A friend of mine is getting married in about a month or so and he offered me to come as an extra photographer. He already has someone else who'll be printing his pictures out but nonetheless I'm thrilled I'll be taking pictures as well.

My question for the pros is, how exactly does one get equipped for such an event? I have two cameras, a D300 with the 50mm lens and an XTi with the 18'55 and 50mm lenses. I'll be using both as another friend of mine wants to jump in. I'm completely open to renting additional lenses if necessary but I need direction on which lenses and equipment work best for weddings: wide angle or etc for both cameras.

TIA,

Mark

 

Do you have more details about the wedding? For example, venue

Do you have an external flash?

 

The wedding will be taking place in a big hall/reception room.

I haven't bought an external flash yet but I'm planning on getting one. If not, Henry's rents them for 15$ a day.

 

Actually, here is my general answer:

I have done weddings since a while back, starting in the film days. What many people say are necessary really aren't. They are just good to have.

Necessary equipment:

Reliable camera body you are familiar with
A fast 24-70 lens
External flash with some kind of bounce solution
Lots of batteries and memory cards

If you are taking family portraits, you should also have a set of lights.


Things that are nice to have but are not necessary:

Camera body with high shot buffer
Monopod
Fast zoom (70-200 range)
Low distortion wide angle lens


Your two biggest enemies at weddings and receptions is lighting and access. If you're using prime lenses, the lack of free access could be detrimental. But you are rarely so far away that you need more than 70mm on the tele end.

Lighting is always an issue so external flash usage is critical. Direct flash is nasty and your pictures will come out looking like a point and shoot, so some kind of bounce solution is necessary.

Also, 24-70 is for film. For a camera with a crop factor, this translates to roughly 18-50.

 

The big hall will be a problem because your flash will be weakened.

Remember that doubling ISO doubles your flash's power. This might not be enough though, so you may need a fast lens. Ideally you will be using 100% bounced flash, so even a powerful SB800 or 550EX will run out of steam. Also, you will need a ton of batteries. Because you are bouncing and because the hall will be big, the flash will be going off at full blast every time.

You won't be running the batteries to the end. You'll be using them until they can't cycle fast enough. So this is about half of their normal capacity.

At weddings, I would have around 8 sets of flash batteries (external flash battery is one of those nice but not necessary things). I would also bring chargers and dump freshly pulled ones in there.

 

I forgot to add to the nice, but not necessary:

Flash brackets. They make getting consistent above-average results easier but nothing good bouncing can't do.


The reason I am hashing these is because I laugh every time I see people say they need all sorts of stuff to even do a wedding. (Flash bracket, 5D, the best L lenses, external flash battery).

Well yes, if that is your livelihood, maybe it would pay off to invest in that stuff.

But when I started in 1999 (which really wasn't that long ago), the best wedding photographers got by with 35mm cameras with motor drives (3 FPS), 24 shots per roll of film, and shoe flashes. (Rarely, they went with medium format for portraits, with the studio lighting and all that).

 

Great information wackjum! I need time to sit down and read everything.

 

No problem. Have fun. Since you aren't the true hired photographer, you can take the opportunity to relax and not realize you're facing a lawsuit at the end.

Based on your equipment, maybe you can get by with the 50mm only, as long as you realize there are going to be shots you can't get. But get a hold of an external flash and learn to use it by bouncing. If you want to invest more, get this:

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/

This is the only bounce product I regularly use, and I have a box full of them (stofen, lightdome, various brackets, etc)

 

Oh, and shoot in RAW. (Hence, lots of memory cards)

When you realize you overexposed oily foreheads, only to realize RAW gives you 1-2 stops of latitude, you'll realize it saves your ass.

I can't imagine there are "wedding photogs" out there who don't even know what RAW is...

 

You may want to spend some time going through David Ziser's blog.

http://www.digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/

 

I dont really agree with this, assuming you have a camera body that excels in low light.

My photographers were very much on the same page with me in they prefer to NOT use a flash when possible.

I had a nighttime wedding out doors with a indoor reception with somewhat low light. I think I saw a flash from them maybe once. And my stuff turned out amazing.

The only time a flash was really used by them was during the family portraits where they had a big pro photo flash set up with a soft box.

I'm just pointing out there are other ways.

 

You're right. There are times when either the venue or the couple don't want a flash going off all the time.

I went through your photo thread real quick. First, I'm not calling you out. They are great pictures, and I know you are a strong photographer. You and your wife obviously knew what you guys wanted.

But I want to illustrate that most of the color pictures at night required a flash. The other times, it was black and white.

As a photographer, you are probably aware that monochromatic noise is a lot less distracting than colored noise. If anything, it adds a reminiscent atmosphere to the pics. It's a trick that I have used before to salvage pictures from low light.

