Wedding on a boat on Lake Superior Lenses?

rprimeau95 · August 29, 2009

Any suggestions for doing a wedding that will take place on a charter boat on Lake superior? My sister in law is getting married my husband wants me to do the pics as as gift.

First of all this was short notice 3 wks to be exact, please no comments on don't do weddings for family, too short of notice cause I am doing it for them they are very laid back and didn't even have plans to take pics. With that said I am not one to do anything mediocre sot this is stressing me,but my husband really wants to bless them with pics. SIGH!!

Note: Generally I don't' do weddings being confined to indoor shooting in churches bores me. I plan on eventually doing stuff like trash the dress but am preparing to get the gear "lenses" for that.

What I have

Camera: Rebel XT
Lenses
EF 70-210 no IS
EF 50mm 1.8 Prime
kit lens EF 18-55
Filters

Feel free to check out what the outdoor shoot I did for practice I took my sons friend outdoors put my own wedding dress and a ring on her LOL to see if I even wanted to do outdoor weddings. I was board out of my mind doing her indoors so I didn't even post those shots they were nothing special well I did post a few down by the alter but they were close ups.

I shot these shots with my 18-55 lens and 70-210

Now I am aware I don't' have super nice glass lenses my 70-210 is nice however it does not have IS and therefore needs to be on a tripod and I am not sure how that will work on a charter boat anyone ever do a tripod on one? plus because I live 13hrs away form Lake Superior I can't check it out I have a website where I saw the boat. I dont' think I can get far away enough to use the 70-210 lens.

I was considering renting but need to do it fast like by Monday the latest to get it by the time I leave Thursday I leave Friday. I wish they would of let us know sooner than 3wks. Now I am aware some of you would not do it but I am going to do it so hope I can get some recommendations vrs comments why I shouldn't do it.

I am new to smugmug I am leaving ifp3 to join here I am rushing out the door and will be back tonight and will post my intro then. I was told rent 24-70 but not sure based on some things I read.

Sine I am dealing with water and it is outdoors I am sure that comes into play to what I might need to rent.

should I get lens hoods?

Thanks for any input
Rabecca

My site http://primeauphotography.com

tenoverthenose · August 29, 2009

Given that you're going to be on a boat, forget the IS lenses. They will try to stabilize you in regard to flat ground, not the rocking boat. In other words, every picture will be soft / blurry as the lens will stabilize itself while the boat rocks.

rprimeau95 · August 29, 2009

tenoverthenose wrote:

Given that you're going to be on a boat, forget the IS lenses. They will try to stabilize you in regard to flat ground, not the rocking boat. In other words, every picture will be soft / blurry as the lens will stabilize itself while the boat rocks.

Thanks for that tip I just got home form a beef roast we went to today which gave me an opportunity to practice with my 50mm 1.8 prime lens I
have to say I was surprised by the results. I haven't really played with this lens in the 2.5 yrs I have owned it. I have been told to use it more often but I liked the zooming lens rather than walking

. However I must say I was surprised how much light it let in considering we were in a large Barn and it was pretty dark in there.

Funny the person who did the roast was catered in and he was a professional photographer for 15yrs he say I was shooting asked me some stuff and shared a few things with me which was nice. He said if I am shooting on a boat and the sun is behind us then I dont' have to worry about the glare/reflection on the water.

I was hoping to get a few more responses to my post bummer.

rprimeau95 · August 30, 2009

hmmm?

chrisjohnson · August 30, 2009

I suppose I would take the 50mm prime and make sure I got some good people shots. Best thing would be to stay comfortable and relaxed without fiddling with lenses, and the 50mm by all accounts can give some great images. Would also take a flash.

Good luck - sounds stressy to me.

angevin1 · August 30, 2009

rprimeau95 wrote:

hmmm?

You don't really mention the size of the vessel. If it was large, with large flat decks, then any lens usable a a typical church would do fine, but if its a private charter for fishing it will probably be fairly tight. Of course flying bridge would help. Are you a sea worthy salt yourself? ie: can you hang off edges and such without tumbling overboard? You don't mention flash, so try and use the typically white reflective surroundings for reflecting light where you need it. Could end up being a very fun experience too!

