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Hi all,
I am going to be taking the photos at a relatives wedding at Easter and need some tips from those in the know.
I am a perfectly competent amateur photographer but have not done any formal commissions like this before or any studio/potrait work.
The wedding is a civil ceremony and I know the location fairly well as it is nearby. I am reading plenty of books and info but could do with a few tips on certain aspects. I use film not digital for all my photography and have 35mm equipment.
1) What sort of lighting/flash/reflector equipment would I need assuming I don't want to spend too much cash and will be trying to use available light wherever possible?
2) I'm confused about fill-in flash, how do I make it not look rubbish?
3) Are there any specific films, filters, or accesssories that will spruce up an otherwise 'okay' shot?
Thanks in advance for any info
Andrew
Andrew,
Have you looked through the forums via the search facility - there has been much said on this topics over the year I have been a member....and many if not all of these questions and tips have been answered.
Try that first and let me know if you still need more then maybe I can help with some more specifics....
You are doing the right things by reading around the topic....I take it you have no earlier wedding that you could attend and try to observe what is going on with a photographers viewpoint...
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for that advice, I have just joined the forum today (can't believe it took me this long to find you all) and have been now trawled through the archives for more help (seems I don't have a search facility?!)
Anyway, I have certainly found plenty of help out there (and the odd "don't do it buy them a professional") but still have a couple of posers you may be able to answer straight off.
a)I plan to purchase/borrow a reflector for some potrait work but which kind?
b)I may also get a new flashgun that I can use off camera (necessary?) any recommendations?
c)I'll practice fill in flash plenty of times beforehand to get the hang of it
Thanks again
Andrew
Andrew,
Well done on going back. If you want to search the forum look on the left hand menu under the section marked Forum. The second and final menu option is Search the forum.
To answer your questions;
a) Aim to get a lastolite or litedisc or stoboframe pops (they open up from a small circle to a larger one) mine are 40". You can use them handheld by an assistant, attach them to a stand or just lean them up against your tripod angled up to the subject. As for colour I would say white/silver - although I have a white/gold as well, and a very small dinner plate sized one for macro work and detailed reflection.
b) If you are shooting 35mm and outdoors then you should be OK for fill-flash with a hot-shoe attached flashgun. If you are shooting indoors then you need to bounce the flash of a ceiling or piece of card and/or use a stofen diffuser to reduce red eye and shadow. Practice will help here.
c) practice everything, even the poses with a couple of friends.....
Hope this helps
Mike
Hi,
I think Mike has just about covered the reflector question, I use the same one.
Gold reflectors can colour cast wedding dresses and the Bride will not be pleased.
Stick to white/silver.
As for a flash I use a hot shoe, rather than a off camera model.
Fill flash is a very important part to get right and most pro wedding photographers use it to fill shadow detail in portrait shots.
How not to make it look rubbish?
Make it look natural, make it soft, use a diffuser or bounce the flash.
If there is no wall to bounce off use a card on top of the flash gun.
Stofen make a range of softeners and bounce aids.
You could also bounce off the reflector you mention.
If in doubt...bracket your shots.
Wedding photography is not all based on camera technique, although you need to know your camera and flash inside out.
People skills are a big, big part of the day.
You are running part of the wedding day and you will need the guests on your side.
You will need an array of poses for group shots and for the couple on their own.
A lot of couples like the reportage style shots. Keep one eye open for these to occure throughout the day.
Do all the groups shots first and end with the couple on their own.
In this way the guests do not get bored and the couple are not embarassed when you take their romantic shots, as the guests are now in the bar.
Plan the day, check with the registrar about what can be done in the venue before the big day. As some have wierd rules.
Have a backup plan if it's raining, I take studio lights, two Bowens 500's.
Enjoy the day and relax, if you are tense and on edge, it will infect the Bride and Groom.
Good Luck
Jeff
'People skills are a big, big part of the day.
You are running part of the wedding day and you will need the guests on your side.'
Can't agree with this enough - beware of pushy relatives who insist on asking to have their own particular shots - make sure you aske the couple what shots they want and then be firm but polite with the other guests who try and run the show!I did my sister's wedding and was constantly harrassed by her mother -in-law wanting pictures of hereself with various relations!
Many thanks for all these comments.
I met with the B+G this week and managed to discuss all their requirements, likes and dislikes.
Any recommendations for a decent (but not OTT expensive) flashgun to fit a Canon 35mm SLR?
Also, not sure I can afford (or want to but) large studio lights for if it rains, any cheaper option?
Thanks again
Andrew
Andrew,
If you have a Canon SLR that will accept and use an EZ range gun then you can get a 540EZ for between 120 and 180 second-hand depending on where you look.
One in Mifsuds for 149...
