First wedding

[j_hickton]

<p>I have been asked to photograph a wedding, this will be my first wedding. I have a canon 7D, 17-55mm f/2.8 lens, and a 580 speedlite. I am also willing to hire another lens (possibly an L prime). My question, to people who have experience of shooting weddings, is what would be the right lens to hire?</p>

[picturesque]

<p>That would depend on what kind of lighting you will be dealing with (is it a church wedding where you can't use flash?) and whether you want to be able to shoot some available light shots. Information would help.</p>

[j_hickton]

<p>It isn't in a church but will be indoors (registry office), I guess it would be good to have the option of shooting some shots with available light.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>I would hope some UK photographers will respond, however, I would say a 50mm f1.8 (cheap, so just buy it) or the 50mm f1.4. For the L, it would be the f1.2. If you want to do the entire thing natural light, then a wide angle, wide aperture prime would be useful, such as the 24mm f1.4L.</p>

[j_hickton]

<p>Thanks Nadine, looking through your photos they are high quality shots, and i'm greatfull for your response. Other than gear, have you got any general advice/tips on shooting a wedding? would be much appreciated.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>You can go through the Archives, under the various sub topics, but in particular, the ones for newcomers, and find lots of tips and advice. I believe registry office weddings have been touched upon before--you might do a search. And hopefully, some UK photographers can help you.</p>

[savagesax]

Rent another camera body, a flash, maybe a 70-200mm lens if you are stuck in the back of the church. You can buy my favorite tool. A tripod.

[iraellis]

<p>Hopefully, the wedding you were hired to shoot is far enough in the future for you to hook up with an experienced wedding photog who would be willing to take you under his or her wing in exchange for your assistance. That's how my good friend above, (Bob Bernardo), and I became acquainted many years ago. I taught wedding photography at The Learning Tree in Chatsworth, CA and Bob was my best student, (can you tell how proud I am of the way he turned out?). That's my advice - the more shooters you can become friends with, the better you will become. º¿º</p>

[neilambrose]

<p>It's unlikely you'll need a 70-200mm as UK registry offices tend to be rather small rooms. You'll almost certainly be forbidden to use a tripod. Registrars get nervous about equipment obstructing guests or marking the carpets, and in many cases it just won't be practical as there's rarely anywhere to place it that will get a good angle except center aisle - the one place it will definitely be in the way.</p>

<p>You may or may not be allowed flash. There are no fixed rules and it will be at the discretion of the registrar so you might want to contact them in advance to confirm.</p>

<p>If you're not allowed flash and intend to rent lenses then I'd suggest getting a feel for the registry office. A quick search online will usually get you to a website with internal pictures from which you can judge the light. If there are lots of windows then perhaps your current lens would be adequate. If the light is muted, or the windows are some distance from the seating area then you'll want a faster lens.</p>

<p>I know nothing about Canon cameras or lenses, so won't offer you specific advice. But I could cover a registry office with just two focal lengths: 28mm and 85mm (full frame). Anything you find that's in that ball park will be a safe choice.</p>

<p>You'll probably be asked not to move around. This means you'll have to decide whether to shoot from the front (behind the registrar) or the back (behind the guests). The layout of the room and preference of the registrar will usually make that decision for you, and will influence your approach to lenses.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Neil--that would correspond to the 50mm 1.8/1.4/1.2 and the 24mm 1.4L (for Canon cropped sensor). The 50mm 1.8 is cheap so buying it makes sense. Then rent the other.</p>