Shooting weddings: any tips about gear?

[travis1]

Doing one for my cousin soon. Im thinking of bringing these along:

 

1) f80 85/1.8

 

2) m4p 35/asph

 

3) m3 50/2 and trix

 

and a digicam?!(G1 ok?)

 

 

Use slides or colour films?

 

Autofocus is a must but I only have the 85/1.8 and the f80!

 

 

What would you bring?

 

 

Last time I did a wedding shoot, I used only the f80 and the 28-80

nikon comsumer lens with pop up flash! Went ok though.

 

 

Or go digital all the way? I need to borrow a dslr then...

 

 

 

any tips guys?

[________1]

Shoot the whole thing in natural light, 800asa colorprint with your M/35asph! Something they'll remember *forever*. ;-)

[przemek nacewicz]

Hi Travis,

 

I would take M4-P and 35/asph. Load fast film e.g Neopan 1600 and develop it in Xtol (1:3 very pleasant). Set hyperfocal and shoot.

I hope it will help :)

 

cheers

[travis1]

Indoors during the reception it's hard to do hyperfocal without losing focus closer to 4 feet...kindda dark I'd expect...even with 800ASA..although I don't mind the grittiness, what if the bride wants grainless pix ?

 

I can hyperfocus outdoor though at f8...

 

autofocus not important you think? at low light where the bride moves about?

[leica ron]

For candids during the day:

Rent an F100, SB-28, flash-bracket. Or a D1X, SB-28DX and f/bracket.

 

Shooting in P mode with the flash has worked very well for me on Wedding gigs. Portra UC is a nice film.

 

I prefer AF because an RF takes me too long to focus and I always miss the moment.

 

For the reception, use the M's available light. Tmax 3200 rated at 1600.

 

It's always nice to have the formals done on Medium Format, but if you don't have MF .....

[al_kaplan1]

Travis, the average person can't afford a top pro wedding shooter. They look in the bridal magazines and see top quality photos, but they also look at their friends' albums which are rarely to the same standard. Your job is to get good photographs showing smiling happy people. The way to go is color negative film. Unless you're experienced shooting with a digital camera this isn't the time to be learning how to use it. An 85 might be nice for some close portraits but the 50 on the M3 will work well enough. Bridal "portraits" are usually 3/4 length shots showing the bouquet anyway, not tight facial shots. Shoot lots of film.

 

Shoot mostly with flash. Something like a Vivitar 283 will let you shoot at f/8 or f/11 for most of the shots with ISO 200 or 400 film. At those apertures you don't need autofocus. It's a pain to shoot both B&W and color at the same time. I'd suggest just going with color. If they really want a few B&W images scan the color and convert. To you and me it won't look exactly the same, but they'll never know or care.

 

Make sure you get the required photographs before you start doing the arty available light versions. Always keep the flash directly above the lens to avoid side shadows. I just hold the camera in one hand, the flash in my other. Good luck.

[travis1]

I was thinking of shooting shadows of the bride...you mean I need to borrow a nikon flash light?! f80's pop up flash seems adequate...

[roger_michel]

a few tips for shooting ANY event (but with wedding sin particular

in mind) where you *must* produce some number of usable

pics:

 

(1) always bring your own light (flash). you absolutely can never

BANK on available light. learn to use a diffuser (sof-ten are

good) and buy a bracket. never ever go to an event where people

are counting on you without your own light source. you may end

up shooting everything in available light, but you never know for

sure.

 

(2) always bring a long lens. again, you may never need it, but

you *must* have it.

 

(3) always bring a wideangle (24mm or wider). people always

want groups shots, and great generally for the tabloid shots

people love.

 

i would not be comfortable at all with the equipment you have

listed. no long, no superwide, much duplication, no flash gear

listed. i think you are taking a huge risk. tin particular the

35/50/85 is way too close a spread. much better would be nikon

with 135 f2 (or 180 2.8), a nikkor 20 2.8, the m4-p and a 35/90

combo, and then a nice powerful bracket mounted flash with

battery pack (actually a 283 with a quantum one mounted on a

reggie bracket would probably be fine -- it just limits your

diffusion opportunities).

