point is you now have more choice.

Go from a rebel to a modern FF camera, now you can use f1.4 and the high ISO with faster shutter speeds and get work that when printed still looks amazing at larger sizes, again some photographers might choose to forgo flash all together at this point for 90% of weddings, or not, again my point is that you get the choice. You even get the choice on how you choose your gear pathway.


Better gear gives you more options, a better photographer knows what his options are and how to use them.

Getting gear because somebody told you that is what the pros have and use, is not the same as a person reaching the limit of their gear and knowing that the new tool will help them fulfil their creative choices.

When someone on the forums suggests a certain lens, its because they know that that lens will give the person who asked more options, a better quality picture, and hopefully a slightly happier set of clients as a result. Normally that lens suggestion is followed by the advice, practice, practice, practice.

Generally they suggest renting rather than buying, knowing that everybody has personal preferences and it saves heart ache later.

Get better gear is not bad advice, but it is the only thing you can buy to get you closer to the pro's picture quality, after all you cannot buy experience.

i too have read many posts of people asking for help .. asking what should they do,

and the majority of the answers are you cant shoot a weddiing with what you have ,, and are then provided wit a list of equipment that would cost several thousands ..

so yeah if all you have is a rebel with the 18-55 kit lens , you may be (depending on skill level) overwhelmed .. but to say cant?

i think the qustions should be do the people/family/friends who asked you know what you are equpped with ? do they know your level of skill / experience
and if everyones good with that then you yes you can... but no one should expect it to loook like you shot it with 10,000+ dollars worth of equipment

Give basic equipment to a novice photographer and you'll get poor results.

Give top quality equipment to a novice photographer and you'll still get poor results.

Give basic equipment to an a good experienced photographer and you potentially get good photos.

Give top quality equipment to a good experienced photographer and you'll get top quality results.

It's not about the photographer or the equipment it's about the combination and the knowledge of how to use the tools you have.

More tools enable you to do more things, or do things easier, or better. Experience isn't even that much of a factor. Knowledge and the talent to creatively use it trumps all.

texkam wrote in post #17526122
More tools enable you to do more things, or do things easier, or better. Experience isn't even that much of a factor. Knowledge and the talent to creatively use it trumps all.

Somehow, when it comes to wedding, this statement may not be all that true.

I've shot a few weddings and I can vouch that knowing and actually doing it, are two very different things.

texkam wrote in post #17526122
More tools enable you to do more things, or do things easier, or better. Experience isn't even that much of a factor. Knowledge and the talent to creatively use it trumps all.

I respectfully disagree with your statement. Experience and your comfort level at using those tools plays a vital role in being able to channelize all your energies into creativity and vision. The process should be like driving a car on the road - the process should become so natural that the tool becomes the extension of the person controlling it - one shouldn't need to think about pressing the clutch or shifting gears, but rather driving well on the road - else, use an automatic (Like P Mode or AV/TV mode on the camera) and focus on getting good results.

If one is left thinking about how to use the equipment, then the time and the part of the brain which could have been used for creativity and vision is lost. If you look at any of the top photographers - no matter how much equipment they use, they are so comfortable using it, that it becomes a part of them.

The other thing that helps in the above process is: KISS - Keep it simple sweetie