Night wedding? Crap, help!

SimpsonBrothers

Ok, so I'm shooting my cousin's wedding at a residence.
Ceremony starts at 6pm, sunset is 6:45pm

So basically everything after the ceremony will be indoor/outdoor in the dark with poor lighting.

Any tips for shooting this besides fast glass and high ISO?

Any ideal setups with the gear I've got?

Gear:
Body:
Canon 40D (x2)

Glass:
50mm f1.8
85mm f1.4
10-20mm f4
24-70mm f2.8
28-300 f3.5-5.6

Flash:
580EXii
550EX
420EX
ettl triggers

Modifiers:
43" Apollo Orb Octobox
Umbrella (x2)

Kinkajou

You can totally make it work with that gear, but if for some reason you just can't get the light you want, don't be afraid to get creative. Be ready for shots with imperfect light, so use your artistic skills to make it work.

These two images are from a wedding where both my STE2 and Pocket Wizards crapped out on me. Turns out I actually really like these images and have spent a lot of time really trying to figure out how to work in the dark since then.

I also shoot on a 40D. I love that camera - but the noise on the high ISO settings is the only thing I would change. It can be really bad if you don't find a way to work with it.

angevin1

SimpsonBrothers wrote: »

Ok, so I'm shooting my cousin's wedding at a residence.
Ceremony starts at 6pm, sunset is 6:45pm

So basically everything after the ceremony will be indoor/outdoor in the dark with poor lighting.

Any tips for shooting this besides fast glass and high ISO?

Any ideal setups with the gear I've got?

Gear:
Body:
Canon 40D (x2)

Glass:
50mm f1.8
85mm f1.4
10-20mm f4
24-70mm f2.8
28-300 f3.5-5.6

Flash:
580EXii
550EX
420EX
ettl triggers

Modifiers:
43" Apollo Orb Octobox
Umbrella (x2)

You've got the gear aspect well in hand. But I think I'd forgo the high ISO idea unless I was shooting available light. Otherwise it's time to think of creative ways to use your flash gear. Rather than brightening a whole scene, you might think about spot lighting. And of course looking thru the VAST amount of light-photography [shared] here in the Wedding forum.

rwells

I'd use bounce flash if the inside venue is conducive for it. Otherwise, and outside, you can use a "light on a stick" with good results.

What is a light on a stick?
Your flash mounted on a monopod with some type of diffuser on it (stoffen, lightsphere) and held up and out for nice directional light. Your list shows ETTL triggers, so there you go...

Inside, you can also setup your flashes as cross lighting, or many other configurations since you have ETTL triggers.

You've got what you need, just sounds like you need to get some practice in befor the wedding.

Good luck!

joshhuntnm

I bought some $150 strobes that plug in. they work a lot better than flashes. you do have to buy some kind of radio as well. I bought cowboy studio. They are not ttl but not that hard to use. They are really bright and the fire over and over. flashes have to have a near line of site; radios doen't depend on that. I bought 5 flashes before I realized this.

Ed911

For sure you're going to have to do something. Since you already have a 580EX2, set your camera for ISO 800 and try bounce flash...off of the walls ceiling, etc. It will give you some nice shading and interesting photos. Look at your LCD and then at the histogram. Adjust your flash output as necessary...which could be up or down in power depending on your situation and surroundings.

One thing to be careful of is the shadow people. Be sure to Chimp the first couple of images when shooting bounce...to make sure that the subjects don't have those troublesome and undesirable outline shadows. Do this every time you change shooting direction or position. Other wise you will wind up with problem photos when you get home and look at them on the computer.

It's easy to accidentally include shadows in your images when using bounce flash...especially when shooting dance shots...the bride and whoever, etc...since they move about on the dance floor and your shooting position and shooting angles change on the fly.

Hope this helps.

karloznz

Hi
Just want to reinforce what already been said especial regarding Hi ISO - I have done this couple of times and paid price for it - on Canon 50d - just don't cut it.

SimpsonBrothers

Just tested my 40D in my garage at dark (single 45w tungston bulb) at 3200ISO with a 50mm f1.8 and the photos came out great (and almost noiseless) without flash! I think I may be ok. Fast motion will suck, but I'll have my flash on bounce, or with a VAL on a stick set to 2nd curtain JIC. I think the 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.4 will be my primary, depending on space, with the 24-70 2.8 on the 2nd camera/shooter.

JimKarczewski

Rent a 5DIII or 1DX and just eat the cost. I just got a 1Dx and honestly, 51,200 is AMAZING. Seriously. I haven't yet downloaded any 104k or 210k ISO Images, which 210 looks to be really pushing it, from looking at the screen, but 51,200 is completely acceptable and the 5DIII should be very similar in noise profile to the 1Dx.

I'll see if I can't post an image.. it's my cat.. sorry, just got it today and nothing to shoot tonight but cats.. .. But will try tomorrow and thurs especially I'll be shooting people in less than stellar lighting.

JimKarczewski

Alternatively, setup your lights in strategic positions and flash away.. If it's dark you can get away with 1/8 power and your batteries should last a good long time and have quick recycle time...