 

finally, and here is really the crux of things, pro photogs get good

shots because they are not afraid to get them. don't be bashful

about setting up the requisite set up shots -- really take charge!!

and you can't be afraid to get in people's faces every once in a

while to get good candids. hang back on the fringe and you

might get lucky every once in a while, but in general being

proactive is how you get the keepers.

 

decide how much film you need then triple the amount. get it

printed negs only with an el cheapo photo CD to save on

processing and to enable you to send the couple e-mailable

j-pegs.

 

bring two bags -- one to carry during the event with the things you

are using at the moment and one to hold the stuff you are not not

going to use til later (or are done with). don't lug everything at

once.

[edmo]

Travis, check this guy out.

<p>

http://www.bergencountycamera.com/pro_gallery/pro_gallery.html

<p>

http://www.profotos.com/pros/profiles/index.cfm?member=218

<p>

He shot my wedding (we were pleased) all B&W using a couple of M�s w/ 28mm�s and a vivitar off camera powered by a quantum battery.

[jim r]

I'd follow Mark's advice here ....

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007abi

[m_.]

Travis:

 

Better solution is to quit now and have them hire someone as official photographer. Then you will have fun shooting M4P with 35 lens only.

 

But if you really can't get away, tell them you are going to shoot documentary style with a few "must-haves" posted shots. I will go with Neopan 1600 without flash. The F80 (N80) pop-up flash for close-up shots are terrible. It never worked for me. But maybe you can get away using it with your 80mm lens.

 

Still the best is to stay away from wedding, unless you are shooting for your own which can be a lot of fun as so many people will be around and you can shoot anyone without asking.

[el_fang]

<i>1) f80 85/1.8</i>

<p>Fine, especially for portraits and during the ceremony.

 

<p><i>2) m4p 35/asph</i>

<p>Great for general use, but not having an in-camera meter may slow you down.

 

<p><i>3) m3 50/2 and trix</i>

<p>Fine if you want to use only one camera and one lens (but bring your other stuff just in case of failure).

 

<p><i>and a digicam?!(G1 ok?)</i>

<p>Don't bother.

 

<p><i>Use slides or colour films?</i>

<p>Depends on how big your 'nads are and what they're made of.

 

<p><i>Autofocus is a must</i>

<p>No, it isn't. But technique is!

 

<p><i>Or go digital all the way? I need to borrow a dslr then...</i>

<p>Never borrow or use anything that you're not 100% familiar with to use at a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) event such as a wedding...

[nigel_utting1]

Have these two tips tattoed on the back of your left hand:

 

1. Never - never - do one-and-only-chance photo jobs for family. If it goes pear-shaped, the recriminations are personal not professional. You will never hear the end of it. You will never eat in their house again. Trust me. I know.

 

2. Everything above goes double for weddings.

 

 

Let them hire a professional for the traditional formal shots. Let him go home, then you can do the candids without the huge pressure of gettings everything 100% right.

 

Professionals shoot weddings for a living. They also have insurance. They are generally not related to the bride/groom.

 

Nigel.

[travis1]

Ok, how about a flash light on my m4p and shoot at f8. It's 1/50th sync right? Any good? Any thing to watch out for? I don't have a flash meter btw. (yes, Im ill -prepared for this one)

 

Ok for metering, I should then bring the M6 along...

 

VC 15mm? light fall off with flash definitely.

 

ANy cheap flash light for the M to recommend? SF something?

[andy m.]

I would just like to echo the advice to go with flash for this application (at least on your "colour" camera). Available light is all well and good, but fill-in flash gives a flattering reduction in facial shadows and will show the dress to its full potential.

<p>Also, for the indoor shots, such the the cake cutting, flash is very useful, if not essential. What would happen if the light was too poor? Very low depth of field caused by wide open apertures, togther with 1/30 or 1/15 shutter speeds, don't give any margin for error on such an important occasion.