Mike
The Sunpak PZ4000AF would be worth a look. Auto zoomm and full TTL control. Walters have a used one at 40 and new fore around 90.
So, it's now only 10 days to the wedding and I have (most of) my equipment sorted.
I purchased an EOS 30 which I have been practising with (still have others as back up) and picked up a 540EZ flashgun as well.
Still need to get a reflector and a (possibly) a light meter but otherwise I'm sorted.
I have 1 question re: flash that I'm hoping someone can clear up in a straight answer for me as I've confused myself somewhat with all the books and advice I've read.
Assuming the day of the wedding is bright sunshine (maybe?) would I use the reflector to fill in shadows on formals outside, or the flash or both?
Presumably, if the weather is overcast I will definitely need to use flash outside - should this be diffused/bounced? (I have been practising)
Sounds like a really basic question but I want to make sure I understand what I need to be planning for when the day comes.
Thanks in advance
Andrew
Andrew
Dark sockets in the eyes are usually worst in strong sunlight. It is the contrast that causes the problem, and the reason for the fill flash is to lighten the sockets and put life into the eyes.
If shooting in overcast sky meter from the B&G using an incident meter (if poss), we always use a reflector for these occasions usually propped onto the front of the tripod angled upwards or held by the assistant to bounce light in - watch out for people wearing spectacles. If you can get hold of a silver/white one around 30" diameter that should do you nicely.
Only use fill-flash in strong contrast or indoors. I would still use the reflector it gives a much softer and even light.
Of course for large groups you may have to use the flash as it is difficult or near impossible to use a reflector to bounce light back into a large group and take a full length shot without including the relfector and assistant in the photograph !!!
For candids you are pretty much stuck with fill flash as the large reflector gives it away ! 
As for bouncing or diffusing flash you will struggle to bounce flash outdoors (what are you bouncing it off ?) I use a stoffen diffuser on the front of my 550EX to soften the light. Indoors remove the stoffen and bounce off the ceiling (providing it is white-ish and not too high) otherwise leave the stoffen on and keep your subjects well away from walls otherwise you will get a strong shadow cast.
hope this helps
Mike
Thanks Mike,
Clear and simple advice, exactly what I was after.
This all makes more sense to me now. I'll let you all know how it goes!
I just shot a wedding with a Canon EOS 30 with the 420ex flash mounted on a Strobo frame. For my formals, I used a Sunpack 544 flash & metered everthing with a Sekonics L358 meter. All shots worked out very well, but the EOS 30 does have one bad habit - very poor autofocus in low light. Best advise I just read about in "Popular Photography" magazine is to set your lens on manual focus for the candids & focus out to about 10 feet. Shoot at f8 or f11 & you'll get a good depth of field (about 4 to 16ft.)I would borrow or rent a good light meter. One thing a "Pro" friend of mine advised me as in some of my outside formal shots I had a bit of shadow across some of the faces was to meter the ambient light at the faces outside & then shoot the flash at the same light level or half a stop hotter - if it's f11 light level outside, then shoot your flash at f11 or half a stop brighter, f12 or so (if you can do that.)
Also, I haven't seen you mention film yet. I shot Fuji NPS 160 ISO outside for my formals & during the ceromony (inside a church) Fuji's NPZ 800 ISO film. Same for the reception if it's inside a dark hall. You get more of the hall & depth to the photo's shooting a high ISO film. If your settings going to be normal to bright lighting, I'd use Fuji's NPH 400 ISO film. No matter Kodak or Fuji, I'd use a good proffesional film that gives good skin tones, Fuji NPS/NPH/NPZ films or Kodak's Porta films. Don't use a garden variety drugstore film. Color's too saturated with those films.
Good luck & USE GOOD BATTERIES like lithiums or such. Also, have spare batteries IN YOUR POCKET!!!! When the bride started down the isle, even with NEW batteries, my flash completely died!!! I nearly had a stroke but since I did have another set of batteries in my pocket, the day was saved. Except for that, I had a great time. Hope you do too.
Cheers Richard,
The film I have been trying out is Kodak Portra 160NC which seems to give good colour reporoduction for outside and some 400 for inside.
The one thing I'm not sure about is whether to shoot B+W separately (for some candids) or whether to stick with the colour and convert them in the lab? (I do have a separate EOS body that I can use for this. Any thoughts?
The 540EZ flash can be adjusted in 1/3 stop increments so I have been trying out virtually every setting available to see the effects. Other advice I have heard recommends using up to 2 stops for fill-in flash (does this sound about right?)
The ceremony is actually a civil service and NO photography is allowed during it AT ALL!
I just plan to take some shots of the room set up before and then some staged shots of the signing the register, exchanging rings, after on.
Hopefully the weather will be okay (Easter Sat, forecast ok at the moment), and everything can be done outside in perfect dappled light!
Thanks again
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