My siblings wedding

[adam_mueller]

<p>My brother is getting married in 6 months time and has asked me to shoot the wedding.</p>

<p>I've done alot of portrait/fashion work but not really event/wedding.</p>

<p>Can anybody provide any tips? From the bottom up.</p>

<p>I have a 7D & 5D Mark 2, 24-70MM L series, 50mm 1.4. Those are the lenses I use alot. Are they good enough for weddings?</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Adam - </p>

<p>Do a search on first wedding on this forum. There are numerous threads - additionally there is a primer on the front page for weddings. </p>

<p>Quick answer is yes, the camera's and lens are probably sufficient - but you are missing a high end zoom like a 70-200. Do you have flash available? </p>

<p>My advice with any sibling's wedding is to be a guest and enjoy the day. Leave the photography to someone that has done weddings. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[francoisviljoen]

<p>Adam,</p>

<p>I agree with David - who is going to take the photos on the wedding where the whole family needs to be on?<br>

Practically it cannot work. I did a video recording of my brother's wedding and the same problem crept up - I was nowhere to be seen...</p>

[adam_mueller]

<p>I guess your right. It would be helpful to know what settings to set my cam too etc.</p>

<p>Do most wedding photographers shoot manually or on AV?</p>

<p>You are right though, maybe I should leave it to someone who has done it before.</p>

[savagesax]

Manual only

[adam_mueller]

<p>Thanks for your help guys. Hope all is well.</p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>Can anybody provide any tips?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Some will say that the best tip is not to do it for various reasons. Missing out on the family participation of the event, having to direct and control family and guests which has social issues involved., delivering less than ideal images due to skills and/or not being able to dimplomatically but effectively controlling shooting conditions for formals ect., encountering simmering resentment over all of it and more. HAving to train yourself for a long time for one shoot to avoid all that. All the nightmare stories can attest to the possibility of these kind of things happening. What the odds are of some or all of that happening are unknown but there is risk.</p>

<p>Does your brother (and fiance) really value your photography skills such that its meaningful to him that you shoot the wedding or is it about saving money with a "request" made to a family member that is hard to turn down and, thus, more of a pressure? Are they scraping by and barely have enough to have a wedding paid for and can really use your help? Do they care about photography that much and are happy enough to go without someone who knows camera settings better? Does your brother think owning a nice camera means the photographer is going to be better? Does he think you know more than you do? Would he take on such a huge responsibility for you in a similar situation? You know your brother more than we. These and other factors might help you decide what's best. Is the accomplishment for you rewarding and a value to the couple in taking on the responsibility of training for months and getting back-up equip ect. or is it better to get people to chip in and outsource? You're the judge.</p>

<p> </p>

[redphoto]

<p>I would agree to pass the photography on to someone else, even if you were a seasoned wedding photographer. That day is a special one for your brother, his bride, and their families. Photographing a wedding is very time consuming and will leave you little time to participate in all of the necessary events. Everyone will be more happy with an outside wedding photographers doing what they are hired to do.</p>

[justin_stott]

<p>I decided a while back that my sister's wedding gift (whenever she decides to marry) will be her wedding photography. I know that's a big gift, but I know a lot more photographers than she does, and more about their personal styles and tastes. I am sure I'll have a friend or colleague shoot it, and maybe do the post processing for them if they want me to (at least their RAW conversions and let them plug in their actions and tweaks) to save them some time.</p>

<p>I'm thinking that this will get her some great photos, without me having to watch the ceremony through a viewfinder. I could shoot the reception with a cocktail in one hand and a camera in the other, but I'd rather not... Will I be there with my camera? Sure! Will I be the primary photog? Not if I can help it.</p>

<p>Good luck whatever you decide, if you do go through with it, at least rent a 70-200 2.8 a few times to get familiar with it before the day. If you're thinking about buying gear keep in mind that for the price of the 70-200 2.8is and the 580ex you're going to need, you could hire someone!</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Your gear is fine. You may need an external flash. If so, you need a back up flash. You may need a tripod. I am not one of those that thinks you will need a 70-200mm lens. Smart juggling of the lenses you have between the two bodies will probably work well.</p>

<p>Even if you are familiar with shooting in manual mode, you will be hard pressed to be on top of it all, all day long, if you've never shot a wedding before. However, AV is not a good mode to be in, indoors wtih flash, because it will set too slow a shutter speed. If you are going to use an automated mode, use Program. Learn how to shift it and to compensate it and the flash.</p>

<p>Be sure you use One Shot autofocusing and if the wedding takes place in dark areas, that your focus assist light on the flash is working and enabled. Do not use AI Servo in dim light--also the focus assist does not work with AI Servo.</p>

<p>Otherwise, read everything you can from the archived threads. Ask specific questions. Just asking for tips is too vague.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>I think you are better off to participate as a sibiling and help out in way only a brother/family member can. Regardless of how great a wedding photographer you may (or may not) be, there are always others pros who can do that job.</p>

[JRCrowe]

<p>Help your brother find a good photographer and enjoy the day with him.</p>

[keithdunlop]

<p>Are you not going to be<em> in</em> the wedding? And, what does the bride's side of the family think about this idea?</p>

<p>I can't figure how this would work logistically since you are a significant family member, and assuming, that you are part of the groom's party. But that issue aside, it's a really bad idea for you to try to take this on for your brother given that you have no wedding experience and require "bottom up" advice.</p>

<p>My suggestion, contribute money to help your brother and his bride hire a professional photographer to capture their once-in-a-lifetime memories. At the very least, hiring a pro will help avoid any family tensions down the road should you try to take this on and it doesn't go so well.</p>

[michelle_armour]

<p>I often have the situation these days where the bride / groom has a photographer in the family and I am expected to have them shadow me all day, I considered putting something in my contract but decided against it. At one wedding when I would bring my arm down I was hitting her camera acidentally as I did so....that was too close. I did have a few shots ruined with the autofocus assist patterns from her camera showing, green squares on the brides decolletage, there was no way I was photoshopping that out! I usually don't mind so long as they are not interferring with my job so perhaps you could suggest they hire a pro for a partial coverage and you do the rest, maybe the ceremony and location photos. My daughter is getting married next year, her fiance's sister is also a photographer so we will do it between us, she loves my work and I would HATE being a MOB!</p>