Wedding lens and flash.. please help!

If the ceiling is really high, you can still bounce, you just need to use a fairly fast lens/high ISO combination. A reflector such as Joe Demb's "Flip-it" helps as well as it sends some of the light directly to the subject.

I got some great shots in a high ceiling church during a Baptism. I used my (Pentax K10D/50-135mm f/2.8 wide open with their 540 flash bounced with the flip-it. I think I was at ISO800/1000.

Do not fear high ISO+flash+fast lenses

Gurry wrote in post #5146823
yea good call phil, as for the diffusers i was talking more of the ones i see on e-bay that are like a white or clear cover for the flash for like $5

You're not really reading the replies in this thread, are you now. Either that or you're not understanding then. Without referring to any particular individual or post, you have to learn who to believe and who's full of hot air. One clue is that if the words "fong" or "bracket" appear in their posts you should probably think carefully about whether to take their advice.

cdifoto wrote in post #5146973
Well that's a bunch of hoo-hah. Your average church doesn't allow flash but it's certainly not too large, and you most definitely don't need a ceiling or wall within 3 feet.

I agree. In one church i'm in at least once a month I bounce light off the dark wood ceiling that's at least two stories up, maybe three.

tim wrote in post #5147093
\Without referring to any particular individual or post, you have to learn who to believe and who's full of hot air. One clue is that if the words "fong" or "bracket" appear in their posts you should probably think carefully about whether to take their advice.

Hey now. I like my bracket! Can't say I feel the same about the Fong Dong though. OP doesn't need to worry about either one right now though. He has other priorities, IMHO.

Gurry, forget about and going out and buying diffusers - you are just complicating things for yourself at this point. You've got too much to learn and practice in very little time.

I will strongly back up Tim's suggestion for the index card if you want to expand your bounced flash capability, which is a good idea. Photogs have been using the index card concept for 40+ years. It works. It's reliable. It's cheap. It's portable. It's renewable. And it takes up almost no space.

Put one on with a rubber band and you will see what we have all been trying to explain to you. Sensors and high ISO are so much more sensitive than film is, you can bounce using a wider aperture and get decent results. An index card can help you to fine tune those efforts.

a plan old white index card? ive never seen this done before.

Gurry wrote in post #5147968
a plan old white index card? ive never seen this done before.

Yep, and a plain old rubber band to hold it on your flash. That combination can greatly increase the quality of your flash images with a little practice.

Gurry wrote in post #5147968
a plan old white index card? ive never seen this done before.

It's extremely common and works extremely well. Better than that fong crap or diffusers which really do very little except lose you light.

I'm in Ontario too, and I have to tell you Gurry, the wedding photography market is VERY competitive. I realise you know the bride, but I must say, LISTEN to the likes of tim, sapearl, cdifoto and DocFrankenstein. They know their stuff.

If you mess up 1 wedding, and I realise you know the bride, but still, your reputation and chances of being a professional photographer could be ruined forever.

I hate to say it but after reading this threads, do you not know anybody in your area who has more experience and knowledge in photography who could do the wedding instead? Nothing personal against you, but I must echo the sentiment that you either need to listen to the good advice given, and learn VERY quickly, or risk ruining the photos of her special day, and at the same time tarnishing a reputation.

But! Keep in mind, you'll need a flash with a swivel head so you can bounce the light off a wall or ceiling. The white index card will help throw a little light toward the subject to add a catchlight to the eyes as well as fill shadows just a little.

Well, that's probably because you haven't been around as long as some of us old farts . Yep, a white index card or some other similarly shaped white object. Where do you think Canon got the idea for the little white plastic card that pulls out of the front of the 580ex?

Gurry wrote in post #5147968
a plan old white index card? ive never seen this done before.

sapearl wrote in post #5148068
Well, that's probably because you haven't been around as long as some of us old farts .

Hey! I'm not an old fart, yet.

Plain old index cards are for looooozzzzzeeeerrrrrrz​zzzzzzz!

cdifoto wrote in post #5148201
Plain old index cards are for looooozzzzzeeeerrrrrrz​zzzzzzz!

IMG NOTICE: [NOT AN IMAGE URL, NOT RENDERED INLINE]

Mead is out; shameless self-promotion is in!

I just spat my drink out when I saw that.

Perry makes a really good observation here..... people always seem to remember when you mess up. Even if they blow it off as inconsequential, you remember.

In my early days as a paid pro 30+ years ago, I was hired to do my best friend's wedding. I shot MF film, and while changing one of my lens I hit the little flash switch on the leaf-shutter lens, moving it from "X" to "M". I didn't know this until I got the film back from the lab; remember, nothing to chimp back in those days.

"X" synchronizes the shutter with an electronic flash, pretty precisely. "M" synchronizes the shutter with the ignition of an old style magnesium illuminator. We call them flash bulbs.

A strobe is nearly instantaneous. It's flash duration can be as short as 1/50,000 sec. By comparison, the filaments in a flash bulb take time to ignite to their peak illumination which can have a duration of around 1/200 sec. It is not instantaneous like a strobe. To take advantage of the maximum illumination, the shutter actually has to delay opening about 5ms (if memory serves). So when it is full open, the bulb's ignition is at it's brightest.

The point is, my lens was set wrong. My strobe fired AFTER the shutter opened and closed. The pictures were dark. I screwed up a bunch of shots and I felt like hell. His father was not very happy either.

Everybody forgave me any years ago and I've since made it up to them.... more or less. But I will always remember how I messed up those particular shots, which will never ever happen again.

File this under scary ghost stories .

perryge wrote in post #5148032
......I'm in Ontario too, and I have to tell you Gurry, the wedding photography market is VERY competitive. I realise you know the bride, but I must say, LISTEN to the likes of tim, sapearl, cdifoto and DocFrankenstein. They know their stuff.

If you mess up 1 wedding, and I realise you know the bride, but still, your reputation and chances of being a professional photographer could be ruined forever........

cdifoto wrote in post #5148201
Plain old index cards are for looooozzzzzeeeerrrrrrz​zzzzzzz!

You are right, but size matters. My condolences to you.

Phil Light wrote in post #5148368
You are right, but size matters. My condolences to you.

I have one of those too. Throws too much light forward most of the time tho, IMHO. I actually seldom use my shameless bounce card either. I should re-print it upside down.