 

The one wedding I have covered, I had a Nikon FM2 with large Metz flash, set 1 or two stops under for outdoor shots. There was so much sun on this occasion that I'm not sure that a Leica M with 1/50 sync would have worked here (but please ask others). <p>My other camera was an M2 with 50mm Summicron, loaded with 400ASA black and white film. This produced some lovely images in the chapel, and during reception, with avalilable light.<p>

Overall, it went very well, but was not a relaxing day for me because it is a big resposibility. I was doing it free as a present for a relative. <p>

Good luck and have fun!

[edmo]

Travis, I should have added that Mel shoots the way Al Kaplan and Roger described. Flash in one hand and camera in the other (Larry Fink style). In addition he shoots from the hip a lot and rarely looks through the viewfinder thus nobody gets a chance to do any posing. No need for any meters or 1400 film.

<p>

He�s a photo journalist who gets a kick out of doing weddings.

[Bill Blackwell Images]

I basically agree with Al. The easiest job at a wedding is the minister�s, but the hardest is the photographers! Do not try to shoot any wedding (unless it takes place outdoors) with available light. You'll need a fairly powerful flash and a bracket to put it on (so you don't risk getting any red-eye). If you�re using M bodies, don�t try to do it with only one; changing film is an absolute pain when the M is mounted to a bracket; you need to sit down, remove the camera from the bracket, change the film, and put the camera back on the bracket (you may want to bring an assistant or consider leaving the flash photos to the Nikon). As to your lens choices, I would think a 90/50/35 combination would be sufficient. I've shot dozens of weddings (when I did them) with an R6 and a 60mm/35mm combo; it always worked great. Definitely use print film no faster than ISO 200. Also, be careful to use a print film that isn�t too hot (most Kodak films are a bad choice).

[tom h.]

Al pretty much laid it out (as always), Travis. Color negative film-

there's some very good fast ones (800 speed). Make sure the

Bride and groom are aware of the type of work you like to do, and

find out what posed/formal shots they want. Make a shot list for

the posed shots (this is essential). So is flash- if you're not used

to using flash, or fill-in flash, I'd really recommend you shoot a

couple of practice rolls and make notes. "Learning on the day" is

not a way to go with a wedding. I'd seriously think about renting a

pro- slr and it's matching dedicated ttl fash and a pro zoom.

These can be rented quite cheaply on a daily basis, and then the

fill flash thing is a no brainer- you can concentrate on

compositions. And maybe load your Leica with fast B/W film for

informal stuff. The trick is to take the equipment out of the

equation as much as possible. on the day, you're in charge-if

you're having any trouble getting the folks to stand where you

want them to be, ask the best man/groomsmen to help you out-

that's their job. Then it's just a matter of filling the frame- pay

close attention to the background, I've seen many things growing

out of brides heads, chandeliers, etc. Try and get some cute kid

pics, people usually like one or two in their album, and it's fun

trying to catch them. And most of all, enjoy yourself- it is hard

work, no two ways about it, but can be very rewarding if you

approach it right..

[kevin m.]

Hi Travis, what is the bride expecting you to deliver, and how do

you want to shoot? If her expectations and yours don't match up

fairly well going into this, you might have trouble! Having said

that, weddings can be a lot of fun if you go in prepared.

 

Let each camera do what it does best. Use the Leica as the

documentary/available light camera, as you're obviously quite

familiar with that, and equip the Nikon to do the flash/formal

photography. Get a flash for the Nikon, make sure you're

comfortable using it, and get at least one more lens, too. A nice

short zoom might be good, like the 24-85mm, although I think

you could get by with just a 35mm prime along with your 85. I

don't think it's absolutely necessary to have a super-wide.

 

For film, you can't go wrong using Fuji NPH for color, and a

chromogenic B&W film.<div></div>

[gary_brown2]

Hi Travis, I'm going to check this thread this week !! I was asked to shoot a wedding as a favor for this coming weekend and now that the date is close there are beginning to be all sorts of requests ! what was originally going to be a small intimate affair great for leica shooting, is now a big deal! I've told them I don't have medium format equipment and explained what that was. Now I'm setting up battle plans. In the past I've had great success shooting journalistic style and it's been great not being the main photographer. My images have often been the ones most treasured. So I fell into the trap of letting my ego say yes to this.

