Help for my wedding please!

[myra_trimble]

I'm getting married in September, and we are on a very small budget. My

friend and I both have Canon Digital Rebel SLR's and these cameras will be

used for the wedding photography. I have a good deal of beginner experience,

but NO experience with wedding photography or lighting. My fiance and I do

not have money in our budget for a professional photographer. Two friends will

be shooting the wedding.

The lighting in the church?...dim with white christmas lights wrapped in toole

around columns (difficult, I know). So...here are my questions...(1)What

setting (Manual, ISO, Shutter speed,etc.) does my camera need to be put on for

this type of lighting? (2)What should I do with my flash? Bounce off ceiling,

maybe? I have a speedlight 430 EX. (3) Should I consider Adobe Lightroom to

fix the photos after the wedding? Shadows are a big deal in this church, as

I've seen pics shot by my cousin who is just beginning in digital

photography. I was very displeased!

Attached is a pic of the columns, which might help visualize the lighting

issue. There are dimmers in the church as well.

Please help!<div></div>

[picturesque]

If you are allowed to use flash in the church, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/30th, with the flash pointed almost straight up at the ceiling with a small white card rubber banded to the flash. Whether you want Lightroom is up to you. It is certainly a great software program. Have whoever uses the cameras learn how to compenate the flash and why. This setting won't do for every situation--just this one.

[picturesque]

I should add--you may get motion blur, such as during the processional, if your flash underexposes--that is why it is important to have the camera operator understand flash compensation. If in doubt, you can use 1/60th shutter speed, but that will render the background a little darker.

[conraderb]

I would try to get a tripod if they are trying to get some shots of the setting - eg. when nothing is moving.

 

most scenes look much better with natural light than with a flash unless you have a very capable flash and you can soften the flash in some way.

 

the camera settings depend on how bright the bulbs are, unfortunately. hard to say.

[sean_r2]

From the look of the sample picture, I highly recommend using your flash, as Nadine said: Pointed up, with a reflective white card attached via rubber band. You are going to need that bounced flash if the venue is as dark as it is. Set the flash to ETTL, and yes, have your friends learn about compensation to make sure your dress remains white and his tux remains black. This is a biggie, as if they don't understand compensation, both you and hubbie will end up looking gray, too dark, or too blown-out white, and not one of those three things is good at all.

 

If you can process it, shoot with RAW. It will give you some latitude in correcting any bad shots.

 

If your friends aren't familiar with camera settings, going with Program mode might be the safest, but what Nadine said about ISO400 with an f5.6 aperture is good. Although, I highly recommend using a faster shutter speed because it'll be hard to shoot at 1/30 of a second if your friends aren't used to it. I'm presuming you have the kit lens, which means (55mm x 1.6 = 88mm) an effective maximum length of 88mm, which means a recommended shutter speed of 1/90 of a second of faster. You're going to lose detail in the background, if the place is really dark. To compensate, you might want to push your ISO to 800, but try to avoid going to 1600, as the Rebels don't handle 1600 too well.

 

The main credo film photographers follow is "Get it right the first time," and even though you have a digital camera, try to follow that advice. Make sure to get the shots correctly the first time, every time, that way it saves you a lot of time on correction. Plus, going with the attitude of "Well, I can just fix this in Photoshop" is dangerous, because it leads to less deliberate shots and ultimately leads to sloppy photos. Try to have your friends practice with the camera early, days or weeks before the wedding if possible. Have them practice shooting from where they would, and have you or other friends stand at the altar, in order to see how well they can capture the room as a whole, as well as the altar area.

 

You said your cousin had a problem with shadows. This could mean a couple of things. First, if it means huge shadows behind people, then that's caused by lack of bounce flash. Use bounce flash pointed up at the ceiling, and have that white card on, in order to soften the shadows to the point of almost not being there. If it means people are lit up but rooms are so dark the shots were taken in a cave, then it means the manual settings need to be opened up to allow more exposure for the background. This usually means using a slower shutter speed, but with any speed lower than 1/90 on your camera, you're likely to run into shake. Still, if the room has a lot of white as in the sample pic, the light from your flash should be able to bounce around well at f/5.6 and 1/90 or even 1/25. You shouldn't have to worry about the cave look in that venue.

[aka eve adams]

If there is ANY way possible, at least try to find a budget photographer with good work. This is the most important day of your life up to this point. Your future family heirlooms, your memories will ride on these photographs. I would scrimp on the dress, the cake, the food, or the flowers, but unless your friends take very good pictures, don't scrimp on the photography... You will look at them with sorrow for the rest of your days possibly. Your friends will also feel terrible if they ruin your memories. Maybe consider hiring a student majoring in photography with an excellent portfolio...Perhaps your friends have experience, if so, great.

 

If you still can't squeeze it into the budget, the other photographers have given you sound advice.

[karina_a]

I agree with Eve Myra - it shouldn't be too hard to find a student who is trying to build a portfolio - many people are looking for this sort of opportunity. Go through Craiglist or contact photography colleges in your area. A photography student will at least understand camera settings, and will do it for cost, or at least a low price. This is a huge amount of pressure for your friends if they know nothing about photography, and a student will be able to help preserve your precious memories to show your children, and still be affordable.

 

You won't be able to be too fussy / demanding if you aren't paying them / not paying them much, but I would still ask to see any photos they have already shot to make sure they do know how to use a camera, and I would make sure you are on the same page as each other as to what you are expecting. Also make a list with them of what shots are really important to you, and if you have a choice between a few people, try to pick somebody who is organised and seems switched on, as well as having some reasonable shots. It will also help them to be in the right place at the right time to capture the most important shots, if you give them a time-line of how the day will run.

 

Good luck!

[r._jones1]

<b>"...Your future family heirlooms, your memories will ride on these photographs. I would scrimp on the dress, the cake, the food, or the flowers, but unless your friends take very good pictures, don't scrimp on the photography..."</b>

<p>

Best advice in this thread!

[myra_trimble]

Than you all so much for your advice! I absolutely love experimenting with my camera, and this will be a good experience for me to figure out what to do in this situation...but it still helps to have somewhere to start, and that's what you've all given me! Thanks!