1st Time Wedding Photography

[reklaw190]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forums and am less than a month away from my first wedding shoot for a personal friend. He chose me to alleviate some of the high end costs of wedding photography and he has seen some of my pictures and offered me the opportunity to build my portfolio. But I do have some questions. I am very light on gear (shooting with a Eos Digital Rebel xs, or 1000d if you're across the pond) I have a wide angle tamron 10-24. (had it for a couple months and love it) and a 50 mm 1.8 for portraits.

I plan on buying a flash for the ceremony but want to keep it cheap. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Besides this wedding I do alot of street and landscape photography. A off camera flash would be preferable but i am open to suggestions.

Anyone with any suggestions on posing or techniques would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Paul.

[ianpinion]

Hello Paul and welcome to the forum.

I would advise buying a flash unit that you can use the TTL metering of your camera to set the flash power and if you can also use it off camera that would be great.

How experienced as a photographer are you Paul? Have you covered any other social gatherings or events, because weddings are quite challenging to shoot. I can not stress just how important planning is with a wedding shoot. It's best to have a look round the venue in advance, compile a list of shots you need to take on the day, get a copy of the days itinerary, plan where and when you need to be for each shot after you've decided on locations for each. It's good to also have a look at some other galleries of wedding shoots for some inspiration for group poses, though there are a few very useful articles on this site that should help with that too!

Anyway, best of luck!

[jinky]

All good advice from Ian. I`ll leave aside any comments about having back up equipment in case of failures as you`re doing it as a favour to a friend but make sure you manage their expectations and remember why they are using you. Apart from flash ( which will probably not be usable in a church - check for other venues) the most obvious missing element you have is a longer lens. You could do with a 70-200 - would they pay to hire one maybe? This would be needed for the service / candids I feel as you will not be able to get up close whilst service is ongoing. make sure you check with registrar/ assistant or vicar what they will allow re: shooting in the service - soem will even ask you to keep down the shooting rate (even without flash).

kweep your eyes open for the unexpected candids and even if they ask for reportage style get some formals - the mums / grandparents are always looking for them. Don`t forget the little incidentals like flowers /table decorations etc when things go quiet - they`ve often put personal work into them. Good luck - weddings are really hard work but offer great opportunites for creative thinking.

[Cathus]

is it a church or registry type wedding?

I did some weddings last year & they were with a registrar. I found them to be helpful & they let me stand wherever I wanted, I spent the service standing next to the registrar's table which meant I could take shots all the way through the service of the coupe & guests, including wide shots & close in portraits (if you have 2 cameras it's better than changing lenses). make sure you introduce yourself to the registrar (or vicar) before the service as they are your friend & you need to keep on their side. The only rule they had for me was that you can't include the register in the shot when they sign it - they usually have a dummy register if you want the pen-in-hand shots.

I made sure I did a pre-wedding shoot with the couple well before the event, this meant we could get used to each other, they didn't feel so awkward being in front of a camera for the first time during their wedding, & we could practise some of the shots we were going to take, on each occasion I also met the couples at the venue before the big day so we could scout out the location & the best places for the shots & I knew where & what direction the sun would be.

After the ceremony I could take the couples off straight to the place we both knew we wanted to be.

on the pre wedding shoot I had them practising their posing, the bride utlised a teddy bear instead of a bouquet & I was able to change their natural pose from something awkward into something more elegant before the big day, so when it came to the actual shots I could just say 'assume your pose' and they knew what I meant.

Try to get the couple on their own for some shots, otherwise all the guests will wander over & start taking shots which means the couple don't concentrate on you. I utilised the ushers to announce that the coupe were going off & everyone should wait until called, I then had the ushers send over family & friends etc depending on the pre-arranged list of shots the couple wanted, then everyone had their free-for all.

Take candids of family & guests, children shots go down really well.

Don't forget the preparation stuff, bridge & bridesmaids getting ready, made up, groom & best man doing up their ties & jackets & having a drink at the bar to calm the nerves, table decorations & name plates on the tables etc

it's bloody hard work but quite rewarding

[pburness]

I agree with Ian,

Make sure you have a plan and have discussed it with the couple before hand. Be aware of the time available between the end of the service and the wedding breakfast (and the distance between the two) - this will give an indication of the time for you to do your thing. Work fast, but effectively - if it's cold or wet, people will not want to wait around for long. They may be friends, but they will still be expecting you to deliver the goods.

Create a list of what photo's you intend to take, of whom and in what order, what emotions do the B&G want as a theme - happy, romantic, humourous, formal etc. (you can include them all, but it's nice to have a central theme). and make sure the B&G agree before the day. What is the final presentation media - album / photobook / mounted prints etc. who is paying for it?... How many people will be present (family / friends / onlookers - helps estimate the number of photographs you can take in the time available). Also, any additional prints that family and friends want is an opportunity to make some money to pay back for the flash you're investing in. Try and agree a specific number for the 'album' this will give you a definite target of 'keepers' to focus on.

Do the group shot's first - they can then move to the bar while you concentrate on the Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids, Ushers etc. Don't make way for snappers - yours are the ones that count and you need to use the time available.

Make sure you set the white balance for indoor shots, and back again for outdoor shots..

