C&C - My first wedding

Tim Kamppinen

I shot my first wedding on July 18... and just got done with PP and uploading the photos to my website yesterday. Definitely need to streamline my workflow, but that's another matter. I'd love to get some feedback. Here's the blog post with my favorites:

blog.timkphotography.com/2009/08/jill-jeremiahs-wedding.html

(the baby is their son, in case you were wondering why there's a random baby photo in there)

There's a link to the full gallery at the end. If anyone wants to take a look at the rest of the shots, the password is "Butson".

Let me know what you think.

pwp

Great set for your first wedding, Tim! The B&G are bound to be pleased. And I *think* I am familiar with the reception location. It looks awful familiar. How'd you deal with the light in there? If it is where I am thinking, it is definitely a dark hall!

Tim Kamppinen

Thanks... about the reception venue, it's an American Legion hall in Hancock, MI... I saw you're in Virginia, so... it's probably a pretty generic building though. Actually one whole side of the building was glass blocks from about the halfway point up to the ceiling, so there was a fair bit of natural light coming in when the reception started, but once the sun started going down it was a real cave... it's a log building with a high wooden ceiling. I just used bounce flash with my SB900, turned up the ISO to 800-1600 and shot at f/2.8 or f/4 for most of the reception. Used auto WB but I should have done a custom setting because I had to tweak it in post because the red channel was blowing out in the skin tones. For the shots with the backlight I had an sb600 on a lightstand and I was using my 900 straight on... next time I'm going to try bouncing it at low power instead of the direct flash, but I like the backlight and the flare a lot.

pwp

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

Thanks... about the reception venue, it's an American Legion hall in Hancock, MI... I saw you're in Virginia, so... it's probably a pretty generic building though. Actually one whole side of the building was glass blocks from about the halfway point up to the ceiling, so there was a fair bit of natural light coming in when the reception started, but once the sun started going down it was a real cave... it's a log building with a high wooden ceiling. I just used bounce flash with my SB900, turned up the ISO to 800-1600 and shot at f/2.8 or f/4 for most of the reception. Used auto WB but I should have done a custom setting because I had to tweak it in post because the red channel was blowing out in the skin tones. For the shots with the backlight I had an sb600 on a lightstand and I was using my 900 straight on... next time I'm going to try bouncing it at low power instead of the direct flash, but I like the backlight and the flare a lot.

I went to Tech and we had many sorority formals there! I knew it looked familiar!!

Try your Tungsten setting for the next one, and you'll have less PP to do. I like the backlight flare as well, do you have a lightsphere? It's all I will use at receptions.

Tim Kamppinen

pwp wrote:

I went to Tech and we had many sorority formals there! I knew it looked familiar!!

Try your Tungsten setting for the next one, and you'll have less PP to do. I like the backlight flare as well, do you have a lightsphere? It's all I will use at receptions.

Awesome! I have to admit I was scratching my head a bit when you said you recognized it, never considered you might be a techie. I graduated from Tech about a year ago. I love the Keweenaw... I'm actually from Bruce Crossing, about an hour south of Houghton, which is where I'm living now... but I get back up that way as much as possible.

I don't have a lightsphere as I much prefer to do just straight bounce, even if it means turning the ISO higher... however, for mixing with the backlight it would probably be perfect, now that you mention it. I might just have to pick one up. The thing about bouncing is that since it evens out the light falloff so much, it might fill in the background more than I want in that situation, but I probably wouldn't have that problem with the lightsphere since much of the light would be direct (though diffused a bit). Although I am cheap, so I might just try a styrofoam cup on top of my flash...

pwp

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

Awesome! I have to admit I was scratching my head a bit when you said you recognized it, never considered you might be a techie. I graduated from Tech about a year ago. I love the Keweenaw... I'm actually from Bruce Crossing, about an hour south of Houghton, which is where I'm living now... but I get back up that way as much as possible.

I don't have a lightsphere as I much prefer to do just straight bounce, even if it means turning the ISO higher... however, for mixing with the backlight it would probably be perfect, now that you mention it. I might just have to pick one up. The thing about bouncing is that since it evens out the light falloff so much, it might fill in the background more than I want in that situation, but I probably wouldn't have that problem with the lightsphere since much of the light would be direct (though diffused a bit). Although I am cheap, so I might just try a styrofoam cup on top of my flash...

I definitely know where Bruce Crossing is! Very cool to see other alum here! I'm a *bit* older than you are, about 10 years. I miss the Keewenaw like you couldn't believe, but the hubby is military so we go where we're told.

Anyway...The lightsphere is handy because you can pop out the "top" for bounce when you need it a little stronger, or just want to go for a different effect. I've found that I can dial my flash strength down as well, saving me on battery swaps halfway into the reception, and decreasing the recycle time. I figured it was the best $50 investment I'd made. I do have some issues with the lightsphere staying put 100% of the time on my speedlite, but I'm sure you probably have a roll of electrical tape handy.

TGAllen

I think you did a great job!

Ed911

Tim,

I like your shots. Way cool. Just wondering if a couple aren't too pink. Of course, I'm on my uncalibrated laptop, which is usually too blue.

Anyways, very nice. I'm sure your clients are going to be very happy. I like your BW ring in the box shot...and I really like the desats that you did on the beach...and most of the shots that follow. Very nice.

Thanks for sharing.