My wedding diary

I arrived at 2:30pm about 45 mins before the bride arrived and started shooting the groom, best man and various other people mainly using the 18-55mm kit lens AV priority with a few shots using flash. All hand held.

Then when the bride arrived I got some shots getting out the car and plenty while she was nervously waiting to go in the church again AV. I had a few problems with bright sunlight and shade on the faces as it was difficult to get her attention fully before the ceremony so I just click away as she was nervous as to be expected.

In the church I shot with the 50mm at around F2.0 and I also used the 50-200mm at its widest F number. Not particularly good under low lighting as I was not at this point allowed to use flash. So I then switched back to 50mm and waiting for the register signing etc..

I then went back to my tripod in the isle to get a few shots walking out some with and without flash to be on the safe side.

The group shot outside were a lot easier I used the 18-55mm kit lens at various lengths. At this point I was more relaxed and so were they.

Then off the bridge for some candid shots using my 50mm and kit lens all shots using AV

Quite exhausting and a lot of pressure but I enjoyed and they family think the photos were great which is most Important.

Please leave your own thoughts and comments on my first wedding. I look forward to your ideas.

(link to the wedding photos pics if you have not seen them on the earlier thread http://www.pbase.com/petekd/inbox

Cheers Pete
_________________
New to DSLR and the Pentax K10D

You mean you did the bride a favour

Seriously tho' it sounds like it all went down quite well and I think you deserve a medal, I've done two weddings, my sisters second marraige and a friend of my sons (the latter only lasted three months

The pressure is enormous and IMHO its something best left to the pro's, taking pics as a guest is far more pleasurable, in fact I have had some stunning shots under these circumstances, far better than posed for pics

That's two months longer than my niece's

I did the photos for my eldest son's wedding. I enjoyed it as it got me more involved in things than the groom's mother usually is but it was stressful and I vowed never again!

Thanks for the diary Pete!

Surely you mean Petekd did the groom a favour...

I did wedding until two years ago and most times the weather was on my side, and not once was I able to get all the planned shots thanks to:

Bride
Bridesmaids
Bride's Mother
Hairdresser

Last one I did for a 'friend', bit of a minger really, lots of make up applied to make her 'attractive'.. on a hot day not a good idea as, as you can imagine the register is signed by the groom and his panda.

A lot of people are grizzling about the shutter noise of the K10D (obviously never had the Z-1p it seems) - did that bother you?

Glad I don't do it any more, it was too much hassle and there are too many 'semi-pros' (ie amateurs with nice camera) competing for the same small market. If you enjoy doing it and the customers are happy then keep it up..

All these years and only two bridezilla's...

One pretty much wanted everthing for free, and wasn't above slander and lies to get it....never worked without a written contract since.
and anoyher that propositioned me...on the morning of...one last fling...blah, blah, blah....I told her I was all for it, but she'd have ask my wife first...

now I'd have to write a whole book about all the good ones!!!
People at weddings are either at htier very best or thier very worst...but they're never normal!

Never mind photography, I find that a really interesting statement and will watch out for it at the next wedding I go to

The book about the bad ones will sell better.

G

For the two weddings I did on a "friend helping out" basis I needed to be in some of the shots myself, so obviously I practised carefully with the self-timer first, and ensured there was a suitable gap in the group to slot myself into.

Keeping their attention and getting them to smile meant being something of an entertainer, so for the first one I would set the timer going and saunter in a leisurely manner towards the group... pretending to run and only just make it in time for the shutter to fire. It got a laugh, so the result was good...

... but not as much of a laugh as the second time when I pulled the same stunt and slipped on some mud just as I went to run the last few steps.

Chris, can I draw your attention to a posting in the flash section?

G

Noted, much obliged.

It concerned me quite a bit as I was concious of the noise and the lens/body motor noise also. I have mentioned this in another thread as I cant understand why pentax dont try to make the shutter/damper or whatever its called quieter. I think if I get the DA 16-50 thats solve one problem but might make the shutter noise stand out more

Pete

If you get the focus approximately right manually, the AF makes very little noise as it does the last bit of adjustment.

With the 18-55 which lets you focus manually even in AF mode, I always do this anyway to minimise wear and tear, and speed up the AF.

well I did my first and last wedding several years ago with the still wonderful Z1. A fellow mate of mine was commissioned to do them an album and it was his first too, so asked me to come along as back-up and predominately do the candids which was my 'thing'. Well, all went accordinging to plan and we must have run off several dozen 36exp (just to be on the safe side!) right thru' to reception, pics were AOK - but the sad end to this tale ...............they divorced in 6 months I don't think I cd be arsed with all that again..............and no-one propositioned me
Its a very brave man/woman to do such things, (weddings I mean)!

Couldn't agree more. Photographing them is a piece of cake in comparison...

You could still console yourself that the Z-1 is still wonderful...and I have all it's successors