Advice for my Wedding Photography

[kevin_white2]

<p>I'm getting married this spring. It will be a midday ceremony outside with the reception inside. Our wedding budget is very tight and hiring a professional was/ is too costly. A friend has agreed to shoot our wedding and reception for us using my equipment.<br>

He will have the following equipment to work with:<br>

Nikon D90 w/ battery grip.<br>

Nikon 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses (both VR) and a 50mm 1:1.8D prime<br>

Nikon SB 600 speedlight<br>

(He will also have his SLR and lense as a backup)<br>

I have used the two VR lenses for outdoors sport and walk around shots and they both do very well. They both do fine (focusing) inside as long as the lighting is not too low and w/ the speedlight attached I've been able to get very good shots. <br>

I was going to tell him (our friend) to just get 100 shots of everything and that there will be some really good ones in there somewhere. The D90 also gives us a lot of in camera editting options as well. I guess I could have him shoot everything in RAW and do the editing on the computer.<br>

Anyway, I was really just hopping for some advice on how to get the best use out of the equipment available to us. Your help will be greatly appreciated. <br>

Thank you.</p>

<p> </p>

[a._j._jacobs]

<p>I think you should find a way to hire a pro. Your wedding day goes by so fast and the pictures are what you have to remember the day by and show your great grandkids, and all that. I know that hiring a pro on my wedding day was the best investment I made. Just my opinion. Plus, if your friend misses the best shots or something goes wrong, couldn't that affect your friendship? Something to think about, I guess.</p>

[christopher_m]

<p> I think you have the equipment to take a nice wedding, but there is more than that. How much does he know photography?</p>

<ul>

<li>Will he be relying purely on auto exposures? Does he understand compensation... for a white dress?</li>

<li>Does he understand depth of field and how to use it in portraits and candids?</li>

<li>Does he know flash concepts like dragging the shutter?</li>

<li>Does he understand how to bounce the flash?</li>

</ul>

<p>I would hesitate having him waste time doing on-camera editing while potential shots are passing by. Does he know the Nikon controls?<br>

I think he may need more than 100 shots too.</p>

[2yellowdogs]

<p>As nice as your friend is to volunteer, taking good wedding pictures is A LOT more than just handing good equipment to someone, having them hold the shutter release down all afternoon and sorting out the good ones (that sounds like your basic approach to the event). </p>

<p>If you're going to get something that you're happy with, you'll need someone who isn't a rank amateur behind the camera. If you're dead set on not spending any money on the pictures, you'll do better with a photography student (high school or, college) who actually has an eye and has done documentary or event photography in the past.</p>

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

<p>A thought for you..<br>

The pictures made at your wedding will last your entire life and could be passed down to your children & grandchildren. There are many parts to a wedding. Break them out. What is important to you? The here & now or the future?</p>

<p>You will only re-live your wedding day through photography.</p>

<p>Isn't it worth the investment?</p>

<p>Spend less on the other stuff. </p>

 

[picturesque]

<p>Why 100 photos? This is digital--particularly if the photographer isn't a pro, make it work for you. Shoot a lot but intelligently--not just for the sake of shooting.</p>

<p>As for the rest, without knowing your friend's skill level and even if we did, probably the best thing to do is to use Program or with Nikon, aperture priority is OK. Know how to read the histogram. Know how to compensate your ambient AND flash exposures and why. Use Single focus unless you are outside in good light and you know how to use continuous. Inside, you might want to research and learn dragging the shutter and bouncing flash. Go to planetneil.com, under Techniques and read the article.</p>

<p>Wedding photography is similar to sports photography in that you have to shoot quick, but it isn't similar otherwise. A long tele isn't so useful inside unless the room is large, and VR and continuous focus isn't so helpful inside during the reception. And since wedding photography is about specific people, use flash outside for fill so you can see faces.</p>

<p>I would strongly suggest you shoot RAW so that if there are questionable shots, you have a better chance at saving them.</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>I don't think the equipment is much of a consideration. For more important is what your friend will be being pointing it at....</p>

<p>You can get any camera you like but it will only be as good as the eye behind the lens. Without experience, technical skill, anticipation, timing and creative vision there will be no good photos, except those that luck provides.</p>

[christopher hartt dallas]

<p>You've given your friend a challenging task. Shooting outdoors at midday is something I generally try to avoid because of the high contrast issues. The sun shining on a Bride's white dress can make her look radioactive, and that happens to the very best photographers.<br>