Get some candid shots as well, but only once the 'main' shots are completed and in the bag! Don't constantly check your images on the screen, make sure your happy with the view, DOF and exposure etc. before you click - other wise you are wasting valuable time. Have at least one spare battery, fully charged, and extra's for the flash. If you have planned your shot's in advance then you shouldn't need to keep swapping lenses between shots which is also a time waster and distraction for the subjects. Beware of bright sunny days - they are a killer for exposure errors at weddings - that large white dress can reflect a lot of light and it's easy for the camera to be fooled - coupled with the hard shadow very bright light brings it can look awful. Try and work in open shade if possible. (if in doubt - expose for the hi-lights and tone them back in photoshop later, but beware of noise). Also, don't be afraid to up your ISO if the exposure is too slow - it's easier to correct noise than camera shake.

Remember your viewfinder generally only shows 97% of the picture area - make sure there are no 'unwanted' bits either side or above below the image or you may need to spend time cropping later.

Checkout the venue - look for locations that will cover most weather options (bright sunlight, heavy rain, big enough for group shot's small enough for intimacy etc.) If you are forced indoors, make sure there is an area set aside that is a pleasent backdrop to the photo's and watch out for light from windows - if it's there find a way to use it, otherwise it will ruin your shots). If it is a church, watch out for the gravestones - in my opinion they don't improve wedding photo's Take a tripod. If indoors - look for stairs, they can often even the distribution of people during group shots.

Research - see if any local photographers have worked the venue previously - review what they have done and how you could improve it. If possible, identify some set pictures (trawl the internet, you will find plenty of examples) and try and recreate them using friends to get familiar with working with the people and obtaining the right poses. Again, think of how you might improve the shot, or creatively change it. Make sure you have practiced with your new flash and are comfortable with it before the big day. Try not to use direct flash (pointing straight from the camera to the subject - try and bounce it, or for a few pounds get a plastic diffuser) This is the most difficult to get right, so practice, practice, practice.

Don't forget to photograph the accessories - Cake, rings, flowers, car, etc. Watch out for the finer details (background, what is in/out of focus, where the shadows fall etc.)

Stay calm - be assertive, use the Best Man and Chief Bridesmaid to organise people -Give them the list of photo's so they can have people ready. If possible take a friend who can assist (carry or protect equipment - hold the brolly that you have remembered to take with you, swap batteies in the flash etc.)

Keep talking - encouragingly, the subjects will be as nervous in front of the camera as you may be behind it - make sure you are ok with the way they are standing, and that they are relaxed and happy before you look through the viewfinder - forced smiles never look good, pay attention to detail - the bit you miss will be the most prominent eye catcher on the print for sure. Use a technique for making sure all eyes are looking at you and open!

Leave a card at the reception / with chauffer / church etc. - they may be able to promote you for other business if it goes OK and you enjoy it.

Have fun - it is a wedding after all!

Good Luck and post the best shot back here so we can see how well you did.

Phil

[reklaw190]

I've been shooting for about 2 years with the dslr. and have been into photography/videographer for many years beyond that. I thank you all for the advice the wedding is about a month away and i need to start working on my shots. This is a hall where there are many weddings and lots of photos of locations that i can research. I also have a rehearsal at the same location where i can scout potential shots and make sure that the timing will be correct. I am also looking for a flash right now. i want something that can be mounted and also tethered to the camera but really have no idea with whether to buy a third party or stick with Canon name-brand. Alot of the time I feel you are paying for the "brand". I'm on a budget and hope to get one for under 200 $. Let me know if you have any suggestions for flashes. Thanks in advance.

[reklaw190]

I've also been watching and reading everything i can about making the B&G as comfortable as possible. There's a lot of resources here to brush up on. As for mannerisms I think I should be ok and I feel I'm going to be just as nevous as the b&g when the day finally arrives.

[Cathus]

I took my daughter to one as my assistant - to hold stuff & pass me things & look after shot lists, she said afterwards she has never seen me sweat as much as that afternoon, and she was right.

[Drew Smith]

Flash: Nissin D1622 - cheap (100 quid), well made and does the job.

Lenses: if you don't want to hire or buy then you can shoot the whole thing with your 50mm 1.8. But remember that your feet are the zoom. Wide angle lens will be useful for groups - but watch out for distortion.

Manage expectations. They aren't paying 2 thousand pounds to have the wedding photographed so getting it done for free comes at a price. Don't try and do everything. Promise less, deliver more.

Make sure you shoot in RAW so you have maximum flexibility in post should you screw anything up. It also enables you to correct any White Balance issues.

Take back-up batteries, flash batteries and memory cards.

Check your camera settings on a regular basis as you move in and out of locations.

Good luck

[xavier]

Originally Posted by ianpinion

Hello Paul and welcome to the forum.

I would advise buying a flash unit that you can use the TTL metering of your camera to set the flash power and if you can also use it off camera that would be great.

How experienced as a photographer are you Paul? Have you covered any other social gatherings or events, because weddings are quite challenging to shoot. I can not stress just how important planning is with a wedding shoot. It's best to have a look round the venue in advance, compile a list of shots you need to take on the day, get a copy of the days itinerary, plan where and when you need to be for each shot after you've decided on locations for each. It's good to also have a look at some other galleries of wedding shoots for some inspiration for group poses, though there are a few very useful articles on this site that should help with that too!

Anyway, best of luck!

I would echo this plan by Ian, and pre plan the shoot to get the best posable shots. Althougt I disagree with Jinky's sujestion of the 70 - 200 and recomend an 18 - 200 for the candids. on the matter of off camera flash I would sujest a pocket wizzerd or sume other radio control system rather than a wire system for health and safety as one will have loads of guest milling around