Help! "I do"...not do weddings

cmason

Help! I have been asked to photograph my father's wedding (remarrying at 75) in 3 weeks. I can't say no, but while I have done much studio portraits, I am mostly a landscape photographer. I read Strobist regularly and have a Canon 2 speedlight + STE2 setup, so flash isn't unknown to me, but I don't have experience in shooting a church or large groups.

Anyone care to share a few do's and don'ts and ESPECIALLY wedding posing tips?

I am assuming that if I need flash I will want to save it for post-wedding portraits, not during ceremony. I plan to drop by the church to check lighting, and may even need to rent a bright lens from Borrowlenses.com.

So, what kind of shots should I consider during ceremony? I don't think I will take more than a few, as I don't want to be up and about during the wedding, but are there a few that I should work to get? Alter? Ring Exchange? or just view down the aisle? Perhaps shots during ceremony are not popular or done, I am not sure.

What about flash. I assume flash isn't done during a ceremony, but do you use flash during post-wedding portraits? Are you using modifiers or bare bulb?

Finally, I could really use some specific tips on posing.

For groups, how to arrange? By Family, or by height, clothing color?
Best to have folks standing at a slight angle?
Lens above or even with the subjects?
Where do you recommend hands, arms: done at side, crossed, etc?
What are shots that I must get? Obviously couple, and family, but individuals?

Thanks

sphynge

During the ceremony (absolute minimum):
- groom at altar looking eagerly right before bride steps in
- bride looking at groom as she comes in
- couple from the aisle (step back a bunch for this one, the couple should be small)
- ring exchange
- final kiss

I never use flash during the ceremony.... it's just soooo invasive.

Folks always 45 degree angle, keep elbows away from the body. Lens above from the subjects (usually bring a ladder or find a balcony). Set the group shot list BEFORE the wedding and ask for one person to be in charge of each group (so you can say "Beth, please help me gather the bride's colleagues"). You'll find other threads on dgrin for help on making people smile.
For groups, the trick is to get levels whenever possible; achievable through steps, chairs, people sitting on other people's knees, balconies (ok I'm getting carried away), but you get the idea. Google "bridesmaids" "groomsmen" - under google image search - and you'll find more inspiration. weddinggawker.com is a great source of inspiration for couple poses as well.

The "must have" list depends on the style of photography you're going for. Besides formals, emotions are always key - you need a 6th sense, a 3rd eye, and a bit of luck to get'em. Bride getting ready shots are always good (same for the groom). I like to spend some time with details, because a lot of people pour so much time and money into them, that it'd be a shame to leave them unnoticed. First dance... and voila

Hope that helps!

Stuart-M

sphynge wrote: »

During the ceremony (absolute minimum):
- groom at altar looking eagerly right before bride steps in
- bride looking at groom as she comes in
- couple from the aisle (step back a bunch for this one, the couple should be small)
- ring exchange
- final kiss

I think the couple coming back down the aisle together is a must as well. For this shot you need to use Servo focus. If you have a reasonably fast lens and a 5DII or D700 you can get a fast enough shutter speed without flash, but otherwise you may need a touch of flash for this shot.

Here's an example where a touch of flash (bounced and gelled with 1/2 CTO) was used due to the window behind the subject:



BTW, for this shot you want to take as many as you can as they progress down the aisle as they result is very dependant on their expressions which change continuously.

Hope that helps, good luck!

WillCAD

The most important thing to do is to speak to the officiant well in advance (ideally, at the rehearsal). Find out any restrictions on photography that he/she might have, or that the venue might have, and use that as the foundation for your ceremony shot planning.

Then ask the bride and groom what shots they might want during the ceremony. You now have a list of shots to try for.

Watch the entire rehearsal. See where everybody is going to walk, stand, and/or sit, and when.

Duringt the rehearsal, you can plan your own movements. Start here, move there when this happens, stand over there for a while, relocate to the back at this point, etc. etc.

The rehearsal is one of the most valuable planning tools any wedding photographer or videographer can have. And yet many, many photographers and videographers say, "Nah, I know what I'm doing. They're all done the same way, anyway. I can skip it!"

The photographer for whom I second-shoot almost always starts at the altar and gets flash shots of each pair of the wedding party coming up the isle. How many shots he takes during the ceremony varies greatly according to the officiant's restrictions (or lack thereof), the structure of the ceremony, and the layout of the venue. At the conclusion of the ceremony, he always shoots the first kiss, and relocates to the back of the venue to get shots of the wedding party recessional. He's also in place to get shots of the receiving line, if there is one, and the bride and groom's departure, then to BOLT for the door to fly up the road like a mandman so he's in place at the reception venue to get shots of the bride and groom's arrival.

He burns through flash batteries like mad, because he fires the flash even during brightly-lit outdoor shots, for fill-in purposes. No bride who wears a white gown wants ugly shadows on it in her photos.

It really helps him to have either an assistant or a second shooter to carry his gear bag and warm up the rocket ship while he's shooting the brind and groom entering their car to go to the reception. He also tends to change camera and flash batteries at this point, as well as memory cards. Having an assistant or second makes this possible so he's ready to come out shootin' when the rocketship skids into the reception venue, often milimeters ahead of the limo. Why do limo drivers always drive like they're being chased by zombie hordes?

cmason

Thanks folks, keep em coming!

Any advice on must have lenses? I have a sharp 28-58 f2.8, and a 50 f1.8 that i can use on candids. Since I plan to rent, should I give a 24-105 f4, 24-70 f2.8 or a 70-200 f2.8 IS a go? I fear my 70-200 f4 just won't be bright enough.

sphynge

My primary is a 24-70 2.8, and I use a 50mm / 85 or 100mm for macro / detail shots (rings, shoes, details on dress, etc). I have a 70-200 2.8 but don't use it nearly as much; most of the spaces where I shoot are like the image above - on the tighter side of things.