Is it possible to rent a tent or somehow cover the ceremony area? Is it possible to change the outdoor location to an evenly shaded area?<br>

At the very least, this kind of midday situation calls for manual exposures and as much flash as possible. Midday ceremony...wow, can you change the time to dusk?</p>

[hooman_b]

<p>My advice, for what it's worth -<br>

Get with your friend and do a 30 minute walk through of where you're getting married and the reception. Make sure he /she understands what is going to happen, how it is going to happen, and at what pace. Everything from getting ready to where you enter from to how long the ceremony is to when to expect the first kiss.</p>

<p>Tell him not to go crazy trying to get every angle of every shot - but to stick with basics and do them well. He should walk through the day in his mind like a race car driver does a track. At this point I'm going to be here, then this is going to happen and i"ll move to there, then this and back to here. etc...</p>

<p>You're equipment is fine. Lenses are fine. Just remember the basics when in doubt. Don't try to do crazy fills with a bright sun in the camera's lens, etc..<br>

Most important - shoot raw and shoot A LOT. when the kiss comes, go bonkers - keep shooting (and make your kiss last more than just a 1/2 peck lol) - stuff like that - the important stuff, first dance, walk down the isle, basic stuff - shoot a lot - mem cards are cheap. 4GB CF are like $40 these days -<br>

Good Luck</p>

[William Michael]

<p>There are many factors: when presented with such one must apply triage.<br>

<br>

Simply put:<br>

<br>

General:<br>

1. Ensure the Photographer has freedom to move and knows the format of the day<br>

2. Use the 18 to 55, forget about changing lenses.<br>

<br>

Outside / Ceremony:<br>

3. Understand, Learn and Use Flash Fill. Understand the compensations (as mentioned above by Nadine) and also understand how (at midday) he will be shooting at close quarters.<br>

4. Use Centre Point AF and centre the subjects on that AF point – not so much about creative composition.<br>

5. Use “P” (Programmed Auto – Flexible)<br>

6. Concentrate on “being there” to capture the moments in either full frame or half frame in camera crop. <br>

7. Do a test run, at midday several weeks out – simply to get the head around the technical exposure / compensations and Flash Fill techniques.<br>

<br>

Inside / Reception Main Part:<br>

4. Use Centre Point AF and centre the subjects on that AF point – not so much about creative composition.<br>

5. Use “P” (Programmed Auto – Flexible)<br>

6. Concentrate on “being there” to capture the moments in either full frame or half frame in camera crop.<br>

8. Get a simple diffuser and use it on the Flash head inside.<br>

<br>

<br>

WW</p>

[William Michael]

<p><strong>I was going to tell him (our friend) to just get 100 shots of everything and that there will be some really good ones in there somewhere. The D90 also gives us a lot of in camera editting options as well. I guess I could have him shoot everything in RAW and do the editing on the computer.</strong><br>

<br>

By comparison to some Professionals here, I am a minimalist when it comes to total images taken at a Wedding, but this is not the case for that - and moreover, at an outside Ceremony and Inside Reception even minimalist Professionals such as I would likely take more than 100 images - do not limit your friend with details like that. <br>

<strong> </strong><br>

Shoot intelligently, but as many as he can, for as long as he can - and ensure there are enough batteries (Flash) and Cards (Camera), so to do.<br>

<br>

Have fun doing the ediTing later. [pun intended] :)<br>

<br>

Use RAW capture.<br>

<br>

WW</p>

[clarence1]

<p>[Christopher M] <em>I think he may need more than 100 shots too.</em><br>

<em></em><br>

[Nadine Ohara] <em>Why 100 photos?</em><br>

<em></em><br>

[William W] <em>even minimalist Professionals such as I would likely take more than 100 images - do not limit your friend with details like that. </em><br>

<em></em></p>

<p>I think the OP meant 100 shots <strong>EACH</strong> of EVERYTHING...</p>

<p>[Kevin White] <em>I was going to tell him (our friend) to just get 100 shots of everything and that there will be some really good ones in there somewhere. </em><br>

<em></em><br>

<em></em><br>

I'm more concerned about this comment in the original post...</p>

<p><em>"A friend has agreed to shoot our wedding and reception for us using <strong>my</strong> equipment... He will also have his SLR and lense as a backup"</em></p>

<p>If he's confident and competent with his own camera, isn't mentioned. But to hand unfamiliar equipment to a photographer who you're advising to "spray and pray in RAW, we'll fix it in post"?! Oof.<br>