Good Luck~

ARKreations · August 30, 2009

I think Tom's on the right track with questioning the size of the boat. I would assume small and seriously look into renting a wide angle zoom.

rprimeau95 · August 30, 2009

tenoverthenose wrote:

Given that you're going to be on a boat, forget the IS lenses. They will try to stabilize you in regard to flat ground, not the rocking boat. In other words, every picture will be soft / blurry as the lens will stabilize itself while the boat rocks.

ok attempt number two I just typed a entire message and it got deleted before I submitted darn it!

Here is the info I have and a photo of the charter it is called the Keweena Star

http://www.keweenawexcursions.com/

If you look at the set up of this charter it is a good size she was told she could have 60 people she said she has 35 adults confirmed I know of 10 children.

She said that the goal is to set up "up top" however it is weather pending if it rains we will have to set up down below where you see the windows. If that is the case it will be darker. She said that everything is subject to weather down to where they will be sailing if they will be sailing. If there is 6ft swells they will not venture into Lake Superior and will either stay close to the bay or take the canal. She said they have the charter form 12:30pm till 5pm and that the ceremony won't take place until around 2pm.

My husbands sisters are very athletic and as simple as simple could be this is not a lavish wedding but should be nice and not super casual but not extremely formal. They will have two nephews ring bearing, one flower girl and two nephews ushering people to their seats. No brides maids or groomsmen however she would like to get photo's of siblings and family afterward.

Again I am doing this because my husband one would like to do it as a gift to her and second he thought it would be a great opportunity for me to get in some practice and pics for my portfolio.

She told me today not to stress and worry about it that they were not even going to hire a photographer because the cost involved and were just content to use whatever camera her mother had and or throw away camera. I told her that if I am going to do it I want to do my best and that I am a perfectionist and for my own peace of mind I would like to know the set up of things regardless

and that just because I am not charging them to do the wedding doesn't mean I want to be sloppy and do a hack job KWIM.

I told her beyond gifting them with my services my agenda was to use the shots for my portfolio and for the experience.You see they specifically said they were not doing gifts but asked instead people donate to their Charity of choice Cancer Society. In that vain she is insisting to pay me something for doing this I don't know the figure and did not ask considering my husband wanted to do this as their gift. To me sometimes it is priceless to gain experience and that is how I am looking at it at this point. However I don't plan on doing free weddings.

She made a comment that one of the reasons other than cost why they didn't consider hiring a photographer was because they thought how often are they really going to look at the photos

I was thinking WHAT! I said ah you do plan on having children some day right? she said yah I said well don't you think it would be nice to show your children the day you were married? and or reflect back when you are older? She said oh I guess so. She clearly isn't thinking about the future here. This is the sister that has been dating this guy for 9yrs with no plans to ever marry so it is kind of a big deal she agreed to do so

. I tell ya People are so strange

I don't know yet but I was thinking I will put the photo's on a disc/dvd and print one large photo of them together for their wall and maybe one for the parents. Or maybe make an inexpensive photobook for their coffee table.

Flash: ok it was next on my list of things to get after getting my Eizo monitor that cost 1500.00 which I just got so no I don't have a flash yet your probably looking at me like

but I wasn't sure which one to get for my rebel XT the Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash or the 480 EX Flash?

so far I have been able to get by with natural lighting and the flash on my camera.

When I was an event yesterday I took my 50mm and used it all day and I was surprised at how much light it let in considering the barn was very dark no lights in there at all they only had both sides open and around 6-7pm it was really dark in there.

rprimeau95 · August 31, 2009

bumping tomorrow going to need to determine if I should rent a lens or use the lenses I have and get a flash and lens hood? hmmm

chrisjohnson · August 31, 2009

I would stay with the lenses I know - took me months to learn a new focal length. It clips on easy enough but perspective, dof, the limits and parameters, are all different. It sounds like you have a good natural eye for a good people photo and I would rely on that and the lens you trust most to give an astounding result.

