Wedding Shoot

Yeah but it worked....

Hey Stu not as tricky as your eastern orthodox alter but my Metz bounced off the wall behind me.

I don't use my alienbees for my wedding work; I use sunpak 383S and my speedlite 580. I have one alienbees b1600 unit initially purchased for beginning studio work and to help bathe a room in bounced light, but I have yet to use it practically for the latter purpose. You might consider using yours for that.

Centrally and overhead-placed light is ideal for large group shots. A second below can add some fill and simulate butterfly lighting for the subjects. Keep the people on sides and center nearly equidistant from the strobes to get the most even lighting.

If I could power bigger strobes without a long cord someone could trip over, I would probably consider that route; but my gear is heavy enough already for a solo person like myself anyway, and that would take me another step further towards not being mobile.

Thanks for all the great input! This wedding is this morning so hopefully it will go well!
I will post some pictures tonight hopefully.

That is really beautifully done air - very even with great detail. I don't think they could have been posed them more perfectly. Metz can sure do the trick .

airfrogusmc wrote in post #6116682
Hey Stu not as tricky as your eastern orthodox alter but my Metz bounced off the wall behind me.

This is the LAST wedding (a few weeks back) I'll ever do. I hung up the tux...
Coporate only from here on out

airfrogusmc: Why did you quit? That was a beautiful image..I love weddings and just cannot do enough (only 2 so far this year) but I know I will get burned out someday..your work is great..cannot wait to see some of your corporate work. I also travel very light, no use carting around all those lights and stands when 1 or 2 flashes will do the job.

Completely agree - would have been a perfect album photo.

Shooting wrote in post #6118159
airfrogusmc: Why did you quit? That was a beautiful image..I love weddings and just cannot do enough..... I also travel very light, no use carting around all those lights and stands when 1 or 2 flashes will do the job.

Shooting wrote in post #6118159
airfrogusmc: Why did you quit? That was a beautiful image..I love weddings and just cannot do enough (only 2 so far this year) but I know I will get burned out someday..your work is great..cannot wait to see some of your corporate work. I also travel very light, no use carting around all those lights and stands when 1 or 2 flashes will do the job.

I haven't really shot many in the past 10 years. I shot them for over 20 years with the last 10 of that 20 all medium format, multiple lighting, blah blah. I got divorced and was working for a hospital as the staff photographer and had been for 10 years so when me and the X split I thought that maybe it was a good time to get out of shooting weddings and just pursue commercial work with a real slant towards health care.

I shot weddings and really got my wedding business crank'n while I worked full time for the hospital. I worked mostly with wedding consultants and at the major hotels in Chicago which really fit my environmental style extremely well.

So I finished all the commitments and after 20 years over 1000 weddings I changed my focus. Kinda glad I did. Its really a young mans game. 12 hour days, family dynamics. I shot a wedding (actually 2) earlier this year and maybe one or two every year since I stopped but the one I showed the large group from is truly my last.

I really prefer the corporate work. Different types of stress and USUALLY much shorter days.