What's his usual SLR and lens? Is it at least DSLR? If he's going to be using your Nikon, is he familiar with the Nikon controls?</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Clarence Clarence: <br>

<br>

You might be correct about the "100 shots".<br>

<br>

***<br>

<br>

Re: the "SLR". My interpretation of that is it is and SLR, as opposed to a DSLR, and Kevin wants Digital Files.<br>

<br>

***<br>

<br>

<strong>"But to hand unfamiliar equipment to a photographer who you're advising to "spray and pray in RAW, we'll fix it in post"?! Oof."</strong><br>

<br>

I purposely avoided that angle; and also that line of commentary, which was previously mentioned and where advice was given to hire a Professional. However, as you have linked this angle, (intentionally or not), to implicate my comments and advice are suggesting that “<strong>spray and pray in RAW (and) we'll fix it in post” </strong><strong>is my advice and or my best solution, my comments are</strong>:<br>

<br>

Such would NOT be my ideal solution. My opening sentence was carefully structured to include addressing “many factors” and the subsequent use of the word “triage”, in this regard.<br>

<br>

I do not adhere, nor advise the mentality of: "<strong>we'll fix it in post" </strong><strong>nor to “spray and pray” </strong>- all one needs to do is read a few of my previous comments, to confirm those as facts.<br>

<br>

The OP states, as fact, that hiring a Professional is a no go; what equipment is to be used; and by whom. </p>

<p>My answers and comments only concern that question and only within those parameters. I gave advice which I considered will give the best solution, and which will likely provide the most keepers, within those, specific parameters. <br>

<br>

WW<br /> <br>

<br>

<br>

</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

[clarence1]

<p><em>"you... implicate my comments and advice are suggesting that “spray and pray in RAW (and) we'll fix it in post” is my advice"</em><br>

<em></em></p>

<p><br />William, my comments were independent of your advice. Any "implication" that you infer from my comment is misinterpreted.</p>

<p>"Spray and Pray" and "fix it in post" was referring to Kevin's original comments...<br /><em><strong></strong></em><br>

<em><strong></strong></em><br>

<em><strong>"</strong>I was going to tell him (our friend) to just get 100 shots of everything "</em><br /><em></em><br>

<br /><em>"I guess I could have him shoot everything in RAW and do the editing on the computer."</em></p>

[William Michael]

<p>Clarence Clarence:<br>

Thanks.<br>

To be clear, I was not personally concerned by your comment - but considering the possible linkage(s), as I read it, I needed to clarify my opinion.<br>

<br>

I have commented several times that the written word - especially on forums, is often misinterpreted <br>

<br>

***<br>

<br>

[Aside] I quite like the phrase "Spray & Pray".<br>

<br>

WW<br>

<br>

</p>

<p > </p>

 

[kevin_white2]

<p>Clarence and William, thank you both for your imput, both helpful and entertaining.<br>

I wish I had never put the "100 shots" comment in there to start with. You were correct Clarence, I want him to take a 'ton" of pictures, aka, hundreds of shots of each moment. Memory cards are cheap.<br>

Our friend is a hobbiest photog. He has a D40 (SLR was a type o)that we are going to have as a back up. He is excited about getting his hands on my D90 and I'm letting him have all the gear to play with about two months before the wedding. I'm wanting him to shoot with my camera because the 12.3 mp should blow up better if needed.<br>

He and I also plan on visiting the venue earlier in the month to see how the sun and lighting will be.<br>

Again, thanks to everyone for their advice.<br>

Kevin</p>

<p> </p>

[amin_siminati]

<p>Rent a nice lens for the wedding, like the 17-55mm, it will cost about a 100 (for 3 days) but it will pay off, i havent used any of them myself, since i havent got my d90 yet, but its a way faster lens, and it will pay off for indoor shots!, croping will be better then changing lenses. quality of the lense is also better.</p>

<p>also shoot in raw+jpeg mode, and go to your local futureshop/ bestbuy buy the fastest 16 gig card they have (its some like 20 megs a second) then return in when your done! they have a 14 days no questions asked return policy! that way your files are save faster, and can take faster shots for important moments like the "first" kiss, since it wont last long.</p>

<p>i persenally recomend shutter priority over P, much better then leaving it to the camera! since shutter can be changed quickly and you will easily find the shutter speed you need at the beggining. also remind your friend that the d90 can go on higher isos then the d40, so he dosent leave to low, and try and use a slow shutter speed to make up for it.</p>