The flash is essential imho. I have a 430 EX II and it works just fine on automatic with my 40D - I guess the 480 is the latest version. You will find that it is also useful to shoot people in broad daylight when faces are in shadow. You can also bounce the light to get good effects. Indoors it helps a lot - a must. You can rely on natural light but you push your kit into low shutter speeds, high isos, etc, even with a fast lens. The 430 EX shoots all night at 1/250. With 10 kids running around, the on-camera flash is not the way to go.

I would also take my tripod - no doubt it spends most of the day in a corner but there will be moments when I want to use it - shame to miss that late evening shot of the loving couple in the moonlight - worth a try!

Last but not least, if you can spend a bit more money a few spare batteries and memory card will not come amiss. Then you can shoot freely all day, bracket to your heart's content - the more shots you take the more chance of keepers.

Good luck with it

PS on the lens hood. Seems most people get them because they want to protect the lens. The lenses are designed to work without and do so 99,9% of the time. I don't own one at the moment, but maybe that is my ignorance. I do however put the lens cap on when not actually shooting because I would hate to scratch the front of the glass even though, by all accounts, it does not matter that much.

ARKreations · August 31, 2009

On a boat like that, there will be little to nothing to bounce a flash off of, but you will probably still want it for fill. If you end up "down below", you may want a diffuser on the flash to avoid the harshness of direct, on-camera flash. In the case of being "up top" in good weather, the lens hood will be important to minimize lens flare. In decent light, you will probably be OK with the lenses you have outside. But if it's inside, you may be begging for a fast wide angle. Also be aware that with all that glass, you're going to be shooting dark subjects with a lot of back lighting...

Good luck and be sure to let us know how it goes.

Art Scott · August 31, 2009

You will need flash as already mentioned......also you need to get flash off camera and on to a flash bracket that the camera rotates on (not the flash){Stroboframe or custom brackets} and an off camera flash cord........both could run around $300 for decent equipment new.....you can find good brackets on ebay and then buy a new off camera flash cable from your canon retailer..........

rprimeau95 · August 31, 2009

Thank you for your input I know that many insist it is the lens that give you those great shots, but also know that an eye can get you far with what you have to satisfy.

the reason I was asking about a hood was I thought it would stop the light orbs I have been getting with my kit lens which I don't' recall ever getting.

I lost some gorgeous shots because of them right over the face this summer. Someone said it was because the sun hit my lens but if I recall the shots I took the sun was behind me that is why I am confused as to what I need to do to avoid that. Shooting with the 50mm 1.8 the other day I don't recall getting any hmmmm.

I am going to study my 70-210mm lens prior I never took the time to really learn that lens. I would be 3yrs ahead in my knowledge had my son not been in an auto accident that has consumed us.

thanks

goldenballs wrote:

I would stay with the lenses I know - took me months to learn a new focal length. It clips on easy enough but perspective, dof, the limits and parameters, are all different. It sounds like you have a good natural eye for a good people photo and I would rely on that and the lens you trust most to give an astounding result.

The flash is essential imho. I have a 430 EX II and it works just fine on automatic with my 40D - I guess the 480 is the latest version. You will find that it is also useful to shoot people in broad daylight when faces are in shadow. You can also bounce the light to get good effects. Indoors it helps a lot - a must. You can rely on natural light but you push your kit into low shutter speeds, high isos, etc, even with a fast lens. The 430 EX shoots all night at 1/250. With 10 kids running around, the on-camera flash is not the way to go.

I would also take my tripod - no doubt it spends most of the day in a corner but there will be moments when I want to use it - shame to miss that late evening shot of the loving couple in the moonlight - worth a try!

Last but not least, if you can spend a bit more money a few spare batteries and memory card will not come amiss. Then you can shoot freely all day, bracket to your heart's content - the more shots you take the more chance of keepers.

Good luck with it

PS on the lens hood. Seems most people get them because they want to protect the lens. The lenses are designed to work without and do so 99,9% of the time. I don't own one at the moment, but maybe that is my ignorance. I do however put the lens cap on when not actually shooting because I would hate to scratch the front of the glass even though, by all accounts, it does not matter that much.

angevin1 · August 31, 2009

rprimeau95 wrote:

Thank you for your input I know that many insist it is the lens that give you those great shots, but also know that an eye can get you far with what you have to satisfy.

the reason I was asking about a hood was I thought it would stop the light orbs I have been getting with my kit lens which I don't' recall ever getting.

