Please help(first wedding shoot on Sat)

I wjust would like to know what is the best camera setting to use for wedding photography. Have 430 flash and 400D canon. Thx so much

Wedding FAQ: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=255604

Given your question: P mode, flash on ETTL, it should do ok.

P

You're obviously not ready to shoot a wedding, so hopefully you're not the main photographer. Sorry to be so blunt.

KTollig wrote in post #2862630
I wjust would like to know what is the best camera setting to use for wedding photography.

All of them or,

Anything that works!

Just a very brief indication of what I might use for a typical day at the 'office'...

Outdoors/Daylight: Eval/AV/ISO400
Indoors/Ambient: Eval-Spot/AV/ISO400-1600
Indoors/Tung-Flur/Flash: Eval/TV-M/ISO400-1600

Obviously - your twiddlibits like EC and FEC - man BIG Question!

Exit wrote in post #2862673
P

You're obviously not ready to shoot a wedding, so hopefully you're not the main photographer. Sorry to be so blunt.

That is being blunt yes. I am the main photographer and have done alot of homework and have done 2 weddings for fun and doing this one very cheap. One has o start somewhere and the couple now where they stand so ....

Thx for the tips people appreciate it lots.

KTollig wrote in post #2862630
I wjust would like to know what is the best camera setting to use for wedding photography. Have 430 flash and 400D canon. Thx so much

I don't know how experienced you are (I'm not!) but might I suggest you look at a thread I started after I shot my first wedding, having made many mistakes in exposure and colour balancing my shots. There was some very useful advice offered there. If you don't know the quirks of the Speedlite flash system you will do well to become familiar with them before the event. In my opinion that includes practicing with it and not just reading about it.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=286091

You really need to have your wits about you regarding exposure compensation (if shooting in an auto exposure mode) and flash exposure compensation. The combination of black tuxes and white dresses with one or other or both in the scene, and maybe some backlighting just for fun, makes auto exposure a bit troublesome as you will need to keep riding the EC as the content of your scene alters. It should be much easier to use manual exposure, checking your histogram for exposure accuracy at the start of each series of shots, and then you can fire away at whatever you like under the same lighting conditions without worrying about how much black/white/other is in the shot.

Thx appreciate it lots. Have taken about 1000 shots with the flash of my sister the weekend so have learn alot from it. Will check out the thread. Appreciate your comment

I am not trying to sound harsh, but, I don't understand why people who are asking what settings to use are shooting weddings.

You may be a very experienced photographer. But, if you were, you wouldn't be asking what settings to use. No one can tell you what settings to use. They don't know what kind of overhead lights are in the church, how much outside lights are coming in from the stain glass windows, whether it is even in a church, or maybe it's outside.

You didn't give any specifics, just, "What settings should I use for a wedding". Well my response, is "any setting that produces a great image".

Sure you need to start somewhere but you don't start at weddings. You do casual portraits, sports, fun family photos, etc, for several years before you even consider doing a wedding.

Just my opinion. Sorry for being harsh.

I am no where near ready to shoot a wedding, but I have landed an apprenticeship as an assistant with a local wedding photog this summer. This is the kind of experience you need. Learn from the pros, observe what they do and figure out why their shots come out so great.

When you are completely comfortable with your shots and ready to shoot a wedding, you won't be asking "what setting do I use".

Get backup gear is most important .. most posters here use Manual mode on the camera body and E-TTL for the flash with some kind of bounce card or diffuser.

Did I mention getting backup gear?
Mike

I suggest having backup gear

I also suggest you have backup gear!!
But anyways, here's what I normally do.

For shots outside, I have the camera in AV mode, and use fill flash if needed. Adjusting the exposure and FEC compensation based on the LCD and histogram.

For indoors, I put the camera in manual mode, usually around 1/40-1/60th shutter speed and Aperture at F4 or so, and have the flash in ETTL mode bounced off the ceiling or something. Direct flash avoided unless absolutely required. I play with the FEC as required as well.

Hope this helps.

There is no best setting. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve with each shot. Shooting outside on a nice day and want the sky blue? Shooting outside at night and want to see detail in the dark background? Two very diferent settings. Inside the church, one view has the couple with a wall for the background and another view a beautiful stained glass window is behind them. Again, two very different settings.

I would suggest shooting RAW if the 400D has that capability (I would think that it does, but I really have no idea). That way you can potentially save some pictures that you messed up white balance because of the changing light.

Also, I'll partially mirror what Jeff said for the shutter speed, but I'll go a little further, seeing that you have a 70-300 lens. 1/60th should keep you good for your 15-55 lens while you're hand-holding. If you shoot with your longer lens though, you'll need a faster shutter speed. I use the generic 1/(focal length) as a guide and I'll work the ISO and aperature as required to get that speed so that the pictures won't have motion blur. In case you're confused, that means at 70 mm, shoot 1/70 or faster and at 300mm shoot 1/300 or faster. This of course can be changed if you're shooting from a monopod or tripod. Neither of these I do, nor would I suggest you try it for the first time this wedding.

Finally, a big good luck to you. I hope for everyone's sake that it goes well.

KTollig wrote in post #2862630
I wjust would like to know what is the best camera setting to use for wedding photography. Have 430 flash and 400D canon. Thx so much

Exit wrote in post #2862673
You're obviously not ready to shoot a wedding, so hopefully you're not the main photographer. Sorry to be so blunt.

Yep, that's blunt alright, and I'd have to agree with it. If you have to ask such as basic question as to what settings to use, then you don't understand the basics of photography and should not be shooting a wedding as the main photographer. Period!

Basically, there is no "best" setting for shooting a wedding. There might be one for shooting portraits in a studio, but not for a wedding. Weddings are a constantly changing event. You can be inside one minute and outside the next. You might need fill flash or full flash to light something up. You may want to create some blur or stop the motion. You may want shallow depth of field or the maximum you can get. It all depends on the shot you want to get and you'll set the camera accordingly.

Yes, everyone has to start somewhere...with a basic understanding of photography...before moving on to shoot the most important day in a couple's life.

David, I agree with you completely.

There was a thread at one point (about 2 months ago) on this forum called something like "So you want to be a wedding photog" and it went on to say how a wedding photograph hangs int he persons home and reflects so much.

Anyone remember this thread? I've LOVE to give it a read and have the OP read it as well.