Wedding Photography

Hello All,

I have been asked by a colleague to photograph his wedding with my Pentax K10 and was wondering what would be the best selection of Lenses/flash to use for indoor/outdoor church/reception daytime/nightime shots?

Cheers.

I am doing my first wedding in 2 weeks time and have decided I will be taking my DA*16-50, DA*50-135 and FA 50mm 1.4 and maybe the D-FA100mm macro.
Flash will be a Metz 58 AF-1 with Stoffen Omni Bounce diffuser.

Have fun and don't get too stressed

wow! i was hoping to maybe only use 2 really good lenses!?

I was planing on only taking 2 The 16-50 & 50-135 but the 50mm 1.4 is tiny and won't take up much room but I thought it too good to leave at home.

Had a bag full of lenses for the wedding we did, ended up using just the DA* 16-50 on the K20, and the DA* 50-135 on the K10 slung over the shoulder, did the job admirably well, and as Clarky said a small fast prime in the pocket was used occasionally, but in my case it was because there were 2 of us shooting with 3 cameras, so the 31mm Ltd did get some good use.

Macro didn't need as the DA* 16-50 focuses more than close enough for the ring shots!

Also we each had a Metz 58 flashgun with diffusers.

Lots of batteries

Lots of flash cards

Spare shirt!

Take a bottle of drink of some description.

Put some Nurofen in the camera bag!

If using more than one camera body, synchronise the clocks!

That should keep you going for now. Hope that helps!

Whatever you take... practice first!!
You should know your equipment inside-out - especially how to get the best out of the flash.

(And shoot RAW - it'll save time and pain in the long run!)
Matt

The two zoom lenses will cover everything. There is one crucial difference between your job and Clarky's - his is in Summer, yours is in Winter. Make sure you know what style the bride is looking for, formal or reportage. A flash that can be used off camera is essential and dont even consider the flickering candle on top of the pentaprism!

I have done a bit of wedding shots lately.

My gear is this:

K10D (I need a second body)
DA* 50-135
Sigma 28-70 EX f.28
Flash - pentax 540
2 spare batteries for the body
Eneloop batteries for the flash (plenty!!)
I use 8*2GB cards.

Only shoot raw.


You need to know how to bounce and use the flash if you want to get good shots inside.

Ask at the church if you are allowed to shoot inside at all. Some places you are not allowed (at least here in DK).

I have done some official shots with a softbox and flash kit as well. But not on regular basis.

Every time I have had my other gear and lenses in the car - but never used it.

Best of luck...

(and best advice from me - learn how to shot moving people that are coming towards you.....You really want a pin sharp shot from inside the church when this bride is walking in and when they are walking out again.)

Thanks guys all very helpful

I'm also going on the honeymoon, A 2 week Pacific island cruise around Fiji, Vanuatu, Noumea, Mystery Island, Really looking forward to that

The boat leaves on the same day as the Wedding so i'm going to be busy.
9.30am is the church ceremony, 11am in the park under the Harbour bridge for the photo shoot, midday, across the road to a pub for a brief reception and a meal. Then 18 of us including the bride and groom have to make our way to the cruise terminal for a 2pm departure.
And you can be assured something will go awry.

Some years ago I went to a friends wedding in Romania. When I got there I was handed a pile of films and asked to take photographs. Argh. All worked out well in the end although I think I started going grey that day.

Best wishes, Kris.

Don't forget a pair of steps to gain extra height, I have found them invaluable on some wedding shots, especially groups where you need to get everyones face in. It will also give you a different angle for creative shots. Don't rely too much on the zoom as walking a few paces back or forward works pretty well.
Definitely use bounce flash to minimize shadows and be aware of small groups where things can happen quickly and some great shots can be had when people are more relaxed.
I agree with what others have said in earlier posts.
Harry

Thanks guys - All really helpful.

Funnily enough this wedding is in Slovakia , the deal is the groom pays for the lenses, flash and flight and my time off work!!
So the 2 lens ( 16-50mm & 50-135mm) with metz flash sounds a good route togo by all accounts , i just need to convince the lucky man its worth forking out nearly £1200 but for that ill do his party here in the uk and just cost price for the finished set.

Cheers Again!

Hi duroo.. and Clarky,

I've done a couple of weddings, so a few hints to make it easier for you on the day.

For the formal piccys, collar the best man to organise the crowds. Check with the B&G as to what groups they want, then tell the best man. You stand there while he gets people into the right area, and then you just have to move them the last foot or two, and get them to smile...

Have the groups written down, in the order that you want to take them. This usually means starting off with a couple of the B&G, then adding a few people at a time. Then subtract a few people at a time until you just have the B&G left. If you get it right, you only have to move everybody once or twice..

eg....

B&G
B&G + B parents
B&G + B parents + G parents

keep adding people, until you get the big group shots.

...then move them away in the opposite order..

B&G + B parents + G parents
B&G + G parents
B&G

There'll be a few other shots of course, but as people have only moved into, and out of shot once so far, they'll be happy enough to pose a couple more times.. and if the best man has organised the guests well enough, you've got all the above done in 10 minutes or so.. so very little boredom factor yet.

The first wedding I did, I think there may have been only a handful of other cameras there. Now, everyone will have one of some description. Somehow you have to convince them to look at you and not Auntie Hilda. The last one I did, I got very good at moving eyes in PP..

It's a little more difficult as you are going abroad, but try to get as much time as you need at the venues, to work out what you're going to be doing. If this is, as I'm assuming your first wedding shoot, you'll almost certainly be a little nervous. That's natural. You probably don't get nervous at work, because you know what you're doing.. same with a wedding pro.. it's his job.

You won't be a pro after one wedding, but you can minimise the nerves, and make sure it all goes smoothly, by spending as much time planning what you are going to do throughout the day, as you can. Write it down, and stick it on the back of the tripod, or in your shirt pocket, and refer to it when ever you need to. You'll look organised, and won't turn into a gibbering wreck, when you forget what's next.. I know I did the first time..


If it tips it down with rain, you'll need to be prepared to take the formal shots in probably the building set up for the reception. Remember this will have tables and chairs everywhere. You'll need to scout a location in there that will be big enough to do the biggest group shot. If there isn't one, then there isn't.. but warn the B&G before hand if that's the case. They'll either suggest somewhere else, or you might be able to.. or they'll just accept it, but tell them early on!

Once they've had a beer and a bit of scoff, the jackets and ties will be gone, so get ALL formal stuff done before they sit down for the meal..

If you're lucky with the weather, then you'll know where the group shots are going to be done outside. If there's no danger of it being nicked, put the tripod out roughly where you'll be standing for the group shots, beforehand. When they roll out on masse, hopefully, they'll stay behind that line, so you don't have to keep moving people out of the way.

Finally, for pictures of kids.. get them to close their eyes, count to three with them, tell them to open their eyes when you say smile, then as they open up all at once, take the shot.

Oh, and above all, enjoy it..

Cheers

Liam

Good advice, Liam. Build the shots and you have to be authorative and in control of the situation.

Cheers,

it's like herding cats..

If you get the best man to do the running around, there's two advantages.. a lot of people will know him, know he's doing his job and will quietly listen. Also, that he knows them as well.

Unless you are doing a wedding for people you know very well, finding the people for the shot is bloody hard work.. Auntie who????

Cheers

Liam