I lost some gorgeous shots because of them right over the face this summer. Someone said it was because the sun hit my lens but if I recall the shots I took the sun was behind me that is why I am confused as to what I need to do to avoid that. Shooting with the 50mm 1.8 the other day I don't recall getting any hmmmm.

I am going to study my 70-210mm lens prior I never took the time to really learn that lens. I would be 3yrs ahead in my knowledge had my son not been in an auto accident that has consumed us.

thanks

While true that you want to avoid the orbs, they don't always look bad in shots.

Just looking at the vessel, I can see how I would like to use it, but sounds like you may get resistance on input for good photos and setting. Go with the flow, no doubt, but look that thing over and see if you can get them to do things with an ear your way too.

For instance, the twin decks leading to the forecastle would be ideal for the bride to walk down/up if the ceremony was actually on the forecastle versus "up top." And that bow spirit would/will make for some lovely photos with a washed out background of the Lake behind. I am certain the Captain or helmsman will be glad to steer the boat in whatever direction would work best for the ceremony or the shots you want afterward.

I too, love, use and recommend flash-fill to get rid of the shadows, but I also know that the sides of that thing being white will give you lots of natural fill, plus you could bring a white sheet ( for them to stand on?) or simply a reflector to do the fill with. Lovely sized boat, and should be more than one way to make it work for you!!

Good luck!

rprimeau95 · August 31, 2009

True what you said about orbs not looking bad in some shots but I had some literally smack dab on the face or covering the entire face. I will post later to show. I called they said the charter is 110' from tip to end and the top is appox 40' with 2-3' not included where the life boats which the lady said her photographer when they got married on this boat stood behind which would put me behind the direction of the minister facing the bride and groom. I hear the weather up there is supposed to be very nice and summer like. They will sail whatever way to accommodate for pics. Lake Superior runs North and South. She said if we went South we would be going towards the sun and North would be behind the boat.

I called about renting told them what I had they recommended the Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS she said form what it sounds like that would work well since I have the 50mm and that lets in a lot of light if we needed it.

So thinking of doing that it would cost me 47.00 for 1wk rental and 25.00 or so for Fed Ex 2 day which includes the return shipping. Is that a good deal? If I order by tomorrow I should get it by Thursday we are leaving Friday. I am going outside measuring out 40' and setting it up on tripod I will use my daughter as a model to judge if I can even use that lens on tripod in that amount of space.

thanks

angevin1 wrote:

While true that you want to avoid the orbs, they don't always look bad in shots.

Just looking at the vessel, I can see how I would like to use it, but sounds like you may get resistance on input for good photos and setting. Go with the flow, no doubt, but look that thing over and see if you can get them to do things with an ear your way too.

For instance, the twin decks leading to the forecastle would be ideal for the bride to walk down/up if the ceremony was actually on the forecastle versus "up top." And that bow spirit would/will make for some lovely photos with a washed out background of the Lake behind. I am certain the Captain or helmsman will be glad to steer the boat in whatever direction would work best for the ceremony or the shots you want afterward.

I too, love, use and recommend flash-fill to get rid of the shadows, but I also know that the sides of that thing being white will give you lots of natural fill, plus you could bring a white sheet ( for them to stand on?) or simply a reflector to do the fill with. Lovely sized boat, and should be more than one way to make it work for you!!

Good luck!

rprimeau95 · September 1, 2009

I just rented a canon 24-105 f/4L IS USM for one week it should be here Thursday I pray

I will then use my 50mm too

and hope for the best thanks

Tim Kamppinen · September 2, 2009

rprimeau95 wrote:

I hear the weather up there is supposed to be very nice and summer like.

Uh, no. It's been cold and rainy lately (I live an hour from Houghton). Even if it turns out to be a nice day, you can expect it to be cold and windy on Lake Superior. Definitely bring a jacket.

Other than that, sounds like it should be a cool wedding. I've never been on the Keweenaw Star but I see it in the Portage canal all the time. It's strange, I seem to be seeing a lot of people that have ties to the Houghton area on these forums lately... Lots of former Michigan Tech students, apparently (myself included).

rprimeau95 · September 2, 2009

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

Uh, no. It's been cold and rainy lately (I live an hour from Houghton). Even if it turns out to be a nice day, you can expect it to be cold and windy on Lake Superior. Definitely bring a jacket.