If that is what you had in mind, then fine. But when you don't use a flash, there's going to be tradeoffs. This is something the couple should be ok with beforehand. Otherwise they are going to be getting a lot of B&W pics they might not have been expecting.

 

The B&W pics from outside and some inside...most were actually 35mm...so its real grain, not digital noise.

And of all the different cameras my photographers used (and they used many from large format to digital), one of them used a D3 like myself, and with that camera in the situation we were in, you do not need a flash. The camera is that good in terms of low light and little to no noise.

 

I don't doubt that technology is getting pretty good everyday.

But of the ones you posted, nearly all of the color ones had flash.

 

I went back and checked the meta data because I dont remember what went on that part of the night.

A flash was mainly used with a canon 1DmII...occasionally it was also used with a D3...but a lot with the D3 was also no flash. And then there was the film, which only shows it as a scan.

 

Some, to which I said in my OP I think they had used a bit of flash outside.

The 1DmII is also not nearly as good in low light as the D3.

 

I never shot a wedding before but i hope to help a friend in the future.

Do you guys find the photog distracting when they run around? or they try to work from a distance during the ceremony?

I know that crucial about being silent and perfect, but other instances i know they probably want to get as close as possible am i right?

 

In the past few years, I have noticed you will not be the only one who is trying to get a picture. Everybody and their mother will whip out a pocket sized digital camera and try and get in on the action.

So my point is, even if you try and be silent and not distracting, chances are there are several other people crowding in to get shots. If you are working from a distance, you will find you can't get a clear picture from all of these people.

 

There is still an art to whole thing. My two photographers where everywhere they needed to be...and at the end of the night most people said they hardly noticed them at all.

Where, every time I go to a Persian wedding/Event. The Persian douchebags that get hired just don't care and are all over the place which is usually right in your line of sight.

Its a balance figuring out how to get close but not be in peoples way. How to get in and get out, move around with causing noise or distraction.

Basically, you have to be a photo ninja.

 

Being close doesn't mean being all in the couple's faces.

My point is that there has been a shift in the typical wedding guest. 10 years ago, I did not see people whipping out cameras and standing up taking pictures. You could probably have comfortably stayed a little bit a way. Now, if you are standing behind the crowd, there is a strong chance you will not get a clear shot.

Again, looking at your pictures, your photographers were in close for most of the shots presented. You did not notice them as much because it was your night and you had your mind on other things (like how you remembered only one flash the whole night).

There are definitely rude photographers out there. Might be true of the Persians you referenced. But also, you, as a photo guy, are going to be a lot more noticeable of them when it isn't your wedding.

 

Wackjum, which FlipIt do you use? I was looking at them before, and may pick one up. Is the Jr. too small to be effective?

 

When someone is in the way, they are in the way. It doesnt matter if I take more notice because I'm a photo guy or not.

And guests took the time to tell me they were amazed at little a presence the the photographers had...IE when they did get close they stayed low and out of the way or off to a side. They took the care to make sure they shot the wedding as well as give the guests the chance to enjoy it.

I've watched good photographers and I've watched bad. This doesn't just include my own wedding.

So, like you said, being close doesnt mean being in the couples face...which was the point of my last post.

 

I'm still learn as you can see and some events i feel like i'm more isolated from the focus since the group is too busy to let me get involved. Other times i'm more friendly with the group or event so i work better with them.

*shrugs

 

You aren't always going to get the perfect client.

 

I bought a Flip It when there was only one model. Now he has a bunch of models and they also come with a front diffuser.

I have no personal experience with any of these. My friend who bought a Flip It "Big" on my recommendation says it has been pretty good, and he has the diffuser thing also.

Looking at the pictures on the website, I would guess mine is a "Big." I don't have it in front of me to measure but I am 95% sure that's the one.

The Jr does seem too small.

The whole contraption folds flat when not in use. I don't see any reason for the Jr.

 

Yea i understand some shoots are going be like crap while others are going be handed to you on a platter.

Like i try to be early and on time for places that i'm unaware of and scope it out, warm up and stretch, relax. Get a feel and good vibe off of.

 

OK, I have officially never seen a photographer stretch out before a gig. That would make me LOL if I saw it.

 

I don't know i'm pretty nervous sometimes when i'm clueless on the rules and whats going on. I never been an in your face kind of person, but when needed or when comfortable i can be. So i just loosen up and relax make sure i feel comfy with the surroundings, like where i can be, where i can't be and plan out some angles.

 

As an official photographer, you can't hestitate to tell people to get the hell
out of your way. They can shoot behind/beside you or whatever (maybe,
depends on your attitude towards that) but they can't block your shot.
I think people are semi reasonable about that.

People have zoom lenses these days, they don't need to be standing
right there, not only blocking your view, but blocking the view from the
rest of the guests.

- Frank