Trying to understand how you guys light for Weddings in manual?

I get it when you do set up shots with flash. You can meter etc. But how do you do the dinner shots walking around or the party shots or toast? TTL seems much easier. Their is no time to meter.

Not sure if this is the "right" way to do it, but I tend to stick to f4 to create a consistent style. And I don't like to shoot higher than ISO1600 if possible. So for candids in the reception, I'll set to f4, 1/80, 1600iso, then set the flashes to manual and take a couple of quick "sighters"- but to cut a long story short, I'll tend to set the camera how I want it and ride the flash settings.

Depends on the look you're going for too - I tend to try and re-create the mood of the place as it was. If it was a really dark room, I try and get that across, rather than light the whole scene so it looks like brunch on a sunny Tuesday I know some people do that and like that, just not my thing.

Jon Tinkler wrote in post #17551364
Not sure if this is the "right" way to do it, but I tend to stick to f4 to create a consistent style. And I don't like to shoot higher than ISO1600 if possible. So for candids in the reception, I'll set to f4, 1/80, 1600iso, then set the flashes to manual and take a couple of quick "sighters"- but to cut a long story short, I'll tend to set the camera how I want it and ride the flash settings.

Depends on the look you're going for too - I tend to try and re-create the mood of the place as it was. If it was a really dark room, I try and get that across, rather than light the whole scene so it looks like brunch on a sunny Tuesday I know some people do that and like that, just not my thing.

Jon, question at 1/80 for candids, are you getting most in focus? I guess my hands are just to shaky. If moving and going after that great candid shot, need to be at least 100 and over to get it right.

Is that camera on flash bouncing it?

Jon may be using the flash to freeze the action, and not depend on the shutter speed. (i.e. the ambient is underexposed enough that the shutter speed doesn't introduce blur, rather the flash is what's 'freezing' the action). Probably not the most technical definition, but that's the way I understand it.

Tips from lots of receptions in country house weddings in Herfordshire England:--

If you have low enough light toned ceillings then bounce flash straight up and use the built in flash card to help light faces and eyes.
Dont use a diffuser because they reduce effective power output and alter the colour balance of the flash too.

Dont be scared of direct flash it is fine . You do need to be aware of light fall-off with distance all subjects in group need to be equidistant from flash, which may contradict the DoF focus plane!!!

Use the higfhest ISO your camera can usefully give to reproduce background details(black muddy backdrop is not always atmospheric.)
Use the slowest shutter speed you can steaddily hold(helps with lowering ISO for background details and noise)
Lower aperture is best for lower flash power output and obscuring distracting background detail.

dont be afraid to turn up/down FEC.
Use single focus point on the same subject so you can reliably use TTL with FEC dialled in most times.
Check faces are not too pale or too dark- the table cloth over exposed is not important the faces are!

If you have turned FEC all the way up and the faces are still under exposed then the flash is at full power and it is not enough for F number+ ISO.

Hope this helps.

I've done 1/10th shutter stuff in extreme low light to get ambient into the photo and I switch to second curtain shutter and let the flash pop freeze the subjects.

Yep, on camera bouncing, with a diffuser

I get a lot in focus, but obviously there are some misses. Also if it's a great moment, and you JUST missed, often the clients don't mind or notice. Obviously I'm always trying to get them 100% sharp but sometimes you just miss it. What do you think, am I off base giving out images that are slightly soft if the clients don't know or care, and like the image? I've had people tell me both yes and no, interested to get your thoughts.

I'm just editing a reception from the weekend shortly, I'll try and post a couple as examples.

I should also add that I do shoot in RAW and edit them as necessary, but I reckon you guessed that already.

Jon Tinkler wrote in post #17552979
What do you think, am I off base giving out images that are slightly soft if the clients don't know or care, and like the image?

If the people paying are happy with your shots (especially if they are happy enough to give you good word of mouth), then I'd argue it doesn't matter what Ansel Adams would have to say about your work (unless he's a client ).

Jon Tinkler wrote in post #17552979
I get a lot in focus, but obviously there are some misses. Also if it's a great moment, and you JUST missed, often the clients don't mind or notice. Obviously I'm always trying to get them 100% sharp but sometimes you just miss it. What do you think, am I off base giving out images that are slightly soft if the clients don't know or care, and like the image?

I think that is fine. At best it will only be printed for a wedding book, not a large wall hanger.

These I had a remote flash as well hitting from behind as well as the one on the camera

A couple more. Putting these out there specifically in the context of the above discussion, not that I'm claiming any place as the world's best reception photographer! (Geez a Reddit flaming can really stay with you for a while .... )

You can try to be at the same distance to your subjects then you preset your camera and flash.
haven't used ttl in at least 5 years...

Totally agree. Most of the time, the only one who notices any softness in a photo is yourself or another photographer.

We can be pretty hard on each other...even if you asked for it.

I probably spend 3x longer processing than I need to - only to satisfy myself...many clients wouldn't notice (or care) about the extra post processing work.

What they do seem to care about - telling a story, capturing expressions and emotions, not being a jerk to people. At least, that's my experience.