I'm going to shoot test shots in the building with my M6 with the sf-20 flash. Also going to bring a Canon 1D and a Canon 10D camera with various lenses. Film will be Portra 160,400 VC and NC , black and white will be T400CN Kodak because I've had good success scanning it and have gotten great prints. The biggest challenge is the flash situation and I'll be reaquainting myself with both systems this week. I'm going to shoot both the leica and digital spontaneously before and after the event. and the formals with the leica. This is going to be a challenge. And I'll post the worst and the best shots!

I have good confidence that I'll get some great images but will certainly have to take charge for a few minutes after the wedding. getting some practice shots this week will for me be the key.

Autofocus for the moving parts of the service I've found invaluable. during the ceremony the the leica 90mm f2 and the canon 80-200 or 85 f1.2 are great! I've benefited using my sons equipment. Lets wish each other luck !!

[bj_rn_roth]

I guess I took my chances with my brother's wedding. No flash, M4 with VC50/1.5 and Fuji

color 400 (Tri-X later at the party), and a quick 100 ASA roll through my Rolleicord outside

the church. Turned out decent enough. <p>

 

<a href="http://www.infundo.com/br/images/urban_linda/UL_Kyrkbacken_01.jpg">It's

snowing!</a> <p>

<a href="http://www.infundo.com/br/images/urban_linda/UL_Festen_09.jpg">Cutting

the cake</a>

[bj_rn_roth]

Forgot to say that I didn't do, and wouldn't have accepted to do, the formal photographs...

[christopher.]

Whatever you do, shoot with what you are comfortable with. I would use kodak b+w c41 and a 35/2 or 50/2 on my M6. I learned the hard way and tried to do a wedding with a Dslr. I was in a jam, as they had no other photog and did not want to have to rewind as the bride was walking down the isle. I would encourage them to get a wedding photog for all the posed crap and just enjoy shooting some creative black and white throughout the night. Another great tip, tell them to buy a case of disposible cameras to put on all the reception tables and collect them at the end of the night. They will get at least one good shot off each.

[larry_kincaid1]

Use Fuji NPS ISO160 with Nikon/85mm/flash unit. Its a "daylight-type film designed specifically for portrait and wedding photography using daylight or electronic flash. Performs well under mixed lighting...natural skin tones, grains that are one-third smaller."

For natural light photography with your Leica with 35mm cron use Fujifilm NPZ professional color print film(ISO-800). Both films are designed for mixed lighting conditions (natural and artificial), so you covered under any conditions.

 

I used the NPZ 800 film with a 50mm cron during the actual ceremony when no one else was taking photos because of a reluctance to disrupt the cermony with flash equipment. Consequently, I was the only one who captured the most important moment: the "kiss" that "consumated" the marriage. Like others on the forum, I have been given credit for having taken the "best photos," exceeding those produced by the professionals hired for the occassion. And these were without any practice and the only two times I have done this. Why? I think it was because I was not taking the official photographs of the wedding. Bride and groom (and everyone else) pays too much attention to the professional, meaning they are busy setting up shots and "posing" for them. Meanwhile, I was able to float around the edges and take the candid photographs where everyone looked their best and most natural. So unobtrusive that several times people warned me that the non-existent flash on my Leica M6 was not working. So, I second the recommendation of others not to volunteer to be the "main" photographer. That way, they will get better photographs from you. No professional photographer is almost as good; one where "several of my friends said that they would take pictures for me."

[stephen_jones4]

Travis - use bounce flash (over-expose with neg. film) when using the Nikon (unless v. high ceilings then use stofen and flash head angled to 45 degrees). SB28 or similar with fresh batteries and plenty of spares. use Leica and 35 with Kodak Portra 400 VC or NC according to taste. I wouldn't use transparency film if you can help it - contrasty lighting is nearly always an issue at weddings. Similarly, digital weddings images that I've seen seem to suffer heavily from "white-out" (burnt-out highlights which can be very unattractive indeed) although this is presumably a matter of skill.

Fwiw, I once did a wedding with an EOS 50 and an M6 + 35 with just a Vivitar 283 (still my favourite flash gun - because of the warmish light it gives). It went ok - maybe a longer lens would have been nice for the speeches... oh and a motor winder for the M.