Other than that, sounds like it should be a cool wedding. I've never been on the Keweenaw Star but I see it in the Portage canal all the time. It's strange, I seem to be seeing a lot of people that have ties to the Houghton area on these forums lately... Lots of former Michigan Tech students, apparently (myself included).

Well that is what the lady told me form the Keewanaw Star I expected it would still be cool on the water even if sunny. We live near Lake Huron, Lake St Clair. We will be staying in Houghton that is where my brother in law lives. He is a doctor their maybe you know him Jesse Primeau?? He and his wife grew up there matter of fact my husband did too with his mom and siblings.

Any suggestions for picture taking after the wedding up their? My husband said he would take me around to get some shots up there?

Tim Kamppinen · September 2, 2009

rprimeau95 wrote:

Any suggestions for picture taking after the wedding up their? My husband said he would take me around to get some shots up there?

Definitely take a drive up to Copper Harbor (the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula). The road winds along Lake Superior and it's beautiful. Up near Copper Harbor is Brockway Mountain, which overlooks the lake and several other smaller lakes, and if the leaves are changing up there already it will be really beautiful. There's a road that goes right up to the top. There's a road going out of Copper Harbor called Manganese road, and a few miles up that is Manganese Falls which is a nice spot.

Make sure you stop and get some monk muffins on the way up there. Just past Eagle River there's a catholic monastery and the monks have a little shop called The Jampot. They make and sell jam, honey, and the best muffins you'll ever have. Get the ones that are the size of your face; you won't be disappointed.

For a few bucks you could tour the Calumet Theater, which is worth it if you are interested in the history of the place. It's always fun to stop and have a beer at The Gay Bar (in the town of Gay).

There's also lots of cool old mining ruins up there. Places like:

Redridge Dam
Freda (great place for sunsets on the lake)
Quincy Stamp Mill
The Dredge
Quincy Mine (in Hancock)

I won't try to explain how to get to these places but chances are your husband will know. Of course there's many more, but these are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. Have fun!

rprimeau95 · September 3, 2009

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

Definitely take a drive up to Copper Harbor (the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula). The road winds along Lake Superior and it's beautiful. Up near Copper Harbor is Brockway Mountain, which overlooks the lake and several other smaller lakes, and if the leaves are changing up there already it will be really beautiful. There's a road that goes right up to the top. There's a road going out of Copper Harbor called Manganese road, and a few miles up that is Manganese Falls which is a nice spot.

Make sure you stop and get some monk muffins on the way up there. Just past Eagle River there's a catholic monastery and the monks have a little shop called The Jampot. They make and sell jam, honey, and the best muffins you'll ever have. Get the ones that are the size of your face; you won't be disappointed.

For a few bucks you could tour the Calumet Theater, which is worth it if you are interested in the history of the place. It's always fun to stop and have a beer at The Gay Bar (in the town of Gay).

There's also lots of cool old mining ruins up there. Places like:

Redridge Dam
Freda (great place for sunsets on the lake)
Quincy Stamp Mill
The Dredge
Quincy Mine (in Hancock)

I won't try to explain how to get to these places but chances are your husband will know. Of course there's many more, but these are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head. Have fun!

thanks for tips my father in law wanted to go to the Monk place last time but we didn't make it. I took pic's of the Calumet Theater however my lens was not wide enough to capture it maybe with my rental I can. Around the corner there was a Gorgeous church with beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings.

chrisjohnson · September 4, 2009

Having dived into your thread I am now curious whether your rental arrived on time and, even more, how the pictures turn out. Hope you let us see a few

rprimeau95 · September 4, 2009

goldenballs wrote:

Having dived into your thread I am now curious whether your rental arrived on time and, even more, how the pictures turn out. Hope you let us see a few

Yup showed up on time yesterday and I am off in a moment out the door played with it a little yesterday and it sure blows away my 70-210 let you know when I return

Wedding on a boat on Lake Superior Lenses?

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