Help & advice seriously required from all Please read !!

Ok folks

I need as much advise and help as I can get here. I have my first wedding shoot next week church job, bridesmaids etc..but I have a few nerves especially about the weather and a few other issues.

Dont worry they are only paying me for the prints as I need the experience and they need a photographer as they cant afford a pro. However I see this as a real challenge but one I can't mis. I want to make the best job I possibly can of course. I have a lot of faith in the K10D but any tips are welcome.

So now let me tell you what equipment I have to date
1. K10D
2. Penatx 18-55mm lens
3. Penatx F 50mm 1.7 lens
4. pentax A 80-200mm 4.7 -5.6 lens
5. tripod
6. 2 x 2gb cards

Yes I wish I had the 16-45 but cant afford one yet. Also I dont have a Flash Head. I planned to do most the shots outdoors but no doubt a few inside so I suppose I need to get a Flash head ??

What Flash do you reccommend ?? I have heard the Pentax TTL flash is good but dont understand what Flash TTL does so perhaps some would care to explain.

Ok all advice welcome but please do not bombard me me with millions of tips just the real basics I need. I have confidence in my ability as the portrait shots I have done so far have been very well recieved but this is a wedding !!

Anything ideas from poses to camera settings. I may shot some shots ie spare of the moment ones in the green mode but the rest I was thinking of using the 18-55mm at around aperture 8 to 11 for safety. I may also use the 50mm for closure shots and better quality.

Thanks pete

Hi Pete,

First & most basic bits of advice are:

1) Don't use anything you're not familiar with, otherwise you increase the chances of getting something wrong. Just make sure you know the kit you're using inside out, or keep everything simple (settings wise) & concentrate on capturing events as they unfold. Less time fiddling with gear equals more time taking photos.

2) Be very very prepared - presume that anything that might go wrong will go wrong & work out what you'll do in that eventuality (so, back-up camera if possible, spare memory cards, wet weather equipage, painkillers in case you get a headache, food etc. etc.)

Hope this helps,

Jonathan

Pete,

Some "people" advise...

Get them to fill out a list of "Can't miss" shots with location, people, poses.
This list is your life-line. Print it out and carry it with you and check them off (at least in your mind) as you go.

I'd stick with the 18-55 for 90% of the shots. (I use the 16-45 as I have it).

I do use flash for fill in. AF540 (but the AF360 will be perfectly fine on camera). I have a modified Pentax flash bracket for it, but the wireless is helpful. If you can help it - don't use flash inside as it spoils the "atmosphere" of the shot. But be prepared for high ISO shots, with a monopod or resting on something.

Use Auto ISO, and Av mode, aperture at something like f8 for most group shots.

Oh yes, and shoot RAW. Shoot RAW. Shoot RAW. Have plenty of cards too!

As has been said, be absolutely familiar with your gear. On the day you can't afford to think about it.

EDIT: you'll find the 50/1.7 useful inside 2 cards should be fine in PEF mode, unless you're a mad shooter!

EDIT: When taking shots you must tell yourself to check what's in the viewfinder. Check the feet and dress, check the heads, check the background.

Get people to leave their bags with someone while in the shot.
Encourage people not to put their hands on others' shoulders and round waists - you'll get "ghost hands" otherwise

Matt

When I do portraits I always have a quick look a shot on the LCD and check the histogram. In this case am I best shooting in Auto mode using RAW.

I not worried about to still pose shots as I am sure I can always take test shots but when she is walking up the church yard with brides etc. is this best shot in Auto ??

Also when clicking away inside th church is there a good position I should think about and also a right and wrong time to keep clicking the camera shutter as I dont wont it to get on peoples nerves

Pete

https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2511&highlight=wedding
lots of good tips here.

I've done two weddings on this basis - not recently, it was in my Super A / ME Super days. A couple of things come to mind.

If you possibly can, beg borrow or steal another body. As well as a backup (if your K10 dies and it's all you have, you are totally f***ed), it's useful for candids while you're setting up the tripod shots. Have it round your neck with a wide to medium zoom on it, set to a highish ISO. Then if you spot something while people are faffing you can grab it.

Add a spare charged battery to your list of bits to have with you.

If it's a sunny day, the harsh contrasts you get from the early afternoon sun are an absolute nightmare (think of faces under hats!) - and because the eye has a much higher dynamic range than the camera, it will look much worse on the picture than it looks to your eye. You'll need fill-in flash more than you'd think.

I found for the first one I couldn't work as quickly as I'd have liked, since I had no experience. The growing impatience from the guests added pressure I could have well done without.

So for the second one I did the big groups first (the ones with people in that wouldn't appear in the smaller groups). Then they were able to go and get a drink while I concentrated on the small groups and bride/groom poses.

Finally, remember one thing above all else:

It is the couple's day, and the couple's lifelong memories you're building. If you have to keep a few of the guests hanging about a little bit in order to ensure that you have enough time to do what you have to do, make sure you take it - people are nice at weddings usually, and will cut you the slack you need. And be nice, but don't allow guests to crowd you when you're doing the tripod shots. It's your responsibility to get it right, not theirs, so take command if necessary, nicely, obviously.

I found it a huge pressure. But both went really well, and the sense of pride I felt when the couples were really pleased was a real rush.

Good luck!

Just remembered I also used a cable release for all the tripod shots.

Makes it easier to interact with the subjects while you're getting them to all look your way and means that you won't shake the tripod pressing the button.

I'd use the remote now - which you could also use to get yourself into some of the shots. Presumably, you're a friend of the couple so it would be nice for them to see you in some of the shots too.

If you do this, put the camera into manual so that when you're done composing the frame, and move away from the viewfinder, the exposure doesn't all go to pot when the sun shines in through it.

I did a wedding once on a similar basis to yours. Yes, make sure your equipment is working, take spares of everything; I took an MZ-5N with an LX and a Minox as backup. Plan the shots you have to make so you're not trying to work out in your head "did I take that all important shot of aunt Mary with the bride?" But the most important bit of advice I was given was to frame the shot in the viewfinder then move in two more steps.

This was bourne out a couple of years ago when I got married and I was surprised at how close the wedding pro was to us when he was taking his shots - really very close. However, the result was good, frame filling pictures with lots of impact.

Do some practice now. Take the missus, or someone elses missus, out to the church in question, scout for locations and run off a few dozen shots. Then get back, process them and maybe post a few on here for critique. That's what we're here for!

Adrian

There are lots of good gear tips there but one I would throw in is to take along a friend as an assistant if at all possible. No matter how well planned you are you will have less time than you think and having someone to hand things to, go get someones attention, move something out of the frame or just deflect distractions from you will help lots.

Oh and if they allow confetti, have a practice before hand, I found timing that quite hard.

Yes definitely an assistant is a great start. The Pentax flash is super, I have the 360 FGZ.

Check beforehand with the church that they allow flash photography - many will not allow it!

For my son's wedding recently his photographer friend used just one lens the whole time, never used flash, shot in RAW and turned out wonderful photos.

Look for the unusual shots too. Get some of the bride at home preparing for the day if you can. Aim to capture looks between the couple too. Don't just concentrate on the standard wedding fare, make it your own whilst still giving them the shots to remember their important day.

Oh and good luck!

Here is somthing i found a god's send a Monopod Tripod is ok for the big pic but can get in the way for the others

I've never done a wedding, so I'll leave you in the capable hands of those above

What I have done is indoor Candids and all I can say is the 50 1.7 will save your life. Keep it ready at all times and expect to use it a lot indoors. If you manage to scrounge an extra body I would seriously consider having one body with the 50 1.7 on it all the time while indoors.