Matthew Saville

JimKarczewski wrote: »

Rent a 5DIII or 1DX and just eat the cost. I just got a 1Dx and honestly, 51,200 is AMAZING. Seriously. I haven't yet downloaded any 104k or 210k ISO Images, which 210 looks to be really pushing it, from looking at the screen, but 51,200 is completely acceptable and the 5DIII should be very similar in noise profile to the 1Dx.

I'll see if I can't post an image.. it's my cat.. sorry, just got it today and nothing to shoot tonight but cats.. .. But will try tomorrow and thurs especially I'll be shooting people in less than stellar lighting.

To be honest, from my experience I have to say that renting / buying a brand new camera is a very bad idea unless you have TONS of time to learn the camera before shooting anything in a professional capacity. There is just too great a risk of messing up something at a critical moment. I personally don't feel comfortable with a new camera until I've spent many months with it, and shot tens of thousands of images.

Having said that, getting a full-frame camera with really good autofocus is still the best solution to the problem, from a technical standpoint. I would highly recommend a 5D mk3 for wedding photographers, It is a great camera just so long as you have a few months to really get to know it...

=Matt=

Headshot Girl

Talked to the bride?
I know that as photographers we immediately begin thinking of ways WE can remedy a bad lighting situation...but there is one other thing you could try: let your bride know the problem in advance and suggest some easy inexpensive ways to fix it on her end. Large paper lanterns (hung from wires strung across...set on tables here and there....standing in corners...etc.) create really soft indirect light, which will give you all kinds of pretty backlighting & keep your flash from looking like pics taken in a nighttime police raid ; ) ....and they look gorgeous at night during a wedding. This shouldn't cost her much - she can even make them herself. ....hope this suggestion helps - - brides often don't realize just how UN-WEDDING-ISH their even will feel without soft beautiful light. Sometimes they just need it to be explained to them....

heatherfeather

Well... I shoot in the dark regularly. (Its Alaska... its really really dark most of the winter, and apparently dark is cozy for Alaskans so most receptions are super dark.)
My strategy is to shoot it with two speedlights on light stands. I keep control of one, and the other is either stationary, or I make my assistant move it as necessary. It sure makes pretty photos! Here is 5DIII at 3200iso with two speedlights. Main has a cloud lightsphere and rim is bare at a 1:8 ratio.

This reception was almost pitch black with gelled uplights along the walls. (Which getting nice skin tones is easy when you purposely take over the ambient and mix the light in your subject area.)



That being said... I always attempt to educate brides about how important light is to their photos. I can work in almost any situation, but it sure is easier with some decent light. Decent light = more keepers.

SimpsonBrothers

Very nice Heather! Thanks!

sam250240

What Heatherfeather said. Set up two speedlights off camera and one on camera for fill. Set the on-camera flash to TTL -2 and off-camera -1 or -1.5 and fire away.

coolpinsky

heatherfeather - Love your pics and your site !

Agnieszka

Just a quick question. Why did you commit to shooting this if you are scared to do it? Did you not talk to them beforehand and you didn't know their plans? This is what interviews are for (they go both ways). I know they're your relative, but that kinda only makes it worse .... should have talked to them beforehand.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the wedding. I do hope it'll go well.

SimpsonBrothers

They do not have the money to hire a photographer. It is what it is. I just want to do the best I can for them. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Moogle Pepper

heatherfeather wrote: »

That being said... I always attempt to educate brides about how important "heather-light" is to their photos. I can work in almost any situation, but it sure is easier with some decent light. Decent "heather-light" = more keepers.

Fixed it for ya, Heather!

Agnieszka

So, I didn't go onto your website and I don't know how experienced you are. Just wanted to say that only high ISO won't help ya, sorry buddy. Shooting portraits at night is not easy and requires quite some creativity and experience. To be honest, I'm confused why you took on the job. You're not doing yourself (nor the couPle) a favor. If you're doing this caus you want to get into wedding photography (again, I don't know anything about your work), .... I'd say it's a bit selfish to 'exeperiment' on your friends on their bigger day. I'd say they'd have come up with a photography solution if they really wanted to, there are some cheap experienced photographers out there. In your title you sound quite panicked. You should have talked to them about the photo time before you 'booked' them ... Actually before they booked the justice of the peace, but let's not even get there right now. Since you're not an experienced evening shooter, why don't you recommend doing a 'first look' and shoot their photos before? That might be the best solution for everybody. Please don't just use any strobes for the first time the day before ... A high end camera and external lights are not your solution, experience is what it sounds like you're lacking.

I sound quite rude and you might think that I'm no help, but some years down the road (if you get into wedding photography), you'll understand my reply.

Agnieszka

Besides, the ceremony won't last much longer than 20-30 minutes I'm sure. Tell the couple to skip any receiving lines and that you need to have them for 'couple photos immediately after', and I bet ya you'll have some pretty cool light for an other 20 minutes. Do them first, then a few of the bridal party and do the families inside .... Unless you can persuade them to do the first look version ....

dawssvt

You can make it work with your set up! Find some places to bounce